Is your pastor qualified?

Warning: Do not proceed unless you love truth enough to hurt for it.

Too often, we judge pastors by the wrong standards — charisma, communication skills, leadership style, social media presence, or how “successful” their church looks. But God’s Word gives us a very different set of qualifications for those who shepherd His people. This checklist wasn’t created to judge or attack pastors, but to help you discern whether your pastor or elder is a true shepherd who loves and protects the flock like Jesus — or just a hired hand, or worse, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Check the “Yes” box if the trait applies to your pastor, and “No” if it doesn’t. If your pastor displays all the biblical qualifications and none of the disqualifying traits, they can be a true shepherd biblically. If they are missing any required traits, they are not qualified. And if they display any traits Scripture says disqualify a man, then they are not the shepherd God has chosen. This may give you an answer you’re not ready for — so don’t proceed unless you’re willing to grapple with the truth.