Good Shepherd, Overseer - Pastor

God's Word has not changed over the millennia. The same words are on the same pages and should carry the same meaning. People are the ones who change and believers specifically attempt to adjust or modify God's Word to fit their situation or the culture of the day.

Speaking to the Head Position of a Church - the Shepherd, Overseer or Pastor -

"God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This does not imply men are better teachers or that women are inferior or less intelligent. It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are also to set an example in their lives, but in a different way (1 Peter 3:1-6). Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3–5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men [or the Church]. This bars women from serving as pastors to men [1 Timothy 2:11-12]. This does not make women less important, by any means; rather, it gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s design."
[https://www.gotquestions.org/women-pastors.html] For a more detailed look at this subject visit the link provided.

Having established who a Pastor should not be, let us address the qualifications of the office. He is to be -

1. "above reproach,
2. faithful to his wife,
3. temperate,
4. self-controlled,
5. respectable,
6. hospitable,
7. able to teach,
8. not given to drunkenness,
9. not violent but gentle,
10. not quarrelsome,
11. not a lover of money.
12. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
13. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
14. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap." (1 Tim. 3:2-7)

Paul re-emphasizes and adds some requirements in his letter to Titus -

"he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Titus 1:7-9)

There are two huge qualifications I personally look for in a Pastor when deciding what leadership I desire for my marriage to learn under - teaching ability and personal one-on-one attention.

There have been Pastors in my past and our past that were heavy on one qualification and completely missed the other. In addition, there were others that did not have either a teaching/preaching ministry or a personal touch - those days were rough.

I realize Pastors have an extremely busy schedule, but for them to reach out to me or us and squirrel away an hour of personal time is priceless. To have lunch or dinner and get to know each other while talking on all concerns is a whole other level of ministering that I fully enjoy from a Pastor. Dare I would dream that lunch or dinner become a regular weekly event, I would be on another plateau of gratefulness and happiness.

In addition to this, if you or I have this kind of Pastor and he is a good speaker - what a blessing from God. I was raised to not only know your material when you publicly or privately speak, but deliver it correctly with the right grammar. I hear so many Pastors misuse the "you and I"/"you and me" phrase it is nauseating. Here is the rule for that - take the other person out of the equation/phrase/sentence - "you or whomever" - and how would you normally say the sentence?

One final aspect of the Pastor I observe is his attire. I come from a traditional view of wearing your Sunday Best. Even though my body is called the temple of the Lord and I meet with Him daily, Sunday I dress-up because I'm attending another "temple" where many others will be honoring God - hopefully the Pastor will be doing likewise.

This is all about excellence and Pastors striving for it through leadership, Godly character, personal outreach, speaking ability and appearance. This office is a huge responsibility and will be dealt strictly upon Judgement Day (1 Peter 5:1-4). So if you are personally looking for a church with a good Pastor or your church is looking for their next Pastor, consider what I have researched in The Word of God and pursue that Good Shepherd, Overseer - Pastor.