Evangelist Pastor

Definition and Meaning

An evangelist pastor is one of the titles given to a pastor. It designates a pastor who is not attached to a particular church and who is charged with evangelism and church planting. The title is used chiefly in the church constitutions of Presbyterian denominations. These constitutions generally define an evangelist pastor as "a pastor who, having been sent (formally commissioned) by the presbytery, establishes a church in an area where there is no church." Authority to organize the church so established and to administer the sacraments is likewise granted by resolution of the presbytery. The precise wording and the scope of this authority vary somewhat among denominations.

An evangelist pastor should be distinguished from a jeondosa, a title used in Korean churches for a ministry worker who has not been ordained as a pastor. An evangelist pastor, by contrast, holds a particular status as an ordained pastor.

Biblical and Historical Background

The following passages are commonly cited as the basis for this title:

• Ephesians 4:11 lists "evangelists" among the ministries given to the church.
• 2 Timothy 4:5 contains the exhortation "do the work of an evangelist."
• Acts 21:8 refers to "Philip the evangelist."

Within Presbyterian polity, the title is understood to have entered the constitutions of Korean Presbyterian churches from the office of "evangelist" found in the form of government of American Presbyterianism. From its earliest years, Korean Presbyterianism maintained a tradition of presbyteries sending pastors to unevangelized areas. A frequently cited example is the sending of Yi Ki-poong to Jeju Island as a missionary by the Independent Presbytery in 1907.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Presbyterian churches: In Korea, the constitutions of several Presbyterian denominations, including the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) and the Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap), list the evangelist pastor among the titles of pastors, alongside the installed pastor, pastor in charge, associate pastor, institutional pastor, and pastor without charge. In practice, this status is often held by a pastor who has started a church plant with the permission of the presbytery and who has charge of the new congregation before it has formed a session. Once the church is established and organized, the pastor's status changes to that of pastor in charge or installed pastor.
• As a title within a congregation: Some Korean churches informally use the term "evangelist pastor" for an associate minister devoted to evangelism and newcomer ministry. In such cases the term differs in meaning from the constitutional title.
• Other denominations: Korean Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel denominations have structures for pastoral appointment and church planting that differ from those of Presbyterian churches. For this reason, they may not include a title of the same name in their constitutions, or they may use a different name. The designation for church-planting ministers should be confirmed in the constitution and regulations of each denomination.