Definition
This word came from the shepherding culture in Palestine. A herd in Greek is ‘poimenics’
From which the word ‘poimenics’ comes.
Poimenics is the study of pastoral work (Pastoralia)
Poimen-a flock of sheep or herd.
One who tends or cares for the flock is ‘poimenas’ or Pastor (Eph.4:11), or ‘poimen’ (Jn.10:11).
The word ‘pastoral’ refers to the life and work pertaining to tending and caring in general, for instance, ‘pastoral tribe’ would mean a wandering community that follows their herds in a shifting grazing areas. Thus, a ‘pastoral prayer’ is the prayer for others in a caring way (Intercessory Prayer).
Minister – Latinized form
The basic work of a minister is selfless service rendered to the people like a waiter at the table.
Pastoral care is all that a pastor does, including organizing, shepherding the people and communicating the Gospel to them.
S. Hiltner identified three important tasks of pastoral care. Healing, Guiding and Sustaining. Church historians, William Clebsch and Charles R. Jackle added Reconciling as another cardinal task of pastoral care.
Howard Clinebell added Nurturing as another vital function of a pastoral care.
Thus they are (1) Healing Task, (2) Guiding Task, (3) Sustaining Task, (4) Reconciling Task and (5) Nurturing Task.
Task of the church is four-fold like four pillars of a church.
1) Teaching (2) Proclaiming (3) Fellowship and (4) Service
Jesus himself used the idea of a caring Shepherd to describe His relationship with His disciples and faithful followers. Luk. 12:32. Jn.10:7-16,
Paul describes 1 Cori. 12:4-6, verities of service and verities of work in the church. The work of an ordained minister is an important one among these varieties.
Ordination: Set apart/ given authority by the Church to carry out a particular ministry. But all people of the Church have an important part to play.
The ordained pastor must equip the saints for the work of ministry, and building up the body of church (Eph. 4:12)
The appointed leader of the church are named as Minister, Pastor and Priest
But God calls some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some preachers ( Eph. 4:11).
According to the 4th century Christian leader Chrisostem in his writing on the priesthood described four essential functions of a priest, pastor, and minister (ordained)
(1) Sacramental: (a) Baptism. In baptism he signs and seals the adoption of new Christians into God’s family of the church.
In The Lord Supper he mediates the body and blood of church to a needy world. (M.I).
(2) He has disciplinary and administrative functions: maintain purity and discipline; judge and administer the church properly.
(3) Teaching and evangelistic function: Instruct, oppose false teaching and build up faithful ones so they can proclaim the gospel to others.
(4) Pastoral function: mingle with people, from all walks of life, Do not confine to sacraments and preaching.
We are going to use ‘pastor’ as the title of the appointed leader.
