Religion is a very vital part of life that holds a critical role in society. Various religious circles have names attached to multiple spiritual leaders who perform duties as administrators, preachers, teachers, and many more. Christianity is one of the largest religions and has an enormous faculty of clergy that come in several names and titles. Many people frequently interchange the two leaders since they seem equivalent. This article thus focuses on the differences between the two religious titles.
Meaning and origin
A pastor is the religious leader of a single church. From the Bible’s description, a pastor is an elder who oversees the people of God. A pastor or ‘poimain’ has a Greek origin meaning shepherd. On the other hand, ministers are ordained into their positions and do not perform the roles played by pastors. A minister or ‘monasterium’ has a Latin origin, meaning servant.
Roles and responsibilities
Pastors offer advice and counsel the Christians, preaching and giving sermons. A pastor is assigned a specific parish or church community and must understand the responsibilities of a minister. Pastors are theologians due to their commitment to rightfully preaching the word of truth to God’s populace. Unlike a pastor, a minister is a religious leader who performs all the religious functions such as administration, holy sacraments, preaching, and teaching. They must be engaged in the welfares of society. They provide leadership to the parish and confirm young ones as members of the church. They attain salvation and pray for those who show interest in becoming members of the church.
Qualifications
The eligibility of one to be a pastor depends on the denomination. Some denominations prefer people with either bachelor’s or master’s degrees. On the contrary, ministers must have a sense of calling. Any additional eligibility varies from one denomination to the other. For instance, some denominations specify tertiary education as a mandatory requirement.
Pool of applicants
A pastor is one of the oldest people in the church and plays the role of a religious leader. Therefore, the position is only limited to a few people within the Christian society. On the other hand, ministers can be many. The young people in the community are also eligible as ministers and go through the relevant training.
