0

Does a Pastor have to shepherd a specific church group?

For example, could an itinerant preacher or evangelist be correctly addressed as 'pastor' even if they are not affiliated with any one specific church group?

Clarify Share Report Asked September 24 2017 Mini Anonymous

Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.

0
Mini Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army
Although the title "pastor" comes from the Latin word for "shepherd" (which might be taken to imply the existence of a "flock" of believers for whom the pastor is responsible), if someone is clearly doing God's work in preaching and evangelizing, I personally would view the title by which he is called (or by which he chooses to designate himself) as a secondary matter, whether he has a "regular" congregation or not. The only exceptions would be if the person would be appropriating a title that implied a certain degree of formal learning or education (such as "Doctor"), or official ordination by a specific religious body, for which he did not possess the requisite qualifications.

September 26 2017 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


Add your Answer

All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.

What makes a good answer? ▼

A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.

  1. Adhere to the eBible Statement of Faith.
  2. Your answer should be complete and stand-alone.
  3. Include supporting arguments, and scripture references if possible. Seek to answer the "why".
  4. Adhere to a proper tone and spirit of love and understanding.
  5. For more info see The Complete Guide to eBible
Header
  1. 4000 characters remaining