namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.I've wrestled with the meaning of this verse for much of my adult life. To my mind, it means that an elder is to have been married only once, and must have children who are faithful believers. However, I've encountered many who disagree.
The church I attend holds that it only means that he is faithful to his current wife, not having affairs or polygamous, and the question of children is never raised. My friend from Mexico once told me that in churches where he lives, as they were being set up, did not have enough older men to meet these qualifications, so they turned to younger men who appeared that they would meet them one day (not yet married, but understood the importance of faithfulness).
I'm not sure that I agree with either of those routes. It's been a point of disagreement between me and the church leadership for years.
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