*** w88 3/1 p. 24 par. 5 Responsible Childbearing in This Time of the End ***
Of course, Christian elders and ministerial servants cannot be held responsible if their children, once of age, refuse to continue serving Jehovah. But they are responsible for their minor children and for older children who are still living under their roof. Elders and ministerial servants have lost precious privileges of service because they became negligent or failed seriously to meet the Scriptural requirement of “presiding in a fine manner over children and their own households.”
*** w96 10/15 p. 21 par. 7 Father and Elder—Fulfilling Both Roles ***
When a son or a daughter reaches the age of responsibility, he or she must make a personal decision with regard to dedication and baptism. If an elder has clearly given needed spiritual help, guidance, and discipline, yet the youth does not choose to serve Jehovah, the father is not automatically disqualified from serving as an overseer. On the other hand, if an elder has several minor children living at home who, one after the other, become spiritually sick and get into trouble, he might no longer be considered to be “a man presiding over his own household in a fine manner.” (1 Timothy 3:4) The point is, it should be manifest that an overseer is doing his best to have ‘believing children that are not under a charge of debauchery nor unruly.’