Preacher vs Pastor
People of Christian faith are often confused between two of the prominent figures of a congregation ‘“ the pastor and the preacher. Most people use the terms interchangeably, which can be fine for some since some pastors are also preachers. Even church members mistake one with the other and most of the time, they are corrected by the said pastor or preacher.
Preachers, technically, are the ones who proclaim and spread the word of God. They are usually great motivational speakers. Preachers do not necessarily perform pastoral works unless that particular preacher is also a pastor by vocation. However, it is not common for pastors nowadays, to also become preachers of their congregation. Usually, there is someone else given with the duty to preach ‘“ such as a preacher.
The term pastor is rooted on its meaning or origin as ‘shepherd’. Since shepherd is associated as an overseer of the flock, it is just appropriate that an overseer of a congregation is called a shepherd. Pastors, being shepherds, guide their church members towards salvation. Technically, pastors functions as a physical, spiritual, relational and social administrator of a congregation.
Often, pastors are called elders. They are the local church leaders. They are qualified to give counsel to those in need of spiritual, emotional, and even financial help. They are the authority of the local congregation but shall not exceed outside of it.
In some cases, there is a possibility that a man can serve both functions — being a pastor and a preacher. It is fine but somehow, administering a local congregation is a great deal of work. Preaching is one of the duties that a pastor usually surrenders. Therefore, preachers are often designated to assist in the task of proclaiming the word of God.
Summary
1. A preacher has a job that emphasizes more on proclaiming the words of God or the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ while a pastor’s job is the oversight of a particular congregation.
2. Pastors can become preachers by means of performing the acts of preaching while preachers can be any member of the church with strong public communication skills.
3. Pastors administer the congregation and its members while preachers are often assistants to pastors to preach the word of God to church members.
4. In terms of prominence, pastors often ranks higher than preachers. However, it should be noted that there can be preacher bishops who are certainly more prominent than pastors.