It should be obvious by now, but let me say it plainly: God has called men, and only men, to be church elders.3 Consider a few observations: • As we have seen, Paul said twice, in different contexts, that an overseer must be a one-woman man. • Immediately before discussing overseers, Paul said, “I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:12). Given the immediate context, this verse, at the very least, must apply to the role of overseer, which is fundamentally