What Are the Duties of Ordained Ministers?

The main duty of a minister is to deliver sermons to the congregation on a weekly basis. Through the sermons, pastors teach, encourage, exhort and admonish in order to edify the believers personally and the church corporately.

Ministers often are counselors to the hurting and mourning members of the church. They offer comfort in times of stress or crises or act as long-term counselors to resolve issues. This counseling duty involves the same level of confidentiality that licensed psychologists or therapists share with their patients.

An ordained minister can perform specific ceremonies for their church members or others who seek such services. These include weddings, funerals, and the administration of communion which cannot be performed by lay persons like the Deacons or Elders of the church.

An ordained minister is a teacher of scripture and church beliefs. This teaching is done through the sermons that are preached and Bible study classes that are held on a periodic basis. Teaching certification is not a necessity. It is an implicit duty as part of being the pastor.

An ordained minister is the leader of the congregation. She leads worship services and coordinates with other staff to ensure the smooth flow of the services each week. The pastor is also the moderator during church business meetings and acts as an intercessor to resolve conflicts that may arise among the members.