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Pastor
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The term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word itself is derived from the Latin word which means shepherd. 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.
The usage of pastor comes from its use in the Bible.
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The term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word itself is derived from the Latin word which means shepherd. 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.
The usage of pastor comes from its use in the Bible. In the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) the Hebrew word is used. 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).
In the New Testament, the Greek noun (poimen) and verb (poimaino) are usually translated shepherd or to shepherd. The two words are used a total of 29 times in the New Testament, most frequently referring to Jesus. For example, Jesus called himself the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. The same words are used in familiar Christmas story (Luke 2) referring to literal shepherds.
In five New Testament passages though, the words are refer to church workers.
- John 21:16 - Jesus told Peter: "Feed [shepherd] my sheep" (KJV)
- Acts 20:17 - the Apostle Paul summons the elders or presbyters 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 the flock of God among them.
- 1 Corinthians 9:7 - Paul says, of himself and the apostles: "Who feedeth [shepherds] a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?" (KJV)
- Ephesians 4:11 - Paul wrote "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastor(s) and teachers" (KJV)
- 1 Peter 5:1-2 - Peter tells the elders among his readers that they are to, "Feed [shepherd] the flock of God which is among you..." (KJV)
Arguably from the earliest centuries of Christian history, the church had three orders which were considered divinely ordained: bishops, priests and deacons. Each was only considered authoritative and able to administer the sacraments if one had valid apostolic succession (i.e., traceable lineage of ordinations back to the original bishops, the Apostles themselves). However, Protestant communities since the Reformation generally disregard this practice, or dispute the existence of apostolic succession.
Historical usage
Around 400 AD, Saint Augustine, a prominent 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.
Current usage
Protestantism
Many Protestants, especially in the Lutheran tradition, 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. Those that prefer the term "minister" include some parts of the, Methodist, Presbyterian, American Churches of Christ, 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.
In Scandinavian Lutheran national Churches, ordained clergy are called also priests.
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches typically refer to their local church leaders as parish priests. The term pastor may be used, in an off-hand way, particularly in North America. However, Anglican churches do not formally use the term "pastor", often using the words rector or vicar as alternatives to parish priest.
Each Roman Catholic parish is normally entrusted to the care of a single pastor, who must be a priest according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. 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.
A bishop is canonically given full-fledged pastoral responsibilies within his diocese, and a priest is held to pastoral obedience with regards to his bishop. The term universal pastor refers to the pope, per the declaration Pastor aeternus of the first Vatican council.
Jesus-Christ is commonly referred to as the Good Pastor or Good Shepherd, a phrase found in the Gospel.
Leaving the ordained ministry
Observers like clergy counselor Rowland Croucher suggest that the numbers of 'ex-pastors roughly equal that of serving clergy throughout the Western world. This would mean there is a six-figure number of these people. And more pastors and priests may be leaving parish ministry than are lost to most other professions. Until the early 1990s there were very few cross-denominational ministries serving this group. In his research, which he started towards a PhD, Croucher collected data-based questionnaires of ministers of Protestant denominations.
The first writers to explore this research area used questionnaire surveys to look at factors such as age, education and family relationships as contributing factors. Other writers have explored ex-pastors within particular denominations and/or focused on particular related issues such as burnout, stress, marital stress, sexual abuse, celibacy, loneliness, organisational factors, and conflict. One common cause of conflict occurs when differing approaches to ministry compete in the minds of clergy, congregation and community, as Norman Blaikie found in Australian clergy from six Protestant denominations.
For some of the estimated 10,000 ex-pastors from Australian Protestant churches, their transition was a normal mid-career move, voluntarily entered into like many of the role exits described in the classic study by sociologist (and ex-nun) Helen Ebaugh. Yet for many the transition out of parish ministry was premature. Clergy, churches and training bodies need a solid basis for understanding and action in order to reduce the attrition rate and enhance clergy, congregational and community health. Some denominations experience particularly high rates of attrition.
Key recommendations to help alleviate stress in clergy exit situations may revolve around the development of professional supervision and continuing education. Professional supervision for ministry is a method of reflecting critically on ministry as a way of growing in self-awareness, cultural and social awareness, ministry competence and theological reflection skills. Supervision that includes an element of peer-group work has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, enhanced group dynamic skills and ongoing supportive networks. Some denominations are encouraging their clergy to engage in professional supervision, as part of their mandatory requirement of professional standards, but the requirements and standards of clergy supervision are often haphazard or absent.
See also
Footnotes
External links
- . The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term pastor.
- . A Pentecostal view on the term 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.
- . A collection of articles about the role of a pastor in a church.
- . Articles about a pastor's role as administrator of a church.
- . Articles to help the pastor in the roles of preacher, missionary, leader, shepherd, and person.
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