What's the difference between: a reverend, a priest and a pastor?

Answer 1

A reverand is usually protestant, while priests are always catholic. Pastors can be either, and are the highest minister in their parish/church.

Answer 2

In the New Testament, every believer is a Priest, not just the clergy. Pastors are members of the clergy who lead the local flock or the local church. Reverend is a formal title which can be applied to any member of the clergy. However according the Bible, no one is Reverend but the Lord. Psalm 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. As a general rule these terms are interchangeable, except that Pastors are usually Protestants and Priests are Catholic or Mormon. The senior most Priest in a local Catholic parish is called the Pastor of that parish. A Protestant who does not wish to violate what Jesus said in Matthew 23:9, will often refer to a Catholic Priest as Reverend instead of "Father". Edit to Mary Ann: A Master of Divinity degree is an earned seminary degree. A Doctor of Divinity degree is an honorary degree.

Answer 3

Pastor can apply to any denomination. A Priest is one who is given the authority to correctly preform the canon of the Mass/Eucharist and should be in the line of Apostolic Succession. Priest are in those church that are "liturgical" churches, such as the RC, Orthodox and Anglican. When at the altar a Priest 'becomes' Christ and it is Christ in that moment, acting through the priest, that changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. (this is something that a Minister can not do. A Minister can only preach. This is why in a Protestant church the bread and wine are only a 'remembrance', and nothing more.) The ability to become "persona Christi" at the altar is a spiritual gift that was give to the Apostles by Jesus. Only those ordained in the line of Apostolic Succession can truly have it.

Reverend is a form of formal address such as when you are sending them a letter. It is: The Reverend John Smith, who is a priest and the pastor at St. Paul's church, for example. Also in the RC, Orthodox and Anglican church he would informally be call Father John or Father Smith. Some of our female priest are called Mother Jane, or Mother Smith.

In other words, all clergy are "The Reverend (name), all can be pastors, but only a few can be priest. Priest are informally called Father or Mother. Those who are not priest are ministers. A bishop is addressed formally as "The Right Reverend" (full name) or informally as Bishop (last name). Also the Abbot of a monastery is address formally (if he is a priest) as The Right Reverend (name). And informally as Abbot (name).

Answer 4

~Priest: "A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to perform and administer religious rites; and in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of the deity or deities." "They exist in some branches of Christianity, Shintoism, Hinduism, and many other religions, as well, and are generally regarded as having good contact with the deities of the religion to which he or she ascribes, often interpreting the meaning of events, performing the rituals of the religion, and to whom other believers often will turn for advice on spiritual matters." Often Priests only have that one job.

~Pastor: "A pastor is a minister or priest of a Christian church."

~The Reverend: "The Reverend is an honorary prefix to the names of many Christian clergy and ministers. It is correctly called a style rather than a title or term of address. "The Reverend" is sometimes also used by leaders in non-Christian religions such as Buddhism."

[edit[ Confused yet? It seems as if Pastor is regulated only to Christianity. A Priest is a specific rank in many religions, INCLUDING both Protestantism and Catholicism, and the Reverend is a STYLE that can be used by many religions, though there ARE some sects of Christianity that REFUSE to use that style. Some Catholic Bishops use the style "the Reverend".

"style" here meaning that both a Surgeon AND a Pediatrician can use "Dr.". "Lord", "Duke", etc are ALSO "styles" in this sense (think Etiquette).

Answer 5

I think they are the same. But I consider a Priest as the leader in the Catholic church. The Pastor is the leader in a Christian church (other than Catholic) and a Reverend as a visiting Pastor or teacher/evangelist.

Answer 6

A Pastor would be very non-catholic. A Reverend would be some held in reverence. A Priest would be a priest.

Answer 7

Really the title, some like to be called reverend, a priest is someone set apart unto
God and a pastor is a Shepard of the flock but all are priest if they have Gods Holy spirit in them and many act like servants of God by being priests but have no real heart for God and his children!
http://www.freedomcame.com/glory/

Answer 8

Mostly denomination. Priest is Catholic. Pastor and Reverend are sometimes interchangable (my pastor is also a reverend)

Answer 9

Often times, a Reverend and Pastor are one in the same.

A priest now days is usually thought of as a roman catholic leader.

Preist in the Bible is much different then now days in our culture.

Answer 10

Reverend refers to any individual who is ordained. A priest (or priestess) is an individual who is elevted to that office in their particular congregation. A pastor is one who leads a particular church, and may have associates within the church working along with him.

Answer 11

A priest is usually Catholic, wears a collar and can't be married.
A pastor is a non catholic leader of a congregation.
A Reverend is a pastor with a promotion (or a tenured pastor with more experience).