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A pastor is an elder of a Christian church. The word itself is derived from the Latin word pastor which means shepherd. Pastor, shepherd and elder are the same, but are not synonymous with preacher or minister. The qualifications for an elder (also called Pastor, shepherd, or overseer) can be found in I Timothy 3: 1-14;Titus 1:5-9.

The usage of pastor comes from its use in the Bible. In the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament), the Hebrew word רעה (raʿah) is used. The word is used 173 times, and is used to describe feeding sheep like in Genesis 29:7 and also in regard to human beings like in Jeremiah 3:15, "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding" (KJV). ^[1]

In the New Testament, the Greek word ποιμήν (poimēn) is used and is normally translated pastor or shepherd. 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). Jesus also called himself the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. ^[2] Although the word pastor is mentioned once in the New Testament the position has overtaken all the other spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible.

New Testament writers may have used pastor as a synonym for the head of church elder (presbuteros) or Bishop (episkopos). 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. 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.

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. 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.

According to many scholars, the practice of separating or dividing into the elevated position of pastor and bishop did not originate until at least the 3rd century along with many other practices copied from the surrounding pagans. At this time, single bishops (as opposed to the body of bishops, or elders, that churches had in the 1st century) began to oversee an entire city's group of believers, even if they met in different locations around the city.^[3] By the 3rd and 4th century, some of the most prominent cities' bishops began exercising lordship over an entire region of churches, in the familiar parish or diocese arrangement of many Christian groups today.^[4]

Contents 1 Historical usage 2 Current usage 2.1 In Protestantism 2.2 Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican 3 See also 4 References 5 Footnotes 6 External links

Around 400 AD, 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.^[5]

Many Protestants use the term pastor as a title (e.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. These include some parts of the Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian, American Churches of Christ, the Assemblies of God, and Baptist traditions.

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. 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. 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.

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, and Anglican churches typically refer to their leaders as priests (although the term pastor may also be used, particularly in North America). Anglican churches rarely use the term "pastor", preferring the words rector and vicar. Every Catholic parish is entrusted to the care of a single pastor, who is ordinarily a priest. The associate pastor is called a parochial vicar, if a priest; or a pastoral associate, if a lay ecclesial minister.

• Clergy
• Minister of religion
• Pastoral care
• Pastoral counseling
• Herr Pastor

• Bercot, David W. (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. 

• New Advent. The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term pastor.
• Gumpoint. A Pentecostal view on the term pastor.
• 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.
• The Church I Pastor A blog about a pastor's church.
• Msgr. John A. Trese A site (wiki) archiving the teachings of an American Catholic priest, including writings and audio homilies.