What can we learn about God’s priorities for church leadership based on Paul’s commands in 2 Timothy?

Timothy was a young pastor (1 Tim 4:12) in the church at Ephesus (1:3), and he was prone to be timid (2 Tim 1:7-8 [were his stomach ailments (1 Tim 5:23) due to anxiety?]).  2 Timothy reads like a last will and testament:  the apostle writes from prison (2 Tim 1:16), he’s at death’s door (4:6-8), and so Paul imparts the most urgent counsel for pastoral leadership.  Here are the key commands in 2 Timothy:

• “… fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you” (1:6, ESV).
• “… do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (1:8).
• “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me” (1:13).
• “… guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (1:14).
• “… be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1).
• “… what you have heard from me in the presence of many wit­nesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2:2).
• “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2:3).
• “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything” (2:7).
• “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel” (2:8).
• “… charge them before God not to quarrel about words” (2:14).
• “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2:15).
• “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (2:16).
• “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2:22).
• “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels” (2:23).
• “Avoid such people” (3:6—i.e., regarding those who practice the sins listed in 3:2-6, such as loving pleasure instead of God, or having the appearance of godliness but denying its power).
• “… continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from child­hood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (3:14-15).
• “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his king­dom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (4:1-2).
• “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (4:5).
• “Beware of him [i.e., Alexander the coppersmith] yourself, for he strongly opposed our message” (4:15).

Here’s what I see going on in these pressing commands directed to Pastor Timothy:  *teach the truth:  pastors and elders are charged to proclaim and safeguard the good deposit of God’s Word; *be ready for trial:  pastors must lead under pressure and in the face of opposi­tion; *unify the body:  church leaders must guide their people out of quarrels and into harmony; *be holy:  pastors and elders must walk in Christ-like godliness and insist on the same for God’s people; *make disciples—i.e., train, equip and mobilize tomorrow’s leaders.

I’d ask you to translate these urgent orders into prayers for Goshen leaders.  Pray that we’d be Bible-anchored, rock-solid in faith, unity-minded, joyfully godly, and faithful in passing the torch of leadership to tomorrow’s generation of pastors and elders.