Dakota Ennis

Some people call preachers pastors, reverends, and so on, and they use the terms interchangeably. When a gospel preacher corrects someone on who they are, it can raise a question. In this article, we will study what a preacher is and what he is not.

We must first ask what a preacher isn't, so we can better understand what he is. He isn't a reverend. Some denominations consider their "preacher" as "reverend." What does reverend mean? This word means, "To fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten: - affright, be(make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (- ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end)." (Strong's, #H3372) Some preachers act as if they are in a higher position than everyone else. The preacher is no higher than his fellow man. When Peter approached Cornelius' house, Cornelius bowed down to him (Acts 10:25). Peter, however, would not allow Cornelius to bow to him because he was a man(Acts 10:26)! Peter did not think he was worthy of that worship. He knew he was not higher than his fellow man and future brother in Christ. An angel also considered himself unworthy of worship (Rev. 19:10; 22:8). The preacher deserves the same respect as his fellow brother, but God alone is worthy of the highest respect and honor. No man stands above the rest to be called "reverend" (Ps. 111:9 KJV).

He is also not a Pastor. The term "Pastor" comes from the Greek word Poimen. This is defined as "a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks (not one who merely feeds them)" (Vine's, p. 839). Many denominations have only one pastor, who is usually the preacher. We understand from scripture that there is to be more than one pastor in every congregation. (Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1; Acts 14:23; 20:17). There is an eldership, a group of men who meet Biblical qualifications (Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-7). These are men who are overseers, and shepherds (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). Yes, a preacher can, in some cases, become an elder of the local congregation. He now has two distinct responsibilities to the local congregation. However, we should not get these mixed up and begin to call the preacher a pastor, for that is not what he is.

We now know what a preacher isn't. Let us see what he is. The preacher is, first and foremost, a Christian (Acts 11:26). He is no different than everyone else in the local congregation. As each baptized individual is a Christian, so is he. He has his own duties and responsibilities he must fulfill for God and Christ. Secondly, he is a volunteer. There are no sign-ups or drafts to becoming a preacher; no college degrees are needed. The one who preaches has a desire to do so (Jer. 20:9). He has the same motive as Isaiah did (Isa. 6:8). He volunteers to do the work. The preacher is just that, a preacher. He presents the good news, the gospel, to those who need to hear it (Matt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15). He uses the word as his source book (2 Tim. 4:2).  He is a herald, a proclaimer. That is his primary job. To proclaim, to herald the good news, the gospel.

What is the preacher? He is a Christian, a volunteer, and a proclaimer. What isn't a preacher? A pastor or reverend. The denominational world has called the preacher many things. Let us remember what the Bible says a preacher is and what he isn't.