pastor
pastor — noun
1. a Christian church leader who leads a church and cares for the people in it.
a Christian church leader who leads a church and cares for the people in it.
Pastor Kim welcomed three new families after the Sunday morning service.
title before a name: Pastor Kim
The small town pastor visited Rosa in hospital after her surgery.
At camp, the pastor led songs before the children went to bed.
Many students asked the pastor for advice about grief and prayer.
During the wedding, the pastor spoke calmly near the table with white flowers.
- minister
wider church term; often more formal and not always used as a title in daily speech
- preacher
focuses on giving sermons rather than caring for a church day by day
- clergyperson
formal and broad; includes many kinds of Christian religious leaders
文法句型
Pastor + name
the pastor of a church
ask a pastor for advice
用法筆記
Common in Protestant contexts and often used as a title before a name, as in Pastor Kim. Catholic churches more often use priest instead.
常見錯誤
pastor — verb
1. to work as the main minister for a church, congregation, or religious community.
to work as the main minister for a church, congregation, or religious community.
By age thirty, Grace pastored a Spanish-speaking congregation in east Los Angeles.
pastor + a church
After Bible school, Maria pastored two small churches in northern Idaho.
Daniel pastored the church by the river before moving to Seoul.
The couple pastored a growing church that met in a school gym.
After the flood, Samuel pastored the church while repairs continued downtown.
- lead
broader and less specifically religious
- minister to
stresses caring for people spiritually, not holding the formal role itself
- shepherd
more figurative and often used in religious writing
文法句型
pastor + a church
pastor + a congregation
pastor + a community
用法筆記
Object is usually a church, congregation, or community, not a ceremony or sermon. More common in church writing than in everyday conversation.