What is a Pastor?

At WLC, something we’re absolutely passionate about is helping worship leaders become worship pastors – that’s helping them to lead people instead of just leading songs. Because of that passion, questions like “what is a pastor?” and “how do I pastor people?” often come up. In fact, we recently posted on Instagram with a caption, “Worship leader, remember you are a pastor first and musician second!” In the comments, someone asked us to define the word pastor. 

The word pastor comes from the Latin word for shepherd. A shepherd is a leader, a guide, a caretaker. It literally means to tend to a flock, to lead to pasture, to feed. The apostle Paul used this term in Ephesians 4:11 saying, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Pastors are to equip God’s people for the work of the Kingdom! We’re to help build the church up! Over the next few weeks we’ll explore a few ways we, as worship leaders, can do just that! 

Until then, ask yourself and talk with your team about ways you are already pastoring/leading people well and ways you can begin to do so more intentionally! 

I’m excited for this series – it’s one of my favorite subjects!