Minister (Christianity)

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In Christian churches, a minister is a man or woman who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community. The minister may serve a congregation or participate in a role in a parachurch ministry. A person ministering to a particular congregation or religious group is generally designated as a Pastor. Ministers performing in other roles may be referred to as a Preacher, Chaplain, Deacon, Elder, or Bishop. An increasing number of charismatic Christians recognize the offices of the five-fold ministry, which they consider a revival of original Christian practice.

In Protestant churches, "minister" generally refers to a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation as it's Pastor. A minister may also participate in a leadership role in a parachurch or allied ministry such as a street ministry, reaching out to those in the community who do not attend or regularly participate in church services or activities. Such a person may also be referred to as a Preacher, Chaplain or Elder (although in some cases, an elder may be a layperson, not fully-ordained as a minister). A minister may also be designated a Bishop but this is usually a hierarchical designation, for management or coordination of the church organization.

Professional ministers in many religious affiliations are seen as set apart from the community to which they minister through ordination. They may be provided a stipend, a wage or a salary.

All denominations make some claim to finding their model of leadership (or church governance) in the New Testament. However the variety of relationships is large, ranging from the view of a minister as one of the people, to that of the minister as a priest or church leader, set apart with special qualifications or authority.