Pastors and Elders

I am part of a denomination that holds that "pastors" and "elders" are essentially one and the same. They don't actually recognize "elders" as a category without them also being "pastors." If you ask, "Does your church have elders?" they would answer, "Yes!" and point to the pastors at the church. It makes me ask, "Is there a distinction between 'elder' and 'pastor'?"

Biblically, the Scriptures offer three basic terms. (Throw in the King James and you get a fourth, but let's not get confused here.) One is episkopēs, Greek for "supervisor" or "overseer." (Also the source of the word "episcopalian.") In Paul's discussion of qualifications of overseers (the King James translates it "bishops," that elusive fourth term) in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, he uses episkopēs. Another term is presbuteros, Greek for "older, senior, elder." (That's the source for our word, "presbyterian.") Interestingly, when Paul wrote to Titus that he was in Crete to appoint elders (Titus 1:5-9) and gives a parallel set of qualifications for the job, he uses this word instead of episkopēs ... except in verse 7. There he used episkopēs. Finally we have the best-known (in English) term -- pastor. Every church has a pastor. We know that; we're not fools. But, as it turns out, there is only one place in Scripture that this term is used (Eph 4:11). In that one, in fact, some scholars say that if it was written in English today, it would have been hyphenated or slashed or something: "pastor-teacher" or "pastor/teacher." The two linguistically are hung together, not separated. The Greek word behind it, however, is used in multiple places. The Greek poimēn is more at "shepherd" and occurs 18 times. Peter tells the presbuteros -- elders -- to "poimēn the flock of God" (1 Peter 5:1-2). Let me give you that whole thing.

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4).

In this version you can see a reference to the elders (presbuteros) shepherding (poimēn) the flock of God, taking oversight (episkopēs) over the flock and ultimately receiving a crown for it from the Chief Shepherd (archipoimēn). Peter has managed to tie them all together in one bag. Certain elders (older people) are tasked with overseeing the local flock as shepherds. All three. It appears, then, that all three terms -- overseer/elder/pastor -- are interchangeable. In Acts 20, Luke writes about Paul talking to the leadership of Ephesus (Acts 20:17-28). Here Luke uses all three as well, from elders (v 17) to overseers (v 28) and even the poimēn term in verse 28 where he says to "care for" the church. All three concepts tied together. The answer to my question at the outset appears to be, "No, there is no distinction."

I would have to pause there, though, because I don't think that word means what we think it means. We have made "pastor" into something else. The dictionary defines pastor as "a minister or priest in charge of a church." This pastor is not "us" -- he is "clergy." He's "something else," something more. Maybe special schooling -- Bible school or seminary. Probably paid (although bi-vocational pastors are becoming a thing). You can see "shepherd" in that dictionary definition, but not explicitly. As such, I would argue that there is a distinction between our use of the word "pastor" and the biblical term(s). I would argue that biblically overseers/elders/pastors are called to meet the same character requirements found in both 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and are called to perform the same role of overseeing and shepherding the flock. The distinction I would see, then, would be in that unique position we now think of as "pastor" as a trained minister/clergy in a distinct role in the church. I'm not at all sure our version of "pastor" and the biblical version are the same thing. That is, a person can be an overseer and an elder and a shepherd without being clergy.

Biblically, elders are the spiritual leaders of the church. Overseers are the spiritual leaders of the church. Pastors are the spiritual leaders of the church. They have exacting requirements, but one of them is not "Bible school or seminary" and our modern version of "clergy" is not in view in the biblical version. Biblically churches are supposed to have elders (plural) and churches today that have a single pastor -- educated or not -- are in violation of this principle. And I think that our tendency to think of pastors as "something else," something elevated, something higher has not served us well. Creating these classes of people -- "clergy" and "laity" -- and assuming the clergy is super-spiritual and probably very capable of running a church all on his own has short-circuited the biblical concept of a group of men as the shepherds of the church keeping each other in line and paying close attention to humbly shepherding their people. In the end it has allowed churches to miss the point ("To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph 4:12-14).) of church and pursue all sorts of other purposes that dilute God's work.