Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. 
In some countries the term is used in relation to Protestant churches. It can also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental 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.
Present day usage of the word is rooted in the Bible. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) uses the Hebrew word . It is mentioned 173 times and describes 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 (poimēn) 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 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. United Methodist, for example, ordain to the office of deacon and elder; each of whom can use the title of pastor depending upon their job description. The use of the term "pastor" can also be regional in some denominations, including 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. The pastor was considered to have a role 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 those people in industrialized countries who may think that missionaries go only to less developed countries.
In some Lutheran churches, ordained clergy are called priests, while in others the term pastor is preferred.
=== Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican ===
Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches typically refer to their local church leaders as parish priests. The term pastor may be used, in a more casual way, particularly in North America. However, Anglican churches do not formally use the term "pastor"; rather, they frequently use the terms rector or vicar as alternatives to parish priest.
Each 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 responsibilities 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 Shepherd" or "Good Pastor", the former a phrase found in the Gospels.
== Leaving the ordained ministry ==
Observers such as clergy counselor Rowland Croucher suggest that the numbers of "ex-pastors" roughly equals that of serving clergy throughout the Western world.How Many Ex-Pastors? This would mean people who have left the ministry number in the six-figures. More pastors and priests may be leaving parish ministry than are lost to most other professions.Ex-pastors Until the early 1990s, there were few cross-denominational ministries serving this group. Croucher collected data-based questionnaires of ministers of Protestant denominations.Croucher, R. (1991). 'Ex-Pastors: What Happens When Clergy Leave Parish Ministry?' Unpublished manuscript. Melbourne: Monash University.Croucher, R. (1991b). Questionnaire for Ex Pastors. Accessible at Croucher, R. and S. Allgate (1994). ‘Why Australian Pastors Quit Parish Ministry.’ Pointers: Bulletin of the Christian Research Association, 4(1, March).
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 to decisions to leave the ministry.Jud, G. J., E. W. Mills and G. W. Burch (1970). Ex-Pastors: Why Men Leave the Parish Ministry, Philadelphia: Pilgrim Press. Other writers have explored ex-pastors within particular denominationsParer, M. S. and A. Peterson (1971). Prophets and Losses in the Priesthood: In Quest of the Future Ministry, Sydney: Alella Books.Rice, D. (1992). Shattered Vows: Priests Who Leave, New York: Triumph Books. Schon, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action, New York: Basic.Ballis, P. H. (1999). Leaving the Adventist Ministry: A Study of the Process of Exiting, Westport, CT: Praeger. and/or focused on particular related issues such as burnout,Kaldor, P. and R. Bullpitt (2001). Burnout in Church Leaders, Adelaide: Openbook Publishers.Evers, W. and W. Tomic (2003). "Burnout among Dutch Reformed Pastors", Journal of Psychology and Theology 31: 329-338. stress,Pryor, R. J. (1982). High Calling, High Stress: The Vocational Needs of Ministers, an Overview & Bibliography, Bedford Park, SA: AASR.Pryor, R.J. (1986). At Cross Purposes: Stress and Support in the Ministry of the Wounded Healer, Newtown, VIC: Neptune Press. marital stress,Merrill, D. (1985). Clergy Couples in Crisis: The Impact of Stress on Pastoral Marriages, Carol Stream, IL: Word. sexual abuse,Ormerod, N. (1995). When Ministers Sin: Sexual Abuse in the Churches, Alexandria, NSW: Millennium Books. celibacy,Della Cava, F. A. (1975). "Becoming an Ex-Priest: The Process of Leaving a High Commitment Status", Sociological Inquiry 45: 41-49. loneliness,Whetham, P. and L. (2000). Hard to Be Holy: Unravelling the Roles and Relationships of Church Leaders, Adelaide, SA: Openbook Publishers. organisational factors,Seidler, J. (1979). "Priest Resignations in a Lazy Monopoly", American Sociological Review 44: 763-783.Knust, J. L. (1993). "A System Malfunction: Role Conflict and the Minister", Journal of Psychology and Christianity 12(3): 205-213. and conflict.Dempsey, K. (1983). Conflict and Decline: Ministers and Laymen in an Australian Country Town, North Ryde: Methuen. 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.Blaikie, N. W. H. (1979). The Plight of the Australian Clergy: To Convert, Care or Challenge?, St Lucia: University of Queensland.
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.Ebaugh, H. R. F. (1988). Becoming an Ex: The Process of Role Exit, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 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.Kaldor and Bullpitt (2001), p. 13
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.Pohly, K. (2001). The Ministry of Supervision: Transforming the Rough Places, Franklin, TN: Providence House, pp. 107-108.Paver, J. E. (2006). Theological Reflection and Education for Ministry: The Search for Integration in Theology, Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, pp. 81-100. Supervision that includes an element of peer-group work has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, enhanced group dynamic skills and ongoing supportive networks.Skaggs, B. (1989). "Group Supervision", in The Supervision of Pastoral Care, ed. D. A. Steere. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, pp. 172-182. 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.
Many times a pastor is forced out of his/her position for political or social reasons. Without counseling and support, pastors often struggle emotionally with such a situation. Care for Pastors blog 
== See also ==
* Clergy
* Minister of religion
* Imam
* Rabbi
== References ==
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== Footnotes ==
== External links ==
* Resources for Ex-Pastors and Struggling Pastors.
* New Advent. The Catholic Encyclopedia's entry on the term pastor.
* Gumpoint. A Pentecostal view on the term pastor.
* Personal Life of a 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.
* Pastoral Administration. Articles about a pastor's role as administrator of a church.
* Pastor's Area of LifeWay.com. Articles to help the pastor in the roles of preacher, missionary, leader, shepherd, and person.
* George Barna explores the roots of the modern pastorate and some of its effects.
Category:Christian clergy by type