There are so many religions that vary from one nation to another. The most popular is the catholic religion as we all know. But there are other religions that have so many denominations under it. One of which is what we know as Protestantism. In the Catholic Church, we always see a Priest delivering a mass. They have their Bishops and most importantly the Pope in which they always pay great respect. However, in a Protestant Church, the counterpart of a priest, bishop, and Pope, is called as a Pastor.

There are classifications of a pastor namely Senior Pastor, Executive Pastor, Chaplain, and Associate Pastor. Let us focus on the last classification which is the Associate Pastor.

What is the role of an Associate Pastor?

An associate pastor has separate duties all to themselves and they can be either full-time or part-time employee. These duties are in the form of conducting staff meetings and recruitment of volunteers for Sunday school teachers. Because churches vary in their size, location, and members, an associate pastor can function as a part-time helper depending on those factors.

What are the duties of an Associate Pastor?

• The duties of an associate pastor largely depend on the size of the church and the individual church. For instance, if a big church has numerous associate pastors, each one of them may need to focus on a specific area or activity, such as Sunday school or outreach programs for youth.
• The chief duties of an associate pastor focus on managing the whole ministry. There is usually a target population where a ministry is being given. Such populations are in the form of groups like the singles, youth, and divorced people. The ministry requires a leader and someone to consolidate related events for the ministry groups and other duties are also being carried out such as setting up events, contacting people, and handling tasks like producing bulletins.
• The associate pastor is the one responsible in preaching and properly explaining God’s Words to the whole congregation where he is assigned to. This should be on top of the list of his priorities as he is working in the church ministry. In addition, he also serves as an assistant to the Senior Pastor in conducting Christian Ceremonies and related events.
• When a Senior Pastor is away or not present during Church activities that is the time when an associate pastor will fill in his duty. Associate pastors can also help fill any duties that the senior pastor is incapable of doing.

What are the qualifications to become an Associate Pastor?

The requirements of becoming an associate pastor are not that strict unlike any other career we know of. Before you can become an associate pastor, you have to be in the seminary first. There are also some associate pastors who have no religious degree at all. So it is really not that necessary to have a degree while working.

If this is really your calling to become an associate pastor, do not refuse it because this job is the most noble of all. You are not serving humanity but you are a servant of God. You will be blessed and your life will also become a channel of blessing to others.