Pastor

A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Anglicanism, pastors are always ordained. In Methodism, pastors may be either licensed or ordained. The New Testament typically uses the words "bishops" (Acts 20:28) and "presbyter" (1 Peter 5:1) to indicate the ordained leadership in early Christianity. However, the word "pastor" (ποιμήν/poimēn) is only used once to describe church leadership in the New Testament in Ephesians 4:11, which says, "that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers" (NRSV). Peter instructs church leadership using the verb 'to tend the flock' (lit. 'to shepherd,' ποιμαίνω/poimainō) of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight (1 Peter 5:2 NRSV). The words "bishop" and "presbyter" were sometimes used in an interchangeable way, such as in Titus 1:5-6. However, there is an ongoing dispute between branches of Christianity over whether there are two ordained classes (presbyters and deacons) or three (bishops, priests/presbyters, and deacons). The first view is affirmed by some Presbyterians. On the other hand, Christians of the Roman Catholic, Assyrian, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Moravian, Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, Old Catholic and other Presbyterian tr