In the early Congregation, a man learned the necessary skills to be a shepherd through the school of experience. He was trained by the existing shepherds, and he learned how to walk closely with God and to shepherd others by seeing and imitating their example. Jesus did precisely this with the apostles, and Paul did precisely this with eight men: Titus, Timothy, Gaius, Aristarchus, Secundus, Sopater, Tychicus, and Trophimus. A man was given hands-on experience under the supervision of the existing shepherds, and he was allowed to make mistakes. He had to be able to teach by example as well as by word before he could ever be considered for service as a shepherd.
"Our elders are proven men who obtain their position not by purchase, but by established character." —Tertullian
"As to anyone who teaches principles to live by and molds the characters of others, I ask, "Is he not obligated himself to live by the principles he teaches?" If he himself does not live by them, his teaching is nullified. ...His student will answer him like this, "I cannot practice the things you teach, because they are impossible. You forbid me to be angry. You forbid me to covet. You forbid me to lust. And you forbid me to fear pain and death. This is totally contrary to nature; all living creatures are subject to these emotions. If you are so convinced that it is possible to live contrary to natural impulses, first let me see you practice the things you teach so I will know they are possible." ...How will [the teacher] take away this excuse from the self-willed, unless he teaches them by his example, so they can see with their own eyes that the things he teaches are possible? For this very reason, no one obeys the teachings of the philosophers. Men prefer examples to words, because it is easy to speak—but difficult to act." —Lactantius"[The elder] should be chosen in the presence of the people under the eyes of all, and should be proved worthy and suitable by public judgment and testimony. ...For a proper ordination, all the neighboring overseers throughout the same province should assemble with the congregation. The overseer should be chosen in the presence of the congregation, since they are intimately familiar with his life and habits." —Cyprian
A biblical shepherd was never an outsider brought into the local congregation. Rather, he had lived in community life and had grown up with that congregation for years. His strengths and weaknesses were well known to the entire congregation. He did not qualify as a shepherd by studying in school and stuffing his head with knowledge. Rather, the congregation was interested in the depth of his spirituality. How close was the man to God? Had he lived for years as an example to other Christians? Was he ready to lay down his life for Christ?
Once a shepherd was appointed, he stayed in that local congregation for the rest of his life, unless persecution forced him to move. He was not appointed for three or four years only to move to a larger congregation with better compensation. Imagine a congregation being shepherded by men whose sole concern was the spiritual well-being of their congregations. To serve as a shepherd in the early congregation, a man had to be willing to lay down everything for Christ.
A shepherd did not leave his secular occupation in exchange for a middle-class salary from the congregation. It was considered heretical for a congregation to pay any salary to its shepherds. Instead, the congregation financially maintained its shepherds on the same basis it supported widows and orphans. This meant that shepherds had the necessities of life and little else.
Would your "pastor" be willing to give up his salary for this kind of lifestyle? You can bet your bottom dollar he will not. Would he have pursued the "pastorate" if this were the lifestyle he would receive? You can bet your sweet bippy that he would not have. Today's "pastors," which are nothing remotely similar to the shepherds of the early Congregation, have no interest in the spirituality of their congregations, and are only interested in their pay checks. Any "pastor" who claims otherwise, let us see you take on the same kind of lifestyle that the early shepherds lived. Put your money where your mouth is!
Is your "pastor" an encouragement to you? Do you strive to imitate his godliness? Or is he imitating the world by his life? Most "pastors" and "elders" in any denomination are not only an embarrassment, but also a joke. Their congregations are none the wiser because they neither pursue Christ nor spend significant time in the Word themselves, so they think everything is normal and acceptable. When you encounter genuine Christianity, it is not difficult to spot the nominal or false.