Biblical passages containing elder requirements.
Biblical
Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership by
Stauch
This site is mostly free resources. This topic is important enough to justify a book, though. This one focuses on each aspect of Biblical eldership. It's what God's Word seems to demand, not what's popular. A solid, growing, local church ended up using it as their baseline way of assessing elders. There's a companion workbook and discussion guide, too.
Christian Elders in the New Testament
Deep study by DesiringGod.org on elders in Judaism, the Gospels, Paul's letters, and so on.
Why Women Shouldn't Be Pastors
Proponents of women being pastors said male headship was an outdated, cultural relic. I did a survey from Genesis to Judges, of the Gospels, and of the Epistles. I found that God Himself placed the gender roles. He then maintained them across the Bible.
A local church was looking for a pastor. They devised a search process: form a team, take applications, interview them, and so on. What does God's Word say about this, though? I did a survey of NT to see how they chose elders. There was a consistent pattern of selecting wise men of character from within the congregation. People they knew very well.
The above also implies we should train the lay people on Bible interpretation, theology, various types of service, etc. Whatever they're willing to learn. Training might include Sunday School, sessions on key topics, or formal training (eg "Foundations"). As part of accountability, churches should track progress on both learning and serving to grow their people. As they do this, the Holy Spirit will make it more clear what He wants to do through whom.
For pastors, most of the elder requirements are about character. That's dependent on their walk with God more than anything. Gender is uncontrollable (i.e. God-appointed). Doctrine requirement is teachable using education. I'll just throw in a few, extra links for aspiring or current pastors that need some support.
Leadership Classes by BiblicalTraining.org
They have classes ranging from small groups to Biblical Eldership (John Piper) to its pitfalls.
Crossway's
Global Pastor Book Set
The Pastor's Book: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry
The
New Testament Deacon: The Church's Minister of Mercy by Strauch
Strauch again. Character is the biggest focus. You can still train deacons as lay leaders. That may not make sense if your view of their calling is strictly service. I don't have anything else on this topic, though.
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