Bro or Pastor? Why the Title Still Matters.

I want to revisit a topic I have addressed before by bringing you to a familiar scene. It happens almost every week on a Sunday morning, when someone in the congregation will approach their pastor after service with the friendly, warm greeting of “Hey bro, great sermon today!” Or, perhaps in the hallway, when interacting with others, the pastor is introduced by first name only. Understanding their intent, the pastor simply smiles, extends love and warmth to the [church] family he has been called to shepherd.

Now, the elephant in the room is this. Though most pastors are perfectly fine with a first-name basis over a title, something significant occurs when the word “pastor” silently slips away. What is that? Read on.

What “Pastor” Actually Means

Many have argued the term pastor is not actually in the Bible, and the office of priesthood of all believers means one should never elevate themselves over another. While considerations do exist in such discussions, the New Testament does actually provide us with the basis of the term pastor.

And He himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11 LSB).

It is in that last line that we give our attention: τοὺς δὲ ποιμένας καὶ διδασκάλους^, [This is the Greek]. In the text we have the word poimēn in its accusative, plural masculine form. Specifically, in the above verse, it means the Lord himself gave us leaders of a Christian congregation, with the move towards that of a shepherd over a flock of sheep. 

With such a verse shaping our terms, it means a pastor is not simply a job title like that of a manager or a supervisor. It is a calling! The calling is not a personal calling; it is an office of the church; therefore, it is to be treated with care and respect. Paul provides the teaching regarding the qualifications for overseers in detail.[1] The pastor, who could also be called an under-shepherd, overseer, or elder, is to have a specific character, conduct, and attention to sound doctrine (1 Tim 3, Titus 1). And in all this, there is a specific verse that pinpoints the office to be honored [which is in bold],

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28 LSB).

All of this pushes the term pastor to more than a title, or a term one should use simply out of tradition; it is a term that speaks directly to the reality that the Holy Spirit has made the pastor an overseer of a specific church[2], which was purchased by the very blood of Christ. Further, in Hebrews, it addresses the other side of the term “pastor” to direct those in the church in their view of the man God called.

Remember your leader, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7 LSB)

In this verse, there is such weight. The man preaches what he practices. He is faithful to the text, and directs Jesus' lambs to safe pasture. It shows the work of his office is serious, because what he carries, he will give an account to Jesus for how he filled that office. It also shows the church is to remember their leaders, and connected with this is the reality that the church is to consider "the elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor at preaching the word and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17). With this, we come to the other side,

The Case for “Bro.”

Before typing anything else, fairness is needed. Informality indeed signals closeness. When a man is close to another brother, and the term “bro” is used, it is rarely, if ever, used as a disrespectful term. Pastors, who are under-shepherds of the flock of Christ, are to be approachable, and approachable pastors hear the struggles of others. A relaxed environment and tone can often lower walls. Further, it is sad but true that many have been hurt by pastors who have not fulfilled their office properly, regardless of whether it was intentional or unintentional. Some pastors are bullies, heavy-handed leaders, and the title “pastor” can feel more like a fence in which one cannot gain access to the other side.

Paul used familial language in his letters as normal communication. He spoke of the believers as “my beloved” (1 Corinthians 10:14) and addressed Christians as co-laborers (Romans 16:3). Though he was an apostle, a leader, he wrote like a brother. A pastor is a brother. A sinner saved by grace, and in a day when it seems there is an allergy to formal titles and other misconceptions, hearing the term “bro” for a new believer, hurt believer, sensitive believer, relaxed believer, and all the rest of attached considerations may be the very bridge that gets them through the door and connected, so there cannot be a disconnection of such realities. However, another question does arise: is it brother, not better than bro? Or for the ladies, is sister better than sis? Debate that later in your minds as you reflect.

Why the Title Still Matters

With those realities being considered, there is still a concern of something being lost. Here it is. When the title goes, the office tends to go with it in people’s minds and hearts. If the pastor is just “Andy,” “Bob,” “Charlie,” or “Doug,” his counsel could start to sound like an ongoing opinion among many rather than shepherding.

Picture this for a moment. If the phone rings at 2 am because there is a crisis, if it is a “bro,” picking up the phone, one is left with the feeling of imposing on a friend. If it is a “pastor,” the call makes sense because that’s exactly what he is there for. Here is another one. Think of sin. Sin that needs to be addressed, and where the hardest conversations take place. “Hey man, I think you are drifting and entering dangerous territory,” is easy to shrug off when it’s a buddy or bro addressing the issue. It is much different when it comes from a pastor! Or, “Pastor, I need to talk to you about something” opens a door that “Hey bro,” rarely does. The title creates a safe boundary for hard conversations, in both directions.

Going further down that line, there are times when visitors attend. When a church introduces its leader as “our pastor,” the visitor learns that this church takes shepherding seriously. “Our bro,” quietly suggests it's a club. The danger is not warmth; it is confusion. Brother and pastor are not enemies, but when brother, or bro, replaces pastor, we have lost the category.

Can we Hold Both?

Is it bro, or pastor? Well, both! The best pastors are brothers. Pastors need to sit under the same Word; they need the same grace; they are kept by the same Jesus. It is not a technicality. Again, the title is not decoration. It is a signpost. It tells the flock that there is a man who has been set apart, examined, and charged with the care of Jesus’ flock. This is why the answer is both. Call him brother at the table, call him pastor when you need a shepherd; just don’t trade the one that carries the weight for the one that carries the warmth.

Take Home.

The Apostle Peter, whom we could also call Pastor Peter, a fellow elder, urged pastors,

I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion, but willingly according to God, and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to you, but being examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:1-3 LSB)  

The title was never meant to put distance between the pastor and the flock, yet it does define that there is a calling and task of the pastor. How we respond to that reality is how we respond to Jesus. How we address, treat, and speak about pastors is the same as speaking to Jesus. No, the pastor is not equivalent in any shape or form, but since the office is placed by Christ, we all must honor that reality. The term pastor moves us towards a tender calling. To know the Christians in the pews, to guard their hearts, to teach them, to love them, always pointing them to Jesus. When a believer calls their leader pastor, they are reflecting those considerations, and remind themselves they are safe. But here is the take-home: what might change if you let your pastor be your shepherd, not just a friend? Worth considering, as we all could use a “bro,” but we all need faithful “pastors.”

In His Mercy,

P/Steve

[1] There are two terms we need to understand. The first is the Greek word, ἐπισκοπή [episkopē) which is the office of watching over, directing, and caring for the church. The second is πρεσβύτερος [presbyteros], which is an elder. One who is over an assembly of believing Christians. The first term is where we get the term Episcopalian, and the second term is where we get Presbyterian in regard to church leadership. For this paper, we are strictly dealing with the term pastor.

[2] Note: For this post, I am not distinguishing between plurality of elders. Therefore, in the statement, "The Holy Spirit has made the pastor an overseer of a specific church," I am not limiting it to the specific scope of the two-office conviction of congregational polity in which only one pastor is in charge. I am using it with the intention that the term pastor refers to elders plural. No one is arguing that only one pastor should have all the authority in the church with no accountability, either through plurality or, in some cases, deacons, based on Baptist tradition.