Historical Analysis of the “Husband of One Wife” Eldership Qualification in the Gospel Advocate, 1855-1960

Abstract

This paper offers a careful historical study of how Churches of Christ leaders debated the meaning of the biblical requirement that an elder be the “husband of one wife.” Drawing on a close reading of the Gospel Advocate across more than a century, Emmanuel demonstrates that there was never a single, uncontested interpretation of this qualification within Churches of Christ. Instead, differing views emerged over time, including disagreement over whether an elder had to be married at all and whether widowhood disqualified a serving elder. Emmanuel argues that this history complicates later assumptions about a single “orthodox” position and invites a more historically grounded and humble approach to the question.