Character
The classic passages about the character of elders and deacons are 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. Please read them before you nominate someone.
What’s interesting about the qualifications listed in those passages is most of them should describe everyone who follows Jesus. The functions or duties of the offices are barely mentioned. It’s not that competency doesn’t matter, but that character matters most.
All of our officers, including me, will tell you they fail. Don’t think of those character qualifications as a checklist, but rather as a portrait of the men we need. Someone has said those lists are more like a Monet than a photograph, much like Proverbs 31 is not a checklist but an idealized portrait of a godly woman.
An officer is first and foremost a mature follower of Christ, whose example you would want to follow. They should embody Christ to our church, as well as to those in our broader community (2 Corinthians 2:15-17). This doesn’t mean that officers do not struggle with sin. It means they consistently live in the light of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and who we are as a result. Officers should be actively engaged in the ongoing process of repentance and transformation by the grace of Christ.
In addition, nominate men of humility who want to serve in whatever way the Lord and his church call, not those who see the office as a status symbol, a right, or a token of their worth. In our Book of Church Order (BCO), the congregation and Session have to agree that a man is ready. We need men who want to serve, but also who want to know that others see them as gifted and ready for the roles.