Pastor Appreciation – 1
As part of our online ministry on Internet Pastor we are starting a new column called Pastor Appreciation. Our plan is to try and give you some idea of what the life of a Pastor is like. So from time to time we will try and give you a kind of daily diary. Our hope is that those of you who read the articles will develop an even greater appreciation for the people who are leaders in your churches.
As we get started with these articles let’s get a definition of what a Pastor is from Wiki-pedia:
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 pastor 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 Old Testament the Hebrew word (raʿah) 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 word (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.
Sometimes “pastor” was used in the New Testament as a reference to presbyters, but it was used mostly as a title for bishops (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.
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.
After reading the Wiki-pedia definition I went and checked some other sites about what a Pastor is. Apparently, some people really struggle with using “Pastor” as a title. So, even though I a going to keep the title of this column the way it is, you can substitute whatever you need to to make it work for you!
About the Author: Stephen Lawes is the current 
