Written by I am a Preacher… Evangelist… Minister… Pastor.
I was confronted with this dilemma over the past few days. Reporters from two different newspapers came out to interview me about our new building. They both (along with the photographer from one paper) referred to me as Pastor. The first reporter did specifically ask about my title, and I said it is Preaching Minister. But I suspect that both papers will refer to me as Pastor when the articles come out. And that’s fine with me.
If you know anything about the Churches of Christ, you know that we don’t call our preachers ‘Pastor’. We believe that the title of Pastor belongs to those who serve as elders (sometimes preachers also serve as elders, but not very often). In most other churches, the preacher is the Pastor — which explains why everyone outside of our church refers to me by that title.
Why do we make a big deal out of this? Some will say it is because we need to call Bible things by Bible names. That’s fine, but we don’t do that in a lot of other areas. Every week I hear people talk about “going to church.” You can’t go to church — the church is the people! We don’t seem to get too bent out of shape about that inaccurate statement. We call the Sunday assembly the “worship service.” You’ll never find it called that in Scripture. Why don’t we get upset about that? What about Sunday School? I’m sure you can think of more.
Here’s the point: I don’t think it’s unbiblical to refer to our preachers as “Pastors”. Most preachers/ministers I know certainly do a lot of pastoring. Rather than an official title, “Pastor” is a descriptive term — like “Preacher” or “Minister.” Thus, whether you call me a Pastor, a Minister, a Preacher, a Preaching Minister, or a Teaching Pastor — you are correct! However, I don’t think it would be correct (Biblically) to refer to me as an “Evangelist.” It seems to me that refers to someone who goes from place to place preaching and establishing churches rather than someone who settles in and works with one church exclusively.
Lest you think I’m hung up on titles, whenever someone asks “Should I call you Minister or Pastor or Reverend or…..?” I always respond by saying, “Just call me Jeff.”
I grew up thinking that we didn’t call our preacher by any name that might give him importance over anybody else (Like Father, Reverend or Pastor, etc) but we called him Brother whoever. I wasn’t very old when I knew that Brother was being used just like the other titles. I started using Mr. until I was old enough to call the preacher by his first name.
I like calling you Jeff, but it does not matter to me what they call you, you are a great and enthusiastic Godly man who speaks to all about God and life and motivates others to give their best to God and to serve others joyfully. Thank you.
Talking about “church” we need to all start saying we are the church, and everyday we worship! Our building is in Ashland or what ever town. Trey Morgans blog on this subject “Where is your church” is wonderful.
I don’t have a problem with Pastor. I think it is often very descriptive of the job we ask our preachers to do.
I would like to be deaconess though….
Your Most High and Holy Father Senior Reverand Pastor Minister Slater -
I don’t want you to get a big head about your title so I will simply refer to you as Jill’s husband … or Emma’s dad … or the Lawn Guy … or the Brave Michigan Fan … or Somebody Else Here Who Has Lived In Searcy … or … well, I could think of many more. Thanks for being a man of many titles.
And I agree with Donna on the deaconess thing. I know women who do more work for the lord then men who have the title.
Got to agree with you on this one 100 percent, Pastor Jeff.
There was a time that I would get calls in my office that my secretary had transferred over. I would answer and they would say, “Let me apologize for calling you Pastor to your secretary.” I finally asked what they were talking about and found out that every time someone called the building looking for “Pastor” Morgan, she’d give them a quick bible lesson over the phone on why we don’t call our preachers by the name pastor.
The poor people calling were just looking for some groceries because they were hungry … instead they got a “pastor” sermon.
I finally told her to “stop it.” It wasn’t necessary. That on the phone wasn’t a place to correct people of their misunderstanding.
I too don’t see it was a big deal. At least I don’t think it’s worthy of correcting or making a bid deal out of it. I too am more comfortable being called by my first name.
Blessings.
PS – Missed you at Bristol. Not quite sure how you justified a “new building open house” as a bum excuse for skipping Bristol. Did you not tell the elders this was the “Night Race?”
I have no idea, word meanings change, it changed so go with it. They are meaning preacher or whatever by it. There is no big deal here.
http://www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org
Great post brother.
I work at a very small congregation.
We don’t have elders. The work that I do is that of a pastor. I don’t mind it. God is the one being glorified and I don’t like arguing with those get it wrong. We need to understand that our service, our worship, our lives our for God. I hope you have a blessed week.
You are, of course, correct, Jeff. I still cringe when someone calls me “Reverend” but I’ll accept “Pastor” because, in our English language, that’s what I am and do.
I would prefer Benevolent Potentate but that has so far failed to catch on.
Good stuff, an important point really and yet one that I agree we sometimes make too much of. It’s talked about in our family a lot because we all worship do different {denominationally]. Nathan is possibly going to be offered a position watching after the youth at the church we now attend and sometimes I wonder what I will call him if he gets the job…other than “my husband, Nathan”.
Good stuff, an important point really and yet one that I agree we sometimes make too much of. It’s talked about in our family a lot because we all worship do different {denominationally]. Nathan is possibly going to be offered a position watching after the youth at the church we now attend and sometimes I wonder what I will call him if he gets the job…other than “my husband, Nathan”.
P.S. We still intend to get over and visit y’all. Are you having a celebration for the opening of the new building???
People who attend the church of Christ usually dont like their “Preachers” being called “Pastor” because, I think, in some way that make’s us like “them”…we are all so bent on being soooo NON-denominational that we split hairs and it drives me insaine!
I disagree with most of your comments. I understand the confusion that other churches have created with the title Pastor, and it isn’t something to get hung up on-when called up on the phone by someone desperate for help.
I disagree with you on the meaning of the word. I think the cofc have (for quite some time now) begun to look at the preacher in front of them as the pastor and place this title on him regardless if he wants to just be called Jeff, or Paul, or Timothy.
So as a consequence, we have now come to the stage where we treat our preachers like pastors, expect them to be all things to all people, run the church, be the CEO of the elders, etc.
And we can just come on Sunday for praise service and be done with it.
Your attitude is so good to read-just call me Jeff. Teach your congregation that, in a world where titles mean very, very much to people, that you don’t have one! Except one-Christian!