A pastor is an official person within a Protestant group of people, and related to the positions of priest or bishop within the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The word itself is derived from the Latin word pastor which means shepherd. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A shepherd is a person who tends to feeds or guards Sheep, especially in flocks The term pastor is also related to the role of elder within the New Testament, but is not synonymous with the biblical understanding of minister. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs
The usage of pastor comes from its use in the Bible. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament), the Hebrew word רעה (raʿah) is used. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The word is used 173 times and can describe the feeding of sheep as in Genesis 29:7 or the spiritual feeding of human beings as in Jeremiah 3:15, "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" (KJV). The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah ( יִרְמְיָהוּ Yirməyāhū in Hebrew) is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaism
In the New Testament, the Greek word ποιμήν (poimēn) is used and is normally translated pastor or shepherd. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The word is used 18 times in the New Testament. For example, Ephesians 4:11, "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastor(s) and teachers" (KJV). Described by William Barclay as the "Queen of the Epistles" the Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Jesus also called himself the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon
Sometimes "pastor" was used in the New Testament as a reference to presbyters, but it was used mostly as a title for Bishops (episkopos). Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations then a synonym of episkopos (which has now come to mean Bishop For example, in Acts 20:17, the Apostle Paul summons the elders of the church in Ephesus to give a last discourse to them; in the process, in Acts 20:28, he tells them that the Holy Spirit has made them bishops, and that their job is to shepherd their church. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Ephesus ( Hittite Apasa; Ancient Greek; Turkish Efes) was a city of ancient Anatolia. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Peter uses much the same language in 1 Peter 5:1-2, telling the elders among his readers that they are to shepherd not "lord over" the flock in their charge, acting as bishops willingly. The First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. It has traditionally been held to have been written by Saint Peter the apostle during his time as Bishop
Paul also gives a list of characteristics that men serving in this capacity ought to possess. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul gives a list for those serving as shepherds. The First Epistle to Timothy is one of three letters in New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the Pastoral Epistles. In Titus 1:5-9, a remarkably similar list is given, this time directed to elders which may lead some to believe them to be the same. The Epistle to Titus is one of the Pastoral Epistles. The Epistle to Titus is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the
Arguably from the earliest centuries of Christian history, the Church had three orders which were considered divinely ordained: Bishops, Priests (or Presbyters) and deacons. A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions Each was only considered authoritative and able to administer the Sacraments if one had valid apostolic succession (i. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active e. , traceable lineage of ordinations back to the original bishops, the Apostles themselves). However, Protestant communities since the reformation generally disregard this practice, or deny the existence of apostolic succession.
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Historical usage
Around 400 AD, Saint Augustine, a famous North African bishop, described a pastor's job:
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. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight [1]
Current usage
In Protestantism
Many Protestants use the term pastor as a title (e. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. g. , Pastor Smith) or as a job title (like Senior Pastor or Worship Pastor). Some Protestants contend that utilizing the appellation of pastor to refer to an ordained minister contradicts the Protestant doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, and, therefore, reject the use of the term pastor for their leaders. The universal priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, as it would come to be known in the present day is a Christian doctrine believed to be derived from several These include some parts of the Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, American Churches of Christ, the Assemblies of God, and Baptist traditions. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496&ndash1561 though his teachings were a relatively Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The Churches of Christ discussed The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God for short is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination with over 283413 churches and outstations Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination.
The use of the term pastor to refer to the common Protestant title of modern times dates to the days of John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Both men, and other Reformers seem to have revived the term to replace the Catholic priest in the minds of their followers, although the Pastor was still considered separate from the board of presbyters. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations then a synonym of episkopos (which has now come to mean Bishop Few Protestant groups today still view the pastor, bishop, and elder as synonymous terms or offices; many who do are descended from the Restoration Movement in America during the 1800s, such as the Disciples of Christ and the Churches of Christ. This article is about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it (e The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America
The term pastor is sometimes used for missionaries in developed countries to avoid offending some people from the industrialized countries who may think that missionaries go only to less developed countries.
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican/Episcopalian churches typically refer to their local church leaders as parish priests (although the term pastor may also be used, particularly in North America). Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs However, Anglican/Episcopalian Churches rarely use the term "pastor", preferring the words rector and priest. The word rector ("ruler" from the Latin regere and Rector meaning "Teacher" In Latin has a number of different meanings but all of them indicate an academic A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities
Every Catholic parish is entrusted to the care of a single pastor, who must be a priest according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches Canon Law, the Ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system with all the necessary elements courts lawyers judges a fully articulated The associate pastor is called a parochial vicar and also must be a priest. In U. S. Catholic parishes, a lay ecclesial minister who fulfills many of the non-sacramental functions of an associate pastor is often called a pastoral associate, parish minister, or pastoral assistant. See also Priesthood (Catholic Church Catholic minister redirects here
See also
References
- Bercot, David W. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs An imam (إمام plural ائمة A'immah, امام is an Islamic leader often the leader of a Mosque and/or community Pastoral care is the ministry of care and Counseling provided by Pastors Chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their Church, Pastoral counseling is a branch of Counseling in which Ordained ministers Rabbis Priests and others provide therapy services Herr Pastor is a stereotypical Authoritarian Pastor in an Ethnic German congregation (1999). Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up. Scroll Publishing. ISBN 0-924722-00-2.
- Dowly, Tim (ed. ) (1977). The History of Christianity. Lion Publishing. ISBN 0-7459-1625-2.
Footnotes
- ^ Augustine, Sermo CCIX. Retrieved on 2006-08-08. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula.
External links
- New Advent. The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term pastor.
- Gumpoint. A Pentecostal view on the term pastor. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism
- Personal Life of a Pastor. The personal life of pastors is often overlooked by their church. This link directs you to a collection of resources about keeping a pastor's personal life vibrant.
- Pastor's Role. A collection of articles about the role of a pastor in a church.
- Pastoral Administration. Articles about a pastor's role as administrator of a church.
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