What qualifications does a teacher need to teach Sunday School? Does Titus 1:7 and 1 Timothy 3:2 apply to Sunday school teachers as well? Or does that apply only to elders and pastors?

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; Titus 1:7

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 1 Timothy 3:2

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Dao
PCA
Atlanta, GA

"Free will," says Charles Spurgeon, "has carried many souls to hell but never a soul to heaven."

I would say just elders/pastors since sunday school wasn't around at the time. It says all who will be elders must be able to teach. But, all who can teach aren't going to be elders. There is place for someone who can teach so long as they can teach, and teach according to what is right. Elders make that determination.

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Aaron Josh Wright
Deerbrook Baptist Church, Humble Tx
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

I'm glad this topic is being discussed here. So often nobody even considers qualifications when talking about those who oversee the spiritual education and training of the next generation. I'm looking forward to being enlightened.

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Sandra, Lady of the Lake
CBA, Acton ME
http://www.viewsfromthedeck.blogspot.com

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

I agree with PuritanPilgrim. The passages in Timothy and Titus pertain to elders. I would call attention to the following biblical caveat:

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

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Bob, elder, RBC Louisville. 1689 LBCF

"... Of such also, or of those who make a credible profession of being such, all those particular churches consist, which constitute our Lord's visible kingdom. ... Consequently, all the subjects of His government must have spiritual dispositions, , and yield spiritual obedience- obedience proceeding from an enlightened understanding, an awakened conscience, and a renewed heart."- Abraham Booth 1788

I can add that weve never "advertised" for teacher-volunteers. We tried to recruit those people who seem to have the gifts and are in the proper phase of life.

Of course, it's really moot with us at this moment, since we only run one class (all ages) which is taught be an elder, who is "apt to teach."

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Curt Lovelace
Pastor, Covenant Baptist Church (CBA)
Acton, Maine
Director, Lifework Forum
Sermons at SermonAudio.com/CBCActon
Blogging at Coffee with Curt

The church we attended while Tim was in seminary actually held a training workshop for prospective Sunday School teachers (plus the ladies who might teach for the women's monthly group) that even included having each of us present a quick demo lesson of how we'd present a particular verse. The elders oversaw the workshop and it helped them decide who was called to teach.

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Anna
Wife of Tim/Marrow Man
Louisville, KY
Member of Midlane Park Presbyterian (Associate Reformed Presbyterian)