The word pastor only occurs once in the Bible (in the NIV version).
It appears in Paul’s teaching about what many call the 5-fold ministry in Ephesians 4:11-13.
The role of a pastor is to equip God’s people to serve others and build up the church. This is far different than how most people think of pastors today.
Compare to minister.
Key verse about Pastor: “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 (Ephesians 4:11-13, NIV).”
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.