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Author Topic: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?  (Read 17994 times)

Offline LisaE

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Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« on: December 29, 2006, 09:57:15 PM »

Hello! Question for the LGM group - what is a difference, between a Bishop versus a Pastor?

Per my Nelson Study guide Bible - a Bishop oversees the congregation. That's fine, but how is that different from a Pastor? My Pastor oversees the congregation, and we call him Pastor, not Bishop.

Thanks,
Andrea

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Offline BigFoot_BigThumb

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2006, 11:56:35 PM »
I discussed this with a minister friend of mine.  He basically told me the same thing you read.  They are both shepards over their flocks. BIshop is just a fancier way of saying it.   Basically he said that many of these Pastors are using Bishop because it carried more weight these days.

I mean it does amaze me how a Pastor can go to being a Bishop when he still just pastors his one little church.


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Offline Prophetic Remnant

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2006, 01:36:21 AM »
Per my Nelson Study guide Bible - a Bishop oversees the congregation...

That is the correct meaning. But the word bishop has taken on a more contemporary definition. Now in most organizations, bishop means that you are not only over the church you pastor, but you are over a group of churches. While pastor means you are just over your one local church.

Offline Jbroad572

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2006, 11:08:08 AM »
That is the correct meaning. But the word bishop has taken on a more contemporary definition. Now in most organizations, bishop means that you are not only over the church you pastor, but you are over a group of churches. While pastor means you are just over your one local church.
That's what I've understood.

Offline LisaE

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2006, 11:43:34 AM »
Thanks for the responses so far. One additional question though - based on my observation, the term Bishop is frequently used by ministers who oversee predominately Black churches.

Examples:

Bishop Charles Ellis - oversees Greater Grace Temple in Southfield, Michigan
Bishop Paul S. Morton
Bishop T.D. Jakes
Bishop J.W. Walker - just caught him on The Word Network, he had on Bishop Paul S. Morton

So is term Bishop embraced more frequently among us (Black Christians)?

Thanks again for the feedback,
Andrea
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Offline baptistchurchman

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2006, 12:48:28 PM »
 
Thanks for the responses so far. One additional question though - based on my observation, the term Bishop is frequently used by ministers who oversee predominately Black churches.

Examples:

Bishop Charles Ellis - oversees Greater Grace Temple in Southfield, Michigan
Bishop Paul S. Morton
Bishop T.D. Jakes
Bishop J.W. Walker - just caught him on The Word Network, he had on Bishop Paul S. Morton

So is term Bishop embraced more frequently among us (Black Christians)?

Thanks again for the feedback,
Andrea

Well actually Bishop is used in the Catholic church as well. So it is used across the board.
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Offline baptistchurchman

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2006, 12:53:48 PM »
You know I am also starting to notice that the husband wife Pastor Co- Pastor thing is becoming very popular these days.
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Offline funkStrat_97

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2006, 01:22:27 PM »
Hello! Question for the LGM group - what is a difference, between a Bishop versus a Pastor?

Per my Nelson Study guide Bible - a Bishop oversees the congregation. That's fine, but how is that different from a Pastor? My Pastor oversees the congregation, and we call him Pastor, not Bishop.

Thanks,
Andrea



A bishop is a specific office in the clerical ranks and there are different requirements and responsiblities depending on the chruch organization in question.  Even among bishops, you have differnt levels of authority (presiding bisihop, vice-presiding bishop, etc.).  In simple terms, a bishop is an elder.  In some churches, you must at least be an edler to pastor a church for legal reasons; an ordained elder can legally perform certain fucntions such as weddings and gain entry to prisons and hospital ICU's.  However, many of these institutions will honor a locally liscensed lay minister's credentials.  A local liscense "limits" ones clerical status to the church you belong to and you operate under the auspicies of the pastor.  It is not necessary to be a bishop to pastor a church but in most, if not all cases, you have to be a pastor if you want to become a bishop.
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Offline SisterT

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2006, 07:22:43 PM »

So is term Bishop embraced more frequently among us (Black Christians)?

Thanks again for the feedback,
Andrea

Sometimes, It's a matter of what "sounds" more prestigious. Suddenly ministers who have never Pastored a church are demanding to be called "Bishop". It's a title thing. Pastors are seeking/coveting that position as well.

Bishop Morton oversees several churhes besides the one he Pastors. Most of the Bishops you mentioned oversee other churches within their state. My Pastor is a Bishop---He oversees many churches too.

Now, I don't want to rub by brothers and sisters the wrong way, but we have frequently changed our names. My grandmother use to say I am a Negro-Black-African-American. We said it loud "I'm Black and I'm Proud", and yet we moved on to "African-American".  :)


Offline LisaE

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Re: Bishop vs. Pastor - what's the difference?
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2006, 09:53:14 PM »

Lot's of good discussion here. And in review the several Watch Night services that I can watch via the Internet, I completely forget about Bishop Eddie Long and Bishop Noel Jones!

Andrea
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