Articles
Preacher ≠ Pastor
Preachers and pastors are two different roles in the New Testament church. The modern idea of a pastor being the head leader and preacher of a church is wholly unbiblical.
Pastors, as seen in Ephesians 4:11, Acts 20:28-29, 1 Peter 5:1-4, are guardians and shepherds of the local congregation. They are also called ‘elders’ and ‘shepherds.’ They always come in multiples as to not be dictators in the church. They also have qualifications as mentioned in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. They are males, who are married with children, and proven character.
Preachers are men whose job it is to proclaim the gospel. This they do in public, in preaching and teaching, and in private, in personal studies and bible studies. They are also called ‘ministers’ and sometimes simply ‘teachers.’ They are to be found faithful and know how to rightly handle the word of truth. Preachers are to speak to please God and not man, and preach the truth in season and out of season.
It is true that a preacher can also be appointed a pastor. But in that case, it is a man wearing two hats. We cannot conflate the two roles as being one.
If someone proclaims themselves as a pastor, without knowing or fulfilling the role that God has ordained in His scriptures, how much does that man know about the word of God that they claim to teach?
