Editing Pastor (section)

{{short description|Ordained leader of a Christian congregation}}
{{other}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Christianity|expanded=Related}}
[[File:Pastor Paul Jabez River of Life Church 240 Hamilton Rd Chermside IMGP0319.jpg|thumb|A pastor with an open Bible on a stand]]
A '''pastor''' (abbreviated to "'''Ps'''","'''Pr'''", "'''Pstr.'''", "'''Ptr.'''" or "'''Psa'''" (both singular), or "'''Ps'''" (plural)) is the leader of a [[Christianity|Christian]] congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In [[Lutheranism]], [[Catholicism]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy]] and [[Anglicanism]], pastors are always [[Ordination|ordained]]. In [[Methodism]], pastors may be either [[License to Preach (Methodist)|licensed]] or ordained.

The [[New 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 like [[Shepherd|shepherds]]" 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 in [[Titus 1]]:5-6. However, there is ongoing dispute between [[branches of Christianity]] over whether there are two [[Holy orders|ordained classes]] (presbyters and [[deacons]]), or three (bishops, priests, and deacons). The first view is affirmed by the [[Presbyterian Church]].<ref name="Merkle2008">{{cite book |last1=Merkle |first1=Benjamin L. |title=40 Questions about Elders and Deacons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_gwhxUVH3OAC&pg=PA84 |date=2008 |publisher=Kregel Academic |isbn=978-0-8254-9332-4 |page=84 |language=English |quote=The presbyterian model of church government formally acknowledges only two church offices--elder and deacon. |access-date=2024-02-24 |archive-date=2024-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224085300/https://www.google.com/books/edition/40_Questions_about_Elders_and_Deacons/_gwhxUVH3OAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA84 |url-status=live }}</ref> On the other hand, Christians of the Roman Catholic, [[Assyrian Church of the East|Persian]], Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, [[Moravian Church|Moravian]], Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, and [[Old Catholic]] traditions maintain the latter view and affirm the doctrine of [[apostolic succession]].<ref name="GuidryCrossing2001">{{cite book|last1=Guidry|first1=Christopher R.|last2=Crossing|first2=Peter F.|title=World Christian Trends, AD 30-AD 2200: Interpreting the Annual Christian Megacensus|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMRsJ1gnIYkC&pg=PA307|date=1 January 2001|publisher=William Carey Library|isbn=9780878086085|page=307|quote=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.|access-date=24 February 2024|archive-date=24 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224085120/https://www.google.com/books/edition/World_Christian_Trends_Ad30_ad2200_hb/IMRsJ1gnIYkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA307|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Melton">{{cite book|last=Melton|first=J. Gordon|title=Encyclopedia of Protestantism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bW3sXBjnokkC&pg=PA91|year=2005|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=9780816069835|page=91|quote=Among other Protestants that claim apostolic succession is the Moravian Church.|access-date=2024-02-24|archive-date=2024-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224085301/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Protestantism/bW3sXBjnokkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA91|url-status=live}}</ref>

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 word ''pastor'' is derived from a [[Latin language|Latin]] word meaning "shepherd".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/pastor|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926144229/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/pastor|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2016|title=pastor {{!}} Definition of pastor |website=Oxford Dictionary English|access-date=2018-06-10}}</ref>