Are single men disqualified from the pastorate? Does the phrase “husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy 3:2 require pastors to be married? Are single pastors at a disadvantage when it comes to practical matters of ministry? Some interpreters answer each of these questions in the affirmative. Others reject this conclusion as unbiblical. I side with those of the latter persuasion and seek to provide reasons why in this article.

Practical Advantages of Single Pastors

Single pastors are not only qualified for pastoral ministry but are in some ways better suited for it than pastors who are married. Steve DeWitt, in his article “That’s Odd: On Bias Against Single Pastors,” points out that married pastors are commonly thought to be better suited for the pastoral ministry, since they have a wife (and perhaps a family) and are thus able to relate to their congregations as married people. Certainly, married pastors have first hand experience when it comes to marriage and parenting, but it should not be concluded that single pastors are unqualified to talk about marriage, raising children, or sex. They certainly cannot speak from firsthand experience in these areas, but they can speak authoritatively, practically, and helpfully if they speak about these matters from the authority of Scripture. If this notion is denied, then the sufficiency of Scripture is also denied. Moreover, single pastors can share what they have learned from reading secondary literature. Of course, they can also impart to their congregations what they have gained from observing the lives of those who are doing marriage and parenting well. [...]

The reality that this video brings to our attention is an alarming one. Shouldn’t it shake us up a bit to hear that two-thirds of the young people who attend church throughout high school are leaving once they move into college? I’d say so. This video maintains that the church has failed the next generation, claiming that the church is in a state of emergency. I probably wouldn’t go so far as to say that we are in a state of emergency—since God still sits on His throne and is still in complete control—but these statistics should bring pause to those of us who are leading churches and cause us to ask ourselves some questions. Are we failing the next generation? Why is it that the youth are falling away from the church when they leave their student ministries? [...]

What ever happened to people hearing, receiving, and obeying the wise counsel of their pastors? Too often today, church members attend their churches, listen to Scriptural instruction, and choose to do things their own way. [...]