Someone posed the question, “Can a pastor be an elder?” I know what the inquirer means, but the query, nevertheless, needs some additional explanation. We will address both the actual question as well as the intent behind the question.
First, note that there are several synonyms or interchangeable terms in the New Testament for the same office of responsibility. The Greek word “pastor” appears 18 times in the New Testament and is translated as “shepherd” each time, except in Ephesians 4:11 where it is translated as “pastor.” In the context of church leaders, “shepherd” is equivalent to “elder” (1 Peter 5:1-4) or “bishop” (1 Peter 2:25). The same office of responsibility is cited in Scripture as an “overseer” (Acts 20:17, 28). A “pastor” is an “elder,” which is the same as a “shepherd” or a “bishop.”
Secondly, now to the intent of the question. Can a minister, an evangelist or a preacher also be an elder? Scripture answers the question in one of the citations in the previous paragraph. “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1 NKJV). The apostle Peter was a minister, an evangelist or a preacher as well as an elder.
Yes, a pastor can be an elder, since the two words refer to the same church office of responsibility. Yes, a preacher can serve also as an elder if he meets the biblical qualifications and is appointed to the eldership by the congregation with which he worships.
