The word "minister" means "servant." To minister to someone means to serve them. So in a sense, all Christians should be ministers. However, in religious context, the term "minister" is usually used to designate a person authorized to oversee religious activities such as church services, funerals, weddings, and the like. Some people use "clergy" or "pastor" to mean the same thing as "minister."
Biblically, the word is used, but not to designate a person with religious authority. Paul describes himself as "a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:16). Here, someone who proclaims the gospel is a servant of Christ, a Christian minister.
Of course, specific churches and denominations can create specific rules and policies about who can be a minister. Scripture indicates that a minister or pastor should be male (1 Timothy 2:12), though other roles in a gathering of Christians are open to women. In most churches, the senior pastor’s role is to oversee the organization of the church and to preach.
Church leaders are described in the Bible as "overseers," "elders," and "shepherds" (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:1–2), and some Scripture passages offer guidance for their qualifications. Elders should be "… above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:6–9). First Timothy 3 gives other qualifications for overseers such as not being a recent convert and having a good reputation with those outside the church. First Timothy 3 also gives qualifications for deacons, who are ministers, servants.
Be aware that not everyone who claims the title "minister" is a legitimate one. New Testament writers warned against those who posed as ministers but infiltrated the church due to their own greed and lust (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29; 2 Peter 2:1–3). God takes their fraud seriously (Jude 1:12–13).
First Timothy 3:1 calls the office of overseer "a noble task." Church leadership is a weighty responsibility with which God entrusts ministers. He gifts them for it and equips them in it (1 Corinthians 12:28–29). Like-minded Christians already in leadership often recognize this gifting of God and can ordain new ministers (Acts 6:6, 13:3; 2 Timothy 1:6). Always, the Bible, not our own ideas of leadership, should define the role of a Christian minister.
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