Hello all:

Recently, I’ve been thinking about our use of words in Churches of Christ, and I’m bugged a little by it.

We’ve developed our own language over the years that serves the purpose of seperating us from “the denominations.” (one of our catch-phrases).

A good example of this is that we use the term “auditorium” to refer to large room in which we worship, while most other churches refer to that room as the “sanctuary”. Its like an unwritten rule that we cannot call the auditorum a sanctuary. If you are in one of our church buildings and call the auditorium “the sanctuary,” everyone around you will know right away that you aren’t one of us. Of course, the irony is that neither word is found in scripture.

Another example, is our not using the term “Pastor.” This is now a favorite of mine. I was taught that we can’t call the minister a pastor because this term is reserved for elders. Because we strive to “call bible things by bible names,” an old adage of Alexander Campbell, we reject any church that calls their minister a pastor unless that minister is also an elder.

The problem here is that word usage changes over time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for “calling bible things by bible names,” however, we must recognize that all language changes over time. Our use and study of Greek is a prime example of this: We defend that baptism means immersion because the greek baptizo’s original meaning was immersion. However, over time, we can show that the meaning of the word changed to include pouring and sprinkling.

However, when we look at the question of instrumental music, we talk about the word psallo. Psallo originally meant to sing with instrumental accompanyment, or to pluck a stringed instrument. We argue that the meaning of the word changed, and by the time the New Testament was written, Psallo meant to sing only, without accompayment.

So, can we accept that the meaning of the English word “Pastor” has changed over the last 500 years? Personally, I can, especially after reflecting on the fact that the word Pastor is a Latin Word, not a translated or transliterated Greek word.

While the rest of the Christian world calls someone a “Pastor,” we call that same person a preacher, an evangelist, or a minister. Many Churches of Christ, especially the more conservative congregations, seem bent on using the title “evangelist.” While the term is biblical, it rarely if ever describes what the person does. I’ve met very few paid evagelists in Churches of Christ…. they all seem to keep their evangelistic efforts confined to the building. Preacher is probably the most descriptive word for many of these people… but I digress. My conclusion here is that the words minister and pastor are equivilant.

However, now I have one more problem. I’ve identified what I believe, however, I’ve been indoctrinated in our beliefs for so long that I have a hard time changing. I still occasionally cringe when I see an Independent Christian Church title their minister as “Pastor.” I still feel odd hearing the “auditorium” called a “sanctuary.” Old habits die hard, I suppose.

-Clarke