Pastor

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term moksa (牧師) means "one who tends sheep." It refers to a minister who has been ordained and appointed to teach the Word and care for the members of a church. In most Protestant denominations, the pastor is responsible for preaching, administering the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's Supper), pronouncing the benediction, and making pastoral visits. In Korean churches the pastor is customarily addressed as moksanim. The related term mokhoeja ("minister") is used with the same meaning but can also refer more broadly to church ministry workers in general, including evangelists.

Biblical and Historical Background

The term "pastor" derives from the phrase "pastors and teachers" in Ephesians 4:11. It is also connected with biblical language that likens church members to a flock of sheep (John 10:11; 1 Peter 5:2). Since the Reformation, Protestantism, following the principle of the priesthood of all believers, has not regarded the pastor as a mediator between God and humanity. Instead, it understands the pastorate as an office entrusted with the Word and the sacraments. John Calvin divided church offices into pastors, teachers (doctors), elders, and deacons, and this understanding was carried on in the Presbyterian tradition. In Korea, the first seven graduates of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pyongyang were ordained as pastors by the Independent Presbytery in 1907. Among them were Kil Sun-ju and Yi Ki-p'ung.

Practice in Korean Churches

Generally, a candidate completes studies at a seminary recognized by the denomination, such as a graduate school of theology, serves in ministry for a set period, and then passes a denominational examination before receiving ordination. The specific procedures differ by denomination.

• Presbyterian: The presbytery oversees examination and ordination. In denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong), candidates become pastors after first serving as a licentiate.
• Methodist: In the Korean Methodist Church, the annual conference oversees ordination. Candidates receive pastoral ordination upon being received into full membership.
• Baptist: Baptists emphasize the autonomy of the local church. Accordingly, the local congregation to which the minister belongs plays the central role in the ordination process.
• Anglican and Salvation Army: In the Anglican Church of Korea, bishops ordain the clergy, and the title priest is used instead of "pastor." In The Salvation Army Korea Territory, clergy are called officers.

Pastors are classified according to their positions, such as senior pastor, associate pastor, and pastor emeritus. In Presbyterian churches, an installed pastor, who has been installed in a particular congregation with the approval of the presbytery, serves as moderator of the session. Whether women are ordained as pastors varies by denomination (see ordination of women). Other topics under discussion in the Korean church include bivocational ministry and hereditary succession of pastorates.