TheNew Testament typically uses the words "bishops" (Acts 20:28) and "presbyter" (1 Peter 5:1) to indicate the ordained leadership in early Christianity. Likewise, Peter instructs these particular servants to "act likeshepherds" as they "oversee" the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2). The words "bishop" and "presbyter" were sometimes used in an interchangeable way, such as inTitus 1:5-6. However, there is ongoing dispute betweenbranches of Christianity over whether there are twoordained classes (presbyters anddeacons), or three (bishops, priests, and deacons). The first view is affirmed by thePresbyterian Church.[1] On the other hand, Christians of the Roman Catholic,Persian, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox,Moravian, Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, andOld Catholic traditions maintain the latter view and affirm the doctrine ofapostolic succession.[2][3]
These terms describe a leader (e.g., bishop), one who maintains a careful watch for the spiritual needs of all the members of the flock (i.e., a pastor). The person must meet scriptural qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). For some Protestants, whether called an elder, bishop, or pastor, these terms describe the same service in the church. In the early Church, only a man could be a presbyter, but many Protestant denominations in the 19th and 20th century have changed to allow women to be pastors, though others retained a male presbyterate. Whether man or woman, this person is to be older and experienced in the faith (i.e., an elder), a person who is a decision-maker, and a manager of church affairs.
The actual wordpastor is derived from aLatin word meaning "shepherd".[4]
The word "pastor" derives from theLatin nounpastor which means "shepherd" and is derived from the verbpascere – "to lead to pasture, set to grazing, cause to eat".[5] The term "pastor" also relates to the role ofelders within theNew Testament, and is synonymous with the biblical understanding of the word "minister". Amongst contemporary Protestant Christians, terms pastor, shepherd, and elder are all the same position.
Present-day usage of the word is rooted in theBiblical metaphor of shepherding. TheHebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses theHebrew wordרעה (roʿeh), which is used as a noun as in "shepherd", and as a verb as in "to tend a flock."[6] It occurs 173 times in 144 Old Testament verses and relates to the literal feeding of sheep, as inGenesis 29:7. InJeremiah23:4, both meanings are used (ro'im is used for "shepherds" andyir'um for "shall feed them"), "And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD." (KJV).
Christ's Charge to Peter byRaphael, 1515. In telling Peter to feed his sheep, Christ appointed him as apastor.
English-language translations of theNew Testament usually render theGreek nounποιμήν (poimēn) as "shepherd" and the Greek verbποιμαίνω (poimainō) as "feed". The two words occur a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. For example,Jesus called himself the "Good Shepherd" inJohn 10:11. The same words in the familiarChristmas story (Luke 2) refer to literal shepherds.
In five New Testament passages though, the words relate to members of the church:
Acts20:17 - theApostle Paul summons theelders of the church inEphesus to give a last discourse to them; inActs 20:28, he tells them that theHoly Spirit has made themoverseers, and they are tofeed the church of God.
1 Corinthians 9:7 - Paul says, of himself and the apostles: "who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?"
Ephesians 4:11 - Paul wrote "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,pastors and teachers;"
1 Peter5:1-2 - Peter tells theelders among his readers that they are to, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof"
Bishops of various denominations often bear a formalcrosier in the form of a stylisedshepherd's crook as a symbol of their pastoral/shepherding functions.
Disturbers are to be rebuked, the low-spirited to be encouraged, the infirm to be supported, objectors confuted, the treacherous guarded against, the unskilled taught, the lazy aroused, the contentious restrained, the haughty repressed, litigants pacified, the poor relieved, the oppressed liberated, the good approved, the evil borne with, and all are to be loved.[7]
In theUnited States and Canada, the termpastor is used by Catholics for what in other English-speaking countries is called aparish priest.[8] TheLatin term used in the Code of Canon Law isparochus.
The parish priest is the proper clergyman in charge of the congregation of the parish entrusted to him. He exercises the pastoral care of the community entrusted to him under the authority of thediocesan bishop, whose ministry of Christ he is called to share, so that for this community he may carry out the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling with the cooperation of other priests or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of Christ's faithful, in accordance with the law.[9]
TheChurch of Sweden has a threefold ministry of bishop, priest, and deacon and those ordained to the presbyterate are referred to as priests.[10] In theEvangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, ordained presbyters are referred to by various publications, including Finnish ones, as pastors,[11][12] or priests.[13][14] In the United States, denominations like theLutheran Church–Missouri Synod, use the terms reverend and pastor interchangeably for ordained members of the clergy, and theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), usually just uses pastor. On the other hand, theLutheran Church - International, a Confessional Lutheran denomination of Evangelical Catholic churchmanship, uses the term "priest" for those ordained to the presbyterate, who are addressed as "Father".[15]
Ordained presbyters are called priests in theChurch of England, as in all other ecclesiastical provinces of theAnglican Communion, and use the title the Reverend if they areLow church and Father or Mother if they areHigh church.[16] Those leaders who are not ordained, but have a license from their bishop, are increasingly using the title pastor, as well as those office holders who are communicants within the Anglican Communion and participate in lay ministry where a license is not required.[citation needed]
United Methodists ordain to the office of deacon and elder, each of whom can use the title of pastor depending. United Methodists also use the title of pastor for non-ordained clergy who are licensed and appointed to serve a congregation as their pastor or associate pastor, often referred to aslicensed local pastors. These pastors may be lay people, seminary students, or seminary graduates in the ordination process, and cannot exercise any functions of clergy outside thecharge where they are appointed.[17]
The use of the termpastor to refer to the commonProtestant title of modern times dates to the days ofJohn Calvin andHuldrych Zwingli. Both men, and otherReformers, seem to have revived the term to replace the Roman Catholicpriest in the minds of their followers. The pastor was considered to have a role separate from the board ofpresbyters. A "pastor" may be either ordained or commissioned, depending on the methods used to appoint a person into the role, with either way resulting in the same authority and responsibilities to provide shepherding and grace to a congregation.
The term "pastor", in the majority ofBaptist churches, is one of two offices within the church,deacon being the other, and is considered synonymous with "elder" or "bishop" (though inReformed Baptist churches, elders are a separate office).[18][19]
In larger churches with many staff members, "senior pastor" commonly refers to the person who gives the sermons the majority of the time, with other persons having titles relating to their duties, for example "worship pastor" for the person leading singing.[20]
Some groups today view thepastor,bishop, andelder as synonymous terms or offices; many who do are descended from theRestoration Movement in America during the 19th century, such as theDisciples of Christ and theChurches of Christ.
Anassistant orassociate pastor is a person who assists the pastor in aChristianchurch. The qualifications, responsibilities and duties vary depending on church anddenomination.
In many churches, an assistant pastor is a pastor-in-training, or are awaiting fullordination. In many instances, they are granted limited powers and authority to act with, or in the absence of, thecongregation's pastor. Some churches that have outreach programs, such as hospital visitations, in-home programs, prison ministries, or multiplechapels, will appoint assistant pastors to perform duties while the Pastor is busy elsewhere. Some churches use the titlebrother orordained brother in place of assistant pastor. In largerRoman Catholic parishes, the duties of an assistant pastor can be broken up into duties performed by deacons and non-ordained lay people.
^Merkle, Benjamin L. (2008).40 Questions about Elders and Deacons. Kregel Academic. p. 84.ISBN978-0-8254-9332-4.Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved24 February 2024.The presbyterian model of church government formally acknowledges only two church offices--elder and deacon.
^Guidry, Christopher R.; Crossing, Peter F. (1 January 2001).World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200: Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus. William Carey Library. p. 307.ISBN9780878086085.Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved24 February 2024.A number of large episcopal churches (e.g. United Methodist Church, USA) have maintained a succession over 200 years but are not concerned to claim that the succession goes back in unbroken line to the time of the first Apostles. Very many other major episcopal churches, however-Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Old Catholic, Anglican, Scandinavian Lutheran-do make this claim and contend that a bishop cannot have regular or valid orders unless he has been consecrated in this apostolic succession.
^Melton, J. Gordon (2005).Encyclopedia of Protestantism. Infobase Publishing. p. 91.ISBN9780816069835.Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved24 February 2024.Among other Protestants that claim apostolic succession is the Moravian Church.
^Sequeira, Tahira (8 February 2021)."Gallery: Turku makes history with first female bishop".Helsinki Times.Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved13 May 2021.Leppänen also became the first woman from the Conservative Laestadian movement (a revival movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland) to be ordained as a priest in 2012. The first female priests were ordained in Finland 32 years ago.
^Doe, Norman (4 August 2011).Law and Religion in Europe. Oxford University Press. p. 135.ISBN9780199604012.In Finland, a priest of the Lutheran church is forbidden to reveal a secret received in confession and in the course of pastoral counselling; a similar rule applies to Orthodox priests.
^An Anglican-Methodist Covenant: Common Statement of the Formal Conversations Between the Methodist Church of Great Britain and the Church of England. Church House Publishing. 2001. p. 47.ISBN9781858522180.In the Church of England, the term priest is thought 1 D jL appropriate because those ordained to the presbyterate are related to the priesthood of Christ and to the priesthood of the whole Church in a particular way.
^United Methodist Church, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry."Ministry of Local Pastors"(PDF).Higher Education and Ministry. General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the United Methodist Church.Archived(PDF) from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved3 January 2016.
^Pinson, Wm M. (2010)."Two Church Officers: Pastors and Deacons". Baptist Distinctives.Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved28 October 2019.Baptist polity through the years has affirmed two scriptural officers of a New Testament church, pastor and deacon.
^Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley,The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 4, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, USA, 2005, p. 64
^Steven D. Brooks,Worship Quest: An Exploration of Worship Leadership, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2015, p. 145
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