OPINION: By Teasi Cannon,
Would you board a cruise ship if you knew the captain and crew were hired not for their training and qualifications, but for their contagious love for the sea?
I wouldn’t. No matter how good the food and entertainment were said to be.
And yet, this is often how many of us — myself included — have chosen a church. The place we trust with far more than the quality of the food or the entertainment options. It’s where we entrust our spiritual lives. With the best of intentions, we evaluate the worship music, consider whether the children’s programming is engaging, and measure the preacher’s charisma and passion for Jesus. If we leave feeling encouraged and like we “got something” out of it, we’re satisfied. But when it comes to the people responsible for the direction and protection of it all — the elders — we rarely ask questions. We assume they’re doing what they’ve been called to do.
Out of sight, out of mind.
While there are countless faithful pastors and churches working diligently to love and serve God’s people, the stories filling our news feeds reveal the significant price that can be paid for this assumption. In recent years, a growing number of high-profile church leaders have been exposed for patterns of unbiblical and even abusive behavior that went unchecked for years. In case after case, the issue wasn’t just the leader — it was the absence of real accountability around him. Systems that should have protected the flock failed, and everyone pays the price.
The most dangerous person in an unhealthy church isn’t always the one behind the pulpit. Sometimes, it’s the one behind the scenes who says nothing at all.
This isn’t just a modern leadership failure — it’s something God’s Word anticipated and addressed.
Scripture makes it clear that churches aren’t meant to be led by a single, untouchable personality. God established a model for shared leadership — qualified elders who are responsible not only to teach sound doctrine, but to guard it, model godly character, and protect the flock (Titus 1:1, Timothy 3). The qualifications aren’t vague, and no one in church leadership — including pastors — is exempt from them. In addition to the call all Christians share — to humility, repentance, sound thinking, and devotion to God — elders are to be above reproach: not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not lovers of power or gain. They are to be self-controlled, grounded in sound doctrine, and spiritually mature — not recent converts. Becoming a leader doesn’t lengthen the rope. It tightens it.
And yet, too often elder boards function as little more than rubber stamps — affirming decisions that have already been made, overlooking patterns, and avoiding difficult conversations in the name of unity, loyalty, or fear. Why? Sometimes it’s relational. Friendship makes confronting sin feel like betrayal. Sometimes it’s practical — financial dependence, ministry partnerships, or job security make honesty costly. Sometimes it’s theological confusion — the belief that a pastor’s “anointing” or spiritual authority places him beyond meaningful accountability. And sometimes it’s a desire to believe the best that keeps us from seeing what’s actually happening. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: no one is protecting the sheep, and when that happens, everyone is at risk.
And this is exactly why biblical qualifications and preparation matter.
Just as we would want a trained crew navigating dangerous waters, church elders need experience and preparation. They need to understand what Christians believe and what God is calling them to. Of course, formal training doesn’t guarantee a healthy church. But it often indicates that a leader has wrestled with the complexities of doctrine, understands where churches are most vulnerable to drift, and knows which theological hills are worth dying on and which aren’t. That kind of preparation matters when you’re leading people through issues of eternal consequence.
So, what does this mean for the rest of us?
We don’t need to become suspicious investigators, but we do need to be wise discerners. Jesus said we would recognize people by their fruit (Matthew 7:16), which requires us to pay attention. God has not left His Church without protection and guidance. He has given us clear qualifications for leadership, shared oversight, and accountability within the body — structures that function much like an immune system, designed to keep the Church healthy. But when those safeguards are ignored or dismissed, what was meant to protect us can begin to work against us. Nowhere is the damage more devastating than when leaders fail to lead one another well.
Faithful leaders need and want real accountability. They understand that being asked hard questions isn’t betrayal, but biblical love. They understand that unchecked power doesn’t stay healthy, and that small compromises can grow into patterns — and eventually into cultures that harm the very people they’re called to serve. They take God’s warnings seriously to shepherds who fail to care for the flock (Ezekiel 34), and they labor to lead in a way that honors Christ and protects His people. And many churches quietly reflect this kind of faithful, accountable leadership every week.
There are no perfect leaders and no perfect churches. But there are more biblical ones. And we can find them by asking better questions. Not just, “Do I like this church?” but,
“Who is leading it — and how?” Not just, “Is the pastor gifted?” but, “Is he accountable?” Not just “Does this feel right?” but “Is this biblically sound?”
Because the health of a church doesn’t just affect leadership, it shapes the lives, beliefs, and safety of everyone in it.
Enthusiasm is powerful and contagious, but it’s not a biblical qualification —and it can never replace accountable, qualified leadership. Even the most compelling ministries can drift off. Choosing a church with this in mind could make all the difference between smooth sailing and a shipwreck.
