Preacher - History

History

Preachers are common throughout most cultures. They can take the form of a Christian minister on a Sunday morning, or an Islamic Imam or Da'ee on a Friday afternoon. The point of Christian preaching is to convince the hearer of their need of salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ. (cf Epistle to the Romans 4:25) In the Book of Acts, Saint Paul travels widely to preach 'God's message'.(13:5)

The preaching of sermons is prominent in Protestantism. Lay preachers often figure in these traditions of worship, for example the Methodist local preachers. Among Roman Catholics, the Dominican Order is officially known as the Order of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum in Latin); friars of this order were trained to publicly preach in vernacular languages, and the order was created by Saint Dominic to preach to the Cathars of southern France in the early thirteenth century.

In many churches in the United States, the title "Preacher" is synonymous with "Pastor" or "Minister", and the church's minister is often referred to simply as "our/the preacher" or by name such as "Preacher Smith". Sometimes the minister may even be addressed by using the word, such as "Good morning, Preacher".

However, among some Chinese churches, preacher (Chinese:傳道) is different from pastor (Chinese:牧師). A preacher refers to the younger clergy in the Protestant church who are not officially recognised as a pastor until they can prove their capability of leading the church. A preacher cannot administer sacrament, for example the holy communion and the baptism.