If you move about between evangelical churches of a “baptistic” and “congregational” strain, you are likely to encounter a variety of practices and norms with respect to the use and definition of the terms “pastor” and “elder”. In some churches, the terms are synonymous: pastors are elders and elders are pastors. In other churches, the elders are volunteer leaders, while the pastors are leaders who are paid. In some churches, there are several elders and one Lead Pastor. In other churches, there are several pastors, only one of whom is considered an elder. Further examples of unique usage could no doubt be provided. At a certain level, these subtle differences can be written off as charming examples of regional diversity and local flavour, kind of like how people in the Maritimes and Prairies often say “supper” in reference to the meal that the majority of Canadians refer to as “dinner.” However, the variation in terminology can complicate conversations about polity and gender in the church. Can a woman be a pastor, as long as she is not considered an elder? Is every pastor an elder, or should only the Lead Pastor be understood to occupy that office? Such questions presuppose a coherent distinction between those terms. This brief article represents an attempt to explore the validity of that premise and to suggest a number of best practices based upon the subsequent findings. Towards that end, I will examine five New Testament passages where one or both of the terms in question are used.
Passage #1: Acts 14:21-23
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:21-23 ESV)
This passage describes the turning point in Paul and Barnabas’ First Missionary Journey. Having reached the end of the line of cities they planned to minister in, Paul and Barnabas reversed course and revisited each of the cities in which they had planted a church and appointed elders in every congregation. The Greek word translated in verse 23 as “elders” is presbyteros, and it appears in the plural form. It is noteworthy that the Apostles thought it necessary to appoint elders (note the plural) in churches made up of relatively new converts. One wonders whether there was a single Christian in some of those churches who had been a follower of Jesus for more than a few months. Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas clearly believed that a plurality of elders was necessary in order for these groups of converts to be properly constituted as a church.
Passage #2: Acts 20:17-28
From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. 18 When they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews… Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. (Acts 20:17-28 NRSV)
This passage is particularly helpful because it uses the word for elder, presbyteros, again in the plural form, as well as the word for overseer, episkopos, also in the plural, and the word for shepherd, poimainō, in the infinitive, which can also be translated “to pastor”[1]. The English word pastor is based on the Latin word pastor which means “shepherd”. The fact that Luke refers to the group of people addressed by Paul as “elders” in verse 17 and then subsequently as “overseers” in verse 28 indicates that these terms were considered synonymous: an elder was an overseer. That he connects the oversight office to the task of shepherding/pastoring in verse 28 suggests a tight connection between those concepts.
Passage #3: Ephesians 4:11-14
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 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, 14 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. (Ephesians 4:11-14 ESV)
This passage appears to list a variety of person-gifts given by God for the growth and edification of the church. It uses the noun poimēn, shepherd, but does not mention elders or overseers. At the very least, this passage suggests that the word pastor or shepherd is properly used not only to describe something that leaders do, as per the previous passage, but also what some leaders are.
Passage #4: 1 Peter 2:25
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25 ESV)
This passage uses the noun form of poimēn, shepherd, in parallel with the noun form of episkopos, overseer. Jesus is described as the ultimate Head of the church by use of these two terms. This passage further establishes a tight connection between oversight and shepherding/pastoring.
Passage #5: 1 Peter 5:1–3
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. (1 Peter 5:1–3 ESV)
In this passage, Peter appears to be extrapolating from the example of Christ, as per the previous passage, so as to encourage elders, presbyteros, to shepherd/pastor the flock of God, poimainō (in the imperative), which he then equates with exercising oversight, using the word episkopeō (participle). To simplify, he tells elders to pastor, which he equates with exercising oversight in the church.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Collectively, these five passages suggest that the terms elder and overseer should be understood as synonyms, referring to the authoritative leadership office in the church tasked with leading, feeding and protecting the flock of God. These tasks are properly understood and described in shepherding or pastoral terms. In the same way that a shepherd has a rod so as to lead and defend the flock, so too the pastor/elder/overseer is invested with authority to care for, correct and if necessary corral a straying congregant. Further, the fact that the terms presbyteros, episkopos and poimēn, when used in noun form referring to human leaders other than Jesus, always appear in the plural suggests that a plurality of oversight leaders was the norm in New Testament churches.
Directly related to the examination of these passages, I recommend the following best practices within the church:
- Clearly communicate the nature and purpose of the oversight office: to steward the gospel deposit and to exercise congregational discipline.
- Avoid using the term “pastor” as if it means merely “staff person at the church”.
- Avoid using the term “elder” in a way that divorces the office from the function of shepherding the people of God.
- Avoid having a single authoritative overseer/elder/pastor in the church.
It is my sincere hope that by doing the hard work of clarifying and delimiting terms, we will be able to pursue greater understanding and a more robust partnership between churches.
And may God alone be glorified!
Pastor Paul Carter
If you are interested in more Bible teaching from Pastor Paul, you can access the entire library of Into The Word episodes through the Audio tab on the Into the Word website. You can also download the Into The Word app on iTunes or Google Play.
[1] Oxford Languages definition of “pastor”: late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French pastour, from Latin pastor ‘shepherd’, from past- ‘fed, grazed’, from the verb pascere.
