A pastor leads and administers a church and congregation, with requirements varying depending on church doctrine. Seminary training is common, and sponsorship from the church is required. Pastors may take on various roles, including conducting weddings, baptisms, and funerals, and organizing community prayer services.
A pastor is a man or woman who has been given the responsibility of leading and administering a church and Christian congregation. The requirements to become a pastor vary, depending on the rules designated by church doctrine. Most church groups require a pastor to have completed a seminary or have a degree in theology, while other doctrines have no education requirements for their church leaders. Pastors are typically responsible for teaching doctrine, managing church affairs, and managing the needs of their congregation.
Seminaries are types of colleges that focus on teaching the religious doctrines of a specific religion or church group. A pastor who has completed seminary is sometimes called an ordained minister. Catholic priests attend the seminary, as do many pastors from other church denominations, such as Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. Most recognized religious groups offer seminary training for pastors. In most cases, to attend a seminar, a candidate must first receive sponsorship from the church group involved.
Receiving church sponsorship to attend seminary can be a time-consuming and difficult process. The applicant must usually appear before a church board, where he may be asked to answer questions relating to his faith, personality and personal conduct. The church board may require a psychological evaluation and may even run background checks to determine whether the candidate has faced any criminal charges.
Once seminary training is completed, the church will normally assign the newly ordained pastor to a church congregation. Depending on the needs of a specific church, sometimes new pastors are given assistant roles, operating under the guidance of a senior pastor. They may also be asked to serve as temporary pastors, replacing pastors who are away on missions. If the church has a shortage of ministers, recent seminary graduates are sometimes given churches of their own right after graduation.
Some churches do not require their pastors to attend seminary or obtain a college degree. Rather, they believe that pastors receive their calling and instruction directly from God. In some cases, they may actually believe that religious education can be a detriment and can interfere with their calling. This type of pastor is considered more common in the evangelical movement.
In addition to the daily needs of a church and congregation, some of the common roles pastors take on include weddings, baptisms, and funerals. During difficult times, such as illness or disaster, pastors often organize community prayer services. A pastor also frequently conducts outside ministries in local hospitals, prisons, and nursing homes.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
