Use of the term "Pastor"/"Minister"

I think ther perm of pastor being used in those cases is an effort to make the church look not old and full of old people behind the times. I can remember when those people were called ministers. In a real sense they are not the pastor but really fulfilling the role of the early church deacon.

 

If they are really fulfilling the role of deacon, which I think they are, then why not call them "directors?"

But then, should male associate pastors who "direct" a specific ministry, also be called a director?

If he is ordained, should he be called a "minister?" Which ordination? Ordained as Pastor or Deacon.

Maybe the teaching/ruling office should be referred to as pastor and the ordained male staff - ministers; and the unordained female staff -directors.

This is getting to complicated. It also shows that protestants have done a poor job of thinking about the offices of the church (1 Tim. 3).

We have Pastors and Deacons/Deaconesses.
With that understanding, I would call ordained men in teaching/ruling ministries - Pastors; and ordained men and women in service ministries - Ministers; and unordained men and women in service ministries - Directors!

 

Since a woman is not able to be a pastor, I would not call her one. Call her a director or a staff member.

 

Could it be for tax purposes that these people are called pastors? Otherwise I don't think they could claim a housing allowance unless they fulfilled that role to some degree.

 

[snipped - non Baptist posting in Baptist only area]

[ November 08, 2004, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: Dr. Bob ]

 

Since a woman is not able to be a pastor, I would not call her one. Call her a director or a staff member. </font>[/QUOTE]Agree.

 

You can get a tax deduction if you are an ordained deacon/deaconess and your church considers "deacons/deaconesses" to be ordained clergy.

 

We have several highly qualified women on our church's staff who serve as "director of __________"; etc. in appropriate ministries. None of them has the title of "pastor" however (which seven men in our church do have), and all of the women report to either the senior pastor or one of his associate pastors.

 

We call them directors or coordinators, not pastors.

Rufus

 

I am on staff, and some call me music and youth minister, some director. I don't really care what they call me.

 

Every one on our staff is called a minister except the Senior Pastor.

 

And I really don't care, unless they aren't consistent.

 

I've gone from choir leader to song director to minister of music to worship pastor, back to choir director and now they just call me, "hey youin's". When I get mail, it says Rev. so and so. Sometimes I have to look at it twice.

 

To me, a pastor or minister is someone whose livelihood comes from the work - that is to say paid. What I do is not paid, so officially I'm the Sunday School Superintendent and Choir Director. Although I will answer to Director of Christian Education, and even Children's Pastor in certain circles outside our church, like at seminars and such. Personally, It doesn't matter to me as long as folks understand that my position and others that are unpaid should still be given the respect of the job.

 

In my church we aren't big on formal titles. Our Elders are sometimes collectively referred to as such (ouderlingen), but nobody would ever refer to an individual Elder as such. Mr. Peters is Mr. Peters not Ouderling Peters.
I'm officially the koster (verger/custodian/sacristan/sexton) of the church, but nobody uses that title when talking to me.
The sundayschool teachers are simply that.
The word we use for pastor is dominee. Our 2 pastors, (both men by the way) are the only ones that are actually adressed with that title.