Can I be an elder if I have had some past moral failure?

Galatians 1:13-16You know what I [Paul] was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

1 Timothy 1:15-16This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I [Paul] am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

God’s grace is real—no one deserves his favor—and his forgiveness is complete. A person’s past sins and mistakes should not disqualify that person for a church office if they repent and turn from their sins. Consider the apostle Paul who, in his own words, was the worst sinner of all before he began serving Christ.