What is the biblical standpoint on divorced church leaders, like pastors, youth pastors, etc.?
Some scholars would interpret 1 Timothy 3:1-12 to rule out the possibility of divorced clergy. However, the key phrase here–“the husband of one wife”–could refer to a prohibition of polygamy, or it could refer to an endorsement of only serial monogamy (that is, one wife at a time). Certainly it is true that religiously mixed marriages were viewed differently than Christian marriages (see, for example, what Paul says about a mixed marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16). Nowhere in the New Testament is divorce called the unforgivable sin. So it would be difficult to talk about the “biblical” view on divorced clergy when the key texts are interpreted differently by equally devout and careful scholars.
—Ben Witherington III