The term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The word itself is derived from the Latin word pastor which means shepherd. The term pastor is also related to the role of elder within the New Testament, bu...
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The term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The word itself is derived from the Latin word pastor 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.
The usage of pastor comes from its use in the Bible. In the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) the Hebrew word רעה (raʿah) is used. The word is used 173 times and can describe 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 ποιμήν (poimēn) and verb ποιμαινω (poimaino) are usually...
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