What is the difference between a pastor and a minister?

Answer by  LibbyJack (34)

A minister is a Christian who carries out the ministries of his or her church. It is a title that can be applied to anyone doing work on behalf of the church. A pastor is normally someone who has been ordained (set apart by prayer) for their work and ministry. All pastors are ministers but not all ministers are pastors.

Answer by  Kurt (4579)

A minister and pastor are very close to the same thing. Common usage for pastor means one that cares for members. Common usage for minister means they minister to members.

Answer by  SashaDarkCloud (5764)

A minister is someone who works within the church. A pastor is someone who teaches and is usually one of the figureheads of the church. Though a pastor is almost a minister in a way since they both work into the church. And both do have to be ordained in order to be in that position.

Answer by  lonelywolf (2117)

A lot depends on the church or religion you belong to or are talking about. In most cases, the difference is merely that one church prefers to use one term over the other, so that the two are virtual synonyms. There's not that much of a difference in most cases.

Answer by  Kelli (181)

Nowadays, the terms are often used interchangedly. Their root meanings are a little different: "pastor" means "shepherd," and is often used to denote a leader of a congregation; "minister" has a meaning more tied to "servant," and can be used more broadly to denote anyone who serves in a church.