Part of the series on Christianity

History of Christianity Apostles Ecumenical councils Great Schism Reformation Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... image of a Latin cross. ... This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics. ... Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the world. ... In Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, an ecumenical council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... The East-West Schism, known also as the Great Schism (though this latter term sometimes refers to the later Western Schism), was the event that divided Chalcedonian Christianity into Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ...

Christian theology Salvation · Grace Christian worship Christian theology practices theology from a Christian viewpoint or studies Christianity theologically. ... Salvation refers to deliverance from some undesirable state or condition. ... Divine grace is a Christian term for gifts granted to humanity by God, that God is under no need or obligation to grant. ... In Christianity, worship has been considered by most Christians to be the central act of Christian identity throughout Christian history. ...

The Bible: Old Testament New Testament Apocrypha The Gospels Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures (also called the Hebrew Bible) constitutes the first major part of the Bible according to Christianity. ... The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Deuterocanonical books. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Ten Commandments on a monument in the grounds of the Texas State Capitol The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives that feature prominently in Judaism and Christianity. ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth around 30 CE on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd (Matt. ...

Christian Church: Catholicism Orthodox Christianity Protestantism The term Christian Church expresses the idea of Christianity (the Christian religion) seen in its role as an institution. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Orthodox Christianity typically comprises those Christian traditions which are centered in eastern philosophy, as opposed to those traditions centered in the west. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing a split from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid to late Renaissance in Europe —a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Christian denominations Christian movements Christian ecumenism A denomination in the Christian sense is an identifiable religious body, organization under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ... Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ...

In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... A church building is a building used in Christian worship. ... This article is about the sacrament. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... A congregation is a group of people gathered together. ... Evangelicalism, in a strictly lexical, but rarely used sense, refers to all things that are implied in belief that Jesus is the savior. ... Pastor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Preacher is a colloquial term for a clergyman, in particular a local priest, pastor or Minister; one who preaches. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... A chaplain is a priest or a member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church. ... A religious elder (in Greek, presbuteros) is valued for his or her wisdom, in part for their age, by the logic that the older one is then the more one is likely to know. ...

Ministers are generally seen as set apart from the community to which they minister through ordination. They are often provided a stipend rather than a wage or salary. This article is about the sacrament. ... Stipend [Lat. ... A wage is the amount of money paid for some specified quantity of labour. ... Salary is a form of periodic payment from the employer to the employee, which is specified in an employment contract. ...

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 fom the low church view of a minister as one of the people to that of the minister as priest, set apart and with special authority. The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ... Roman Catholic priest LCDR Allen R. Kuss (USN) aboard USS Enterprise A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ...

Ecclesiology is the area of theology that relates to church structures and ministry. Ecclesiology is that branch of Christian theology that deals with the doctrine pertaining to the Church: its role in salvation, and its origin, its discipline, and its leadership. ...

Issues

There are contrasting views on the level of remuneration given to ministers relative to the religious community. There is often an expectation that they and their families will eschew ostentation. However there are situations where they are well rewarded for success, whether measured through drawing people to their religious community or enhancing the status or power of the community.

There is some disagreement between denominations and within some denominations as to whether women, and/or people who are homosexual can be ministers to their churches. Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ...

Roles

Ministers may, by themselves or with others:

• research and study religion, Scripture and theology
• plan and conduct services of public worship
• preach
• preside over the sacraments of the church. These are:
  • The Lord's Supper also known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion.
  • Baptism of children and/or adults
  • Conducting marriages, funerals and memorial services, anointing the sick or dying, participating in the ordination of other clergy, hearing confession, and confirming young people as members of the Church. (These are considered sacraments in the Roman Catholic tradition but not in most Protestant traditions).
• provide leadership to the congregation, parish or church community, this will often be done as part of a team with lay people in roles such as elders
  • build a community of faith
  • work on developing relationships and networks within that community
  • supervise prayer and discussion groups, retreats and seminars and provide religious instruction
  • assist in co-ordinating volunteers and church community groups
  • train leaders for church, community and youth leadership.
• provide pastoral care
  • provide personal support to people in crises, such as illness, bereavement and family breakdown
  • visit the sick and elderly.*engage in welfare and community services activities of communities
  • may refer people to community support services, psychologists or doctors
• pray and promote spirituality
• keep records as required by civil or church law

Many religions and spiritual movements hold certain written texts (or series of spoken legends not traditionally written down) to be sacred. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace. ... The Lords Supper is a variation of the name and the service of The Last Supper or Eucharist. ... The Eucharist is either the celebration of the Christian sacrament commemorating Christ’s Last Supper, or the consecrated bread and wine of this sacrament. ... The Eucharist is either the Christian sacrament of consecrated bread and wine or the ritual surrounding it. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... Marriage is a relationship and bond between individuals (termed spouses -- a male spouse is a husband and a female spouse, a wife) that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea A funeral is a ceremony marking a persons death. ... This article is about the sacrament. ... A congregation is a group of people gathered together. ... A parish is a subdivision. ... Pastoral care is a term generally applied to the practice of looking after the personal and social wellbeing of children under the care of a teacher. ...

Training and qualifications

Depending on the denomination the requirements for ministry vary. All denominations require that the minister has a sense of calling. As regards to training, denominations vary from those that emphasise gifts and abilities and place little emphasis on book learning to those that require advanced tertiary education qualifications for example from a seminary or university. Tertiary education, also referred to as third-stage or third level education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education such as a high school, secondary school, or gymnasium. ... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... A professor giving a lecture at the Helsinki University of Technology A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ...

References to leadership roles in the New Testament

There are are range of references to leadership in the New Testament. The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written after the birth of Jesus. ...

One of the clearest references is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-16, it outlines the requirements of a minister or bishop (Episcopay Επισκωπη (Greek)): A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ...

(1) This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. (2) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (3) Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; (4) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (5) (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) (6) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (7) Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (8) Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (9) Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. (10) And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. (11) Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. (12) Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. (13) For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. (14) These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: (15) But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Related titles

Priests/Vicars

The Roman Catholic, Orthodox churches and some Anglican or Episcopal churches refer to their ordained clergy as priests with higher ranks being bishopsminister is not a title used by the ordained clergy (e.g. priests) nor is it a form of address for them, see Catholic minister. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The word episcopal is derived from the Greek επισκοπος epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word, however, is used in religious contexts to refer to a bishop. ... Roman Catholic priest A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... For other uses, see Bishop (disambiguation). ... Roman Catholic priest LCDR Allen R. Kuss (USN) aboard USS Enterprise A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... Unlike in several Protestant churches, in the Roman Catholic Church the term minister is not commonly used to refer to a member of the clergy nor as a common term of address. ...

The term rector (from the Latin word for ruler) or vicar may be used for priests in certain settings, especially in the Anglican and Episcopal traditions. A rector is considered higher in rank than a vicar but lower than a bishop. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the Pope is given the title Vicar of Christ. Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Catholic Church. ...

Pastor

The term Pastor tends to be used in Lutheran, Baptist and Pentecostal churches. Pastor comes from the Latin word meaning shepherd and is a reference to Jesus' use of the title the Good Shepherd for himself. A person serving as a pastor will be assigned to a local church or congregation who may be referred to as his or her flock. Pastor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Baptist churches are part of a Christian movement often regarded as an Evangelical, Protestant denomination. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... This 11th-century portrait is one of many images of Jesus in which a halo with a cross is used. ... A church building is a building used in Christian worship. ... A congregation is a group of people gathered together. ...

Clergyman/Clergywoman

The word clergy derives from the same English root as clerk and harks back to the days when those in ordained ministry were among the only literate members of soceity. The word cleric is a common variation of this. Through common usage, the word has lost its associations with literacy and clerical work and is usually used as shorthand for any religious minister. Though Christian in origin, the terms can be applied to people in other religious traditions. For example, a rabbi can be referred to as a clergyman or clergywoman and Muslim religious teachers such as imams and mullahs are often referred to as Islamic clerics. Literacy is the ability to use text to communicate across space and time. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished,. In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as רִבִּי (Ribbi or Rebbi... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Imam is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... Mullahs are Islamic clergy who have studied the Quran and the Hadith and are considered experts on related religious matters in this religion. ... Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ...

Parson is a similar term often applied to ordained priests or ministers. The word is a variant on the English word person and refers to the person one would see in a community when any matters involving reading and/or writing came up.

Chaplain

A chaplain is a priest or a member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church. ...

Elder

A religious elder (in Greek, presbuteros) is valued for his or her wisdom, in part for their age, by the logic that the older one is then the more one is likely to know. ...

Forms of address

Depending on the church many ministers would be addressed as Reverend, however as above some use the term pastor and others do not use any specific form of address, in which case it would be Mr, Ms, Miss or Mrs as the case may be. The Reverend is an honorary prefix added to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. ...

In the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopalian and some other traditions a priest may be addressed as Reverend Father or Reverend Sir, or less formally as Father.

A Roman Catholic or Orthodox bishop, archbishop or cardinal may be addressed as Your Eminence.

The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church can be addressed as Holy Father or Your Holiness.

See also: Political minister A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ...