PASTORAL MINISTRY AND BIBLICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A CHURCH MINISTER: EXEGETICAL, PATRISTIC, AND PRACTICAL ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37406/3041-1378/2025-5-8Keywords:
pastoral ministry, pastor, church leadership, biblical requirements, ecclesiology, ministerial character, patristics, Basil the Great, Cyprian of Carthage, PentecostalismAbstract
The article presents a theological-exegetical, patristic, and practical analysis of pastoral ministry in light of the biblical requirements for a church minister. The relevance of the study is determined by the contemporary crisis of spiritual leadership, manifested in the secularization of pastoral identity, the reduction of ministry to managerial or motivational functions, and the loss of ecclesiological depth in the understanding of pastoral calling.A distinct section is devoted to the patristic understanding of pastoral ministry in the works of Basil the Great, Cyprian of Carthage, and John Chrysostom, where pastoring is interpreted as a spiritual ascetic endeavor, a ministry of moral authority, and a form of responsible obedience within the unity of the Church. The study highlights the relevance of patristic theology for the contemporary Pentecostal context, especially in discerning between spiritual gifting and spiritual maturity, charisma and character.The article concludes that a return to a biblical-patristic understanding of pastoral ministry constitutes a vital prerequisite for ecclesial integrity, spiritual stability, and the renewal of church communities in the context of modern theological and cultural challenges.
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