The evangelical world seems to have completely lost the true meaning of the word “pastor.” The term “elder” has come into common use in the modern church and is often used to describe those who lead the local church. While a cursory reading of the New Testament would reveal that the terms equally apply to the same office, there is a wide variety of applications and uses of the terms in local churches.
I began my current pastorate as the “interim” pastor. One of the members who fancied himself the church boss made it clear on several occasions that I was just the interim and therefore not really the pastor. This, of course, was a failure to understand the definition of the word interim as well as the word pastor. The term means the pastor who fills the role between the last one and the next one. Interim does not change the meaning of pastor.
Unfortunately, far too many, even those who ascribe to an evangelical faith tradition, do not know what the term pastor really means in a proper biblical sense.
The Recent History of the Term “Pastor” Sheds Light on the Problem
Admittedly, my evidence for the conclusions I have drawn is mostly anecdotal. But I believe a thorough study would yield support for them. I do not know how far back the problem extends, but I believe it would go back to at least the 1950s, and it is related to the Minister’s Housing Allowance (MHA).
“MHA has long legal precedent and was originally codified in the Revenue Act of 1921, not long after income taxes were upheld as constitutional in the 16th Amendment. Congress and the U.S. Tax Court re-codified and clarified MHA in the 1950s and 1960s.” (Eclectic Associates Blog, August 28, 2023)
Most Baptist churches at the time were single-staff, and many of them were bi-vocational positions. This remains true today, particularly among Baptists. I have often said that when it comes to pastoral leadership in the church, most churches are fortunate to have one qualified pastor. Larger churches during that period of history began increasing the size of their ministry staff. The positions varied, but most carried the title “Minister” of something, like music, youth, education, etc. The roles were available both full-time and part-time, but usually did not involve pastoral duties. Occasionally, a church would call an associate or assistant Pastor, a role which would have been considered pastoral.
Ordination was necessary for a “minister” to claim the MHA for tax purposes. To offer this perceived benefit, those in ministerial roles were ordained, and though the titles were not necessarily changed, these newly ordained “ministers” were able to start taking the MHA benefit. Minister is a poor term for a pastoral position, though it is routinely used to refer to pastors. Every Christian is to be a minister, as Peter explains,
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Pet. 4:10-11).
This move to give almost everyone on the church staff the benefit of MHA was the beginning of the misuse and misunderstanding of the critical role of pastors in the life of the church. Many of those ordained to the gospel ministry had no calling from God for pastoral ministry and often did not meet the qualifications. But, over time, it became more accepted and popular to use titles like “Youth Pastor,” “Education Pastor,” “Worship Pastor,” etc.
Consequently, the church had “pastors” who were not really pastors. Some put women on staff as “Minister of Children,” Preschool, Youth, Music, etc. The same argument was made to “ordain” those women because it granted them the tax benefit of the MHA. More liberal churches simply used it as an opportunity to ordain women to positions of pastoral ministry and leadership, ignoring the biblical standards prohibiting it. Initially, it was common to use the title “minister,” but the transition to calling these women “pastors” was easily made.
Influence of the Neo-Reformed Movement
Regardless of your position on the impact and worth of reformed thinking and theology on the church, no one can deny that the movement, especially within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), has brought with it the concept of a plurality of godly men leading the church. While I believe that a particularly good biblical argument can be made for a plurality of God-called men who are pastors to lead the local church, it is important to consider that many churches are simply too small to have more than one called and qualified pastor. They are fortunate if they have one!
With the increase of reformed theology impacting practical matters of church life, particularly in the SBC, the move to elder forms of church government has been on the rise. I believe this has been particularly harmful to many Baptist churches in the sense that in the rush to have elders, what often results is nothing more than “super deacons.” I have tried unsuccessfully to find biblical support for the term “lay elders” or a distinction between teaching and ruling elders. (1)
The failure to clearly establish a solid biblical definition for the term pastor and confusing it with unbiblical ideas about who and what elders are has created a vacuum in authentic biblical leadership for the local church. I do not want to paint with a brush that is too broad. Many churches operate their ecclesiology on solid biblical ground. The standard they set is the one that all should strive for.
The Titles We Use Are Important
If it were simply a matter of semantics, we could let this ride and not get overly excited about it. But it is more than semantics. We use words to communicate, and they have definitive meanings. But if we are not using the same dictionary, if we define words differently, we have a failure in our communication and thus create misunderstandings and misuses of the particularly important words God has given us. If we are going to call someone a pastor or an elder, then we need a biblical definition for the terms.
What is a Pastor?
When it comes to getting the definition right for any biblical term, the Bible must be our only dictionary. In establishing or revitalizing a church, the greatest concern must be that of following the biblical pattern for church leadership. A careful investigation of all the passages in the New Testament regarding church government and decision-making leads to some serious conclusions. There can be no doubt that the head of the church is none other than Jesus Christ the Lord (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23; Col. 1:18; 2:10-14). He is the established Head of the church, and He has set His Word as the authoritative standard for His church (Matt. 7:21-29; 28:18; Luke 24:25-47). The church is to obey Christ in all things, to willingly submit to His control. To conduct His will as the body of Christ, the Lord Himself determined and directed a pattern of leadership for His churches.
The Lord’s Pattern of Church Government
The Lord’s plan for church government is an autonomous local body of believers operating under the lordship of Jesus Christ, with the responsibility of the government of that body in the hands of a godly plurality of pastors. The pastors (or elders), including the primary teaching pastor, are those whom God appoints and the church affirms as men chosen to lead the fellowship. The pastors of the church are the Lord’s undershepherds and are commanded in Scripture to shepherd the flock and serve as overseers (1 Pet. 5:1-4). By virtue of their offices, the pastors (elders) are charged with being the spiritual leaders and governing administrators of the church. This does not mean that there aren’t some areas of decision-making that need congregational approval (such as calling pastors, church discipline, budgets, etc.; cf. Acts 14:23; 15:1f; 20:17; Eph. 4:11; Tit. 1:5).
When considering First Peter 5:1-4 and Acts 20:17-32, all three words describing the one office of pastor are used interchangeably. There are not two types of elders. There is one office of pastor/elder, and all are to be able to teach and share the responsibility for ruling the church. Hebrews 13:7, 17 makes it clear that the ones who rule are the same ones who preach and teach (cf. 1 Thess. 5:12-13).
The Biblical Plan of Theocracy & Eldership
The Bible affirms a theocracy, God Himself ruling the church, mediating that rule by appointing some (pastors/elders) to be responsible for the leadership of others, while all are responsible to Christ. Careful study of the Scriptures reveals the plurality of leadership to be exercised within the local church. The three primary words that the New Testament uses to describe and define church leaders all refer to one office. Those three words indicate that pastors have spiritual authority (overseer or bishop), are to be spiritually mature (elders), and are responsible for the spiritual care of the flock (pastors). All three of these functions are essential for the leadership of the church to properly serve the congregation to which God has called them.
Episkopos – “Overseer or Bishop”
An Overseer is a man charged with the duty of seeing that the things to be done by others are done correctly. The word was well known in ancient Greek society as the designation of an office. It was broadly used to describe any official who functioned as a superintendent, manager, guardian, controller, inspector, or ruler. This refers to the position of spiritual authority which the leader occupies and defines his function as an overseer (Acts 20:28; Tit. 1:7).
Presbuteros – “Elder”
Elder is a comparative of the word presbus (elderly). The word has several meanings, including old age, the elder of two people, advanced in life, an elder, a senior. But it also referred to a term of rank or office among the Jews, such as members of the great council or Sanhedrin, because in early times the rulers of the people and judges were selected from elderly men. It also referred to those who, in separate cities, managed public affairs and administered justice. Among the New Testament Christians, it referred to those who presided over the assemblies (or churches). Although the strict sense of advanced age is eliminated from the meaning of elder when referring to a community leader, certain aspects such as maturity, experience, dignity, authority, and honor are retained. It is normally used in the plural when referring to the office because the structure of leadership was always by a council of elders, men considered to have the spiritual maturity necessary to lead (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim 5:1, 17; Tit. 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1).
Poimen – “Pastor or Shepherd”
The noun is used only once in the New Testament, but the verb is used three times in the context of Christian leadership. The literal meaning of the word is a “shepherd,” one who tends herds or flocks, not merely one who feeds them. It is used metaphorically of the Christian “pastor” (Eph. 4:11), who is also a teacher. Pastors guide as well as feed the flock (Acts 20:17, 28), which indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops). The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were to: watch for and defend the sheep from enemies; heal the wounded and sick sheep; find and save lost sheep; and to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust (John 21:16; 1 Pet. 5:1-2). The pastors are those who provide spiritual care for the flock.
Summary of the Words Describing the Office of Pastor/Elder/Bishop
These titles are used interchangeably in the New Testament. They clearly indicate the same office. The qualifications for such leaders are given in First Timothy 3, Titus 1, and First Peter 5. The Bible teaches that the congregation is spiritually accountable to the elders and that the elders are accountable to God (Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13). Therefore, the decision-making authority of the church is vested in a plurality of leaders (pastors/elders) who operate under the lordship of Christ. The pastor/elders are to function as humble servant leaders of the church and not as dictators. The desire to serve God’s people should manifest itself in their lives, and it should be remembered that Christ paid with His own precious blood for the sins of those whom they serve. It is both a noble calling and a serious responsibility to shepherd the people of God.
The New Testament has no distinction in the roles of pastor/elder. There is no position known as “lay elder,” though an elder could certainly be bi-vocational. An elder is also a pastor and a bishop. He should be called by God to pastoral ministry and meet the qualifications of Scripture. All pastors/elders are required to be able to teach the Word, and there is no distinction between “ruling” elders and “teaching” elders. (2)
This begs the question, “What if my church only has one qualified and called man of God?” Then there is only one pastor/elder. God will sovereignly provide as He sees fit. Forcing or urging someone into a role that God has not called them to is disastrous, both to the church and the individual.
Conclusion
Careful study of the Scripture is needed in this all-important area of church leadership. While there is room for disagreement among like-minded brothers there are some principles and definitions that cannot be denied. The best form of government for a local church is a plurality of God-called and scripture-qualified men. Women cannot hold the office of pastor/elder (1 Tim. 2:12; 3:1-7). (3) While it is best to have a plurality, when there is only one qualified man a church would be best served by not hastily putting men into an office they have not been called to and for which they are not qualified. Those men God has raised up to serve the church are a gift to the church and should be supported, encouraged, appreciated, and loved by the congregation for their works’ sake (1 Thess. 5:12-13; Eph. 4:11).
Notes
(1) A number of conservative Greek scholars reject the idea of any distinction in the office of pastor/elder. In other words, there are not three offices for the church but only two – pastor and deacon. Dividing the pastoral office into teaching pastors and ruling elders is simply not a scriptural concept. See Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 7 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 85–86; Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 4 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 266; A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), 1 Ti 5:17.
(2) While I believe that there is no distinction in the office of pastor/elder I believe this is a tertiary issue and would not break fellowship with brothers who come to a different conclusion. I would simply argue that Heb. 13:7 and 1 Thess. 5:12 seem very clear that both the functions of teaching and ruling are assigned to all who have the office.
(3) The issue of women serving as pastors is a current and significant problem in evangelical circles. Some make the argument that only the “senior pastor” or “lead pastor” must be male. This is not supported in scripture. Others say that women serving on church staffs have the title “pastor” but do operate in the function of pastor. This is a meaningless distinction because title clearly implies the function. On the other hand, some churches seem to hide the fact the women are serving as pastors by giving them some other title but clearly allowing them to function as pastors. The office of pastor/elder is limited to men and any church operating with women serving, either with the title or the function of pastor are outside the parameters of a biblical ecclesiology.
