Pastors -- a Plurality?

"Pastor” is the traditional designation for the role of “overseer” or “elder.” The word “pastor” only appears once in the plural form in most English translations. ESV and YLT has “Shepherds,” while KJV, NIV, NAS, NET has “pastors” in Ephesians 4.11. The Greek word “poimen” is always translated “shepherd.” The word has it source in Anglo-French from “pasture,” as “one who puts to pasture,” and so you can see the shepherd connection.

It is often believed that the word “teachers” is associated with pastors Ephesians 4:11 (“pastors and teachers”) to represent one role and not two. The word for pastor is not repeated in 1 Corinthians 12:28 as to order of importance in the church, but teacher is listed third. Teacher may be the broader category. The designation “pastor” may be descriptive of the role of teacher as a shepherd.

All elders are a pastor-teacher. But not all teachers are elders. Traditionally, “pastor” is used to designate those who hold an official role in the church, usually of a vocational nature. If a church has a plurality of elders, they are usually not of equal status of that one man called “the pastor.” His position is usually viewed as vocational, while the others are not. There may be more than one pastor, but they are still considered subordinate roles.

The role of pastor seems to be often viewed more like an Old Testament prophet, having a calling from God, and sent to a church for a time.

Ephesians 4.7 says that “to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” I believe this “grace” here is with reference to the roles we are to have in the church body for its benefit.

Paul said his stewardship was the grace of God, his ministry was according to the gift of the grace of God, Ephesians 3.2, 7.

Ephesians 4.11 – 12 says that Christ gave certain roles for equipping the church. The 4 roles referenced are of a teacher type category because they are for “equipping of the saints.”

The word translated “equip/ping” only appears here, and must speak of making adequate or sufficient. Greek lexicon says “to put into proper condition, make complete,” YLT says “perfecting,” and Aramaic “maturity.” This is a pastor-teacher role/ function.

The designations pastor, bishop (or overseer), and elder are the same. Should there be only one pastor in a church or a plurality of pastors? If the elders are pastors, and they come up from within the local assembly, then why hire one full time elder from without? Should one elder be supported full time and the rest be unpaid? These are issues determined by tradition, but maybe it's a practical decision too.

There are Scriptural references that indicate that pastor or shepherd is the same as elder and overseer or bishop, though pastor is really a function and elder is an office.

The designation "pastor" (as it is used in Ephesians 4.11-12) does not appear anywhere else in the New Testament except as translated (from the Greek) as "shepherd"--in which it is mostly a reference to Christ's role. It appears in verb form in connection with the function of elders, for example: The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: shepherd [from Greek verb form for pastor] the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseer [Greek verb form for bishop]. (1 Peter 5.1-2)

Peter viewed the elder as responsible to shepherd and oversee the church, and this seems to make it difficult to distinguish certain elders as "pastors" who are specifically gifted to "shepherd" the local church.

Also consider the reference in Acts 20.28 concerning Paul's warning to the elders at Ephesis: Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (bishops), to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

I’ve heard the claim that not all elders are gifted to be “the pastor”; elders are to shepherd and oversee the church, but some are gifted at this, and they are properly designated “ the pastor.” Usually, that special “gifted” elder who qualifies as “the pastor” comes from outside the church, unlike the rest of the elders, and he is educated with a Seminary degree, or at least a Bible College degree.

If such a claim is true, it can only be maintained by Ephesians 4.11-12. What's difficult about such a claim is that all other references about church oversight and shepherding is addressed to elders. Consider the reference to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20.17, 28: take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God. Also consider that elder and overseer are made out to be the same: Titus 1.5-7: For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-- if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop [overseer] must be blameless.

One could be gifted at shepherding and yet that does not automatically place him in the office of elder, for he must meet the qualifications. Becoming an elder places the gifted one in the official role.

Instead of saying not all elders are pastors, it should be said that not all who have the ability to pastor are elders, whether by disqualification or personal choice.

What if there is more than one elder who seems "gifted" at shepherding or oversight in a single church? The traditional view forces him to set out and find his own church to pastor, instead of becoming one of the elders. Once “the pastor” is no longer the pastor, he usually has to leave the church, because of possible conflict with the new pastor—and of course, since he is a “vocational” pastor, he has to find another church.

When it comes to compensation, Paul said to let the elders who rule well, who labor in the word and doctrine, be counted worthy of "double honor." (1 Timothy 5.17) Maybe this is the only distinction that should be made among the elders in a local church: if you have some elders who "rule well" and "labor in the word and doctrine," then compensate them "double," and the rest get what is the normal--whatever that is determined to be (maybe by the Deacons or the church body).

If there was to be only one elder in a church, then he would be the only pastor. But Scripture often speaks of a plurality of elders, such as the elders of the church of Ephesus: Acts 20.17. If this plurality was represented by more than one assembly in a certain city, for the early assemblies were identified in Scripture according to the city in which they or it existed, then one could argue for one elder as the one pastor per church, but if there was one assembly in a city, then there was a plurality of elders, and therefore a plurality of pastors in one assembly of a city.

James 5.14 instructs the one sick to call for the elders of the church, and this suggests a plurality of elders in one assembly, unless it is instruction to call for the elders of more than one assembly of a certain city (the singular "church' would have to represent all the assemblies of a specific city).

The pastor should be a qualified man rising up from within the assembly he is to oversee. (Don't we find our elders from within the congregation?)

The Apostle Paul commanded Titus to "appoint elders in every city," Titus 1.5. The exception might be if a pastor first begins as a missionary, or comes from a founding church, and was instrumental in establishing the new local assembly.

Timothy was “urged” by Paul to “remain” in Ephesus, 1 Timothy 1.3, to “charge some that they teach no other doctrine.” He was an extension of Paul’s ministry, as his assistant, but he was not “the pastor” of Ephesus. Ephesus already had elders.

The pastor is not like an Old Testament prophet who is called by God to go from church to church to proclaim the word of God, yet this seems to be the common perception and practice which brings a stranger into the assembly from without. And usually when difficulty arises, he resigns and moves on.

In the early church, pastors were chosen by a higher authority than by majority vote of the local congregation, as we can see that the Apostle Paul commanded Titus to appoint elders in every city, but without apostolic authority after the First Century, such could only be carried out by the pastors/ elders of a founding church. As a church grows and has elders, these elders should appoint the new elders within.

Pastors are to be compensated according to ability to rule and their labor in the word and doctrine, as First Timothy 5.17 indicates, but it is optional as to whether he is supported full time. The Apostle Paul, who was a missionary and not a pastor, chose to support himself and his co-workers, yet he had the right to refrained from working, see First Corinthians 9.6-15. First Timothy 5.17 indicates all elders should be compensated. Is this to be a full time income? Paul said he had the right to refrain from working, but he spoke as a missionary.

Is the role of pastor or elder indicated in First Corinthians 9.7, who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock, or is this just an illustrative point used by Paul concerning the rightful support of the missionary? I believe the following statement by Paul refers to the missionary and not the pastor or elder: the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. The pastor should proclaim the gospel, as should all believers, but Paul had the missionary in view who was an itinerant preacher of the gospel and had the right to live from it.

Each will have to be persuaded in their own mind about these things, but it appears to me that the first century local church had a plurality of pastors, and these were the elders, and the only distinctions among them were according to their ability to rule and their labor in the word, and these things should determine their amount of compensation by the church.