He or she should have something to say, and be able to say it well and with power. Competence, by itself, is morally neutral. It simply the ability to do one's work well. But in combination with the other qualities of a good minister, it represents the capacity to deliver, to be the agent of our faith's heritage and vision so that the greatest number of men and women and children know it and see it and can be empowered by it, too. A minister, no less than other people, and perhaps more than most, needs a healthy sense of humor, and an awareness of his or her own limits.
Life is rent with absurdity, incongruity and foolishness.
It is also witness to our tragic and amusing tendency to take ourselves and our work to seriously, resulting in either an unbecoming self-importance or an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. We need to be able to laugh, or at least smile, both at our own and others' foolishness. Beyond that, it helps us to cheer the hearts of all whose joy in living has grown jaded. How such a minister comes into being is beyond the scope of these remarks, and frankly beyond my own understanding. Perhaps it is a gift of the grace of god.