What is "minister"

Minister \Min"is*ter\, n. [OE. ministre, F. ministre, fr. L. minister, orig. a double comparative from the root of minor less, and hence meaning, an inferior, a servant. See 1st Minor, and cf. Master, Minstrel.]

1. A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument.

   Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua.
   --Ex. xxiv. 13.

   I chose Camillo for the minister, to poison My friend Polixenes.
   --Shak.

2. An officer of justice. [Obs.]

   I cry out the on the ministres, quod he, That shoulde keep and rule this cit['e].
   --Chaucer.

3. One to whom the sovereign or executive head of a government intrusts the management of affairs of state, or some department of such affairs.

   Ministers to kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they are, must be answerable to God and man.
   --Bacon.

4. A representative of a government, sent to the court, or seat of government, of a foreign nation to transact diplomatic business.

   Note: Ambassadors are classed (in the diplomatic sense) in the first rank of public ministers, ministers plenipotentiary in the second. ``The United States diplomatic service employs two classes of ministers, -- ministers plenipotentiary and ministers resident.''
   --Abbott.

5. One who serves at the altar; one who performs sacerdotal duties; the pastor of a church duly authorized or licensed to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments.
   --Addison.

   Syn: Delegate; official; ambassador; clergyman; parson; priest.

Minister \Min"is*ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ministered; p. pr. & vb. n. Ministering.] [OE. ministren, OF. ministrer, fr. L. ministrare. See Minister, n.] To furnish or apply; to afford; to supply; to administer.

He that ministereth seed to the sower.
--2 Cor. ix. 10.

We minister to God reason to suspect us.
--Jer. Taylor.

Minister \Min"is*ter\, v. i.

1. To act as a servant, attendant, or agent; to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.

   The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.
   --Matt. xx. 28.

2. To supply or to things needful; esp., to supply consolation or remedies; as, to minister to the sick.
   --Matt. xxv. 44.

   Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased?
   --Shak.

early 14c., "to perform religious rites, provide religious services;" mid-14c., "to serve (food or drink);" late 14c. "render service or aid," from Old French menistrer "to serve, be of service, administer, attend, wait on," and directly from Latin ministrare "to serve, attend, wait upon" (see minister (n.)). Related: Ministered; ministering.

c.1300, "one who acts upon the authority of another," from Old French menistre "servant, valet, member of a household staff, administrator, musician, minstrel" (12c.), from Latin minister (genitive ministri) "inferior, servant, priest's assistant" (in Medieval Latin, "priest"), from minus, minor "less," hence "subordinate," (see minus) + comparative suffix *-teros. Formed on model of magister. Meaning "priest" is attested in English from early 14c. Political sense of "high officer of the state" is attested from 1620s, from notion of "service to the crown."

n. 1 A person who is trained to perform religious ceremonies at a Protestant church. 2 A politician who heads a '''ministry''' (national or regional government department for public service). 3 At a diplomacy, the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador. 4 A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To attend to (the needs of); to tend; to take care (of); to give aid; to give service. 2 to function as a clergyman or as the officiant in church worship 3 (context transitive archaic English) To afford, to give, to supply.

1. n. a person authorized to conduct religious worship [syn: curate, parson, pastor, rector]

2. a person appointed to a high office in the government; "Minister of Finance" [syn: government minister]

3. a diplomat representing one government to another; ranks below ambassador [syn: diplomatic minister]

4. the job of a head of a government department

1. v. attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister to my mother all the time"

2. work as a minister; "She is ministering in an old parish"

Minister may refer to:

• Minister (Christianity), a Christian minister
• Minister (diplomacy), the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador
• Minister (government), a politician who heads a ministry (government department)
• Ministerialis, a member of a noble class in the Holy Roman Empire
• Shadow minister, a member of a Shadow Cabinet of the opposition

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. Some ministers are more senior than others, and are usually members of the government's cabinet. In some countries the head of government is designated the " prime minister". A government minister with responsibility for religion, such as the Israeli Minister of Religious Services, may be a layperson or cleric but the title should not be confused with the religious position of " Minister (Christianity)" or the activity of Christian ministry.

In Christianity, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church, or other religious organization, to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community. The term is taken from Latin minister "servant, attendant", which itself was derived from minus "less".

In Catholic churches, the concept of a priesthood is emphasised. In Protestant churches, the title usually refers to a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Presbyter, Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder.

Many ministers would be addressed as " The Reverend", however some use the term Pastor exclusively, and others do not use any specific form of address.

In the Catholic Church the term minister enjoys a variety of usages. It most commonly refers to the person, whether lay or ordained, who is commissioned to perform some act on behalf of the Church. It is not a particular office or rank of clergy, as is the case in some other churches, but minister may be used as a collective term for vocational or professional pastoral leaders including clergy ( bishops, deacons, priests) and non-clergy ( theologians and lay ecclesial ministers). It is also used in reference to the canonical and liturgical administration of sacraments, as part of some offices, and with reference to the exercise of the lay apostolate.

Minister is not used as a form of address (e.g., Minister Jones) in the Catholic Church.

Scripturally, various passages utilize the language of servant (ministri) to indicate those charged with spiritual functions or pastoral care of the community: 1 Corinthians 4:1–2; Hebrews 8:2; Matthew 20:26, etc.

Specific distinction in terminology may be found in various documents, among others: Participation of the Lay Faithful in the Presbyteral Ministry.