Difference between Pastor and Minister

Religion plays a large role in society. Within these religions, there are people who are tasked as administrators, teachers, and many other duties. One of the largest religions, Christianity, has a large faculty of clergy that come in many names and titles. In this article, we will discuss the commonly confused pastor and minister.

A pastor is initially described as an elder in the Bible. In the past, they are assigned to every city or district as overseers. In modern settings, a pastor’s description differs depending on denominations. In Roman Catholic circles, they are priests assigned to a specific parish of a single church community. In Protestantism, it is a title given to someone who can function as a religious head. There are some denominations that allow a pastor to be married, while there are also some who do not allow it. Variables like clerical marriage/celibacy also contribute to these policies.

A minister is a preacher, and generally has to be ordained into his position. This does not, however, require that they immediately assume the position of a pastor. Pastors, on the other hand, are expected to be able to perform the duties of a minister. A person can be a minister without being a pastor or performing religious activities prior to their ordination. The premise of a minister can typically be found in Protestant churches.

	Pastor	Minister
Definition	A priest assigned to a specific parish in a single church community or someone who functions as a religious head	Someone ordained into position who performs religious functions like teaching and performing services
Titles/Way of address	Reverend, Pastor, Father	Reverend, Pastor, Father
Duties	Advise and counsel, preaching, worship services, sermons, ministering sacraments	Coordinating church activities, administrative duties of the church, ministering sacraments, preaching, spiritual guidance
Training and qualifications	Depends on the denomination; common requirements are speaking, attentiveness, social perceptiveness. There are also denominations that prefer someone with a bachelor’s or master’s degree	Requires a sense of calling, other qualifications depend on denomination. Some denominations require attendance in a seminary or tertiary education
Marriage	Depends on the denomination; Roman Catholic priests cannot marry	Depends on the denomination

Venn Diagram