Can anyone become a pastor?

No, not anyone can become a pastor. The difficulty of becoming a pastor can vary depending on the denomination and individual church. Some churches may require a seminary degree, while others may only require a certain level of education or pastoral experience, as well as age requirements.

What degree do you need to be a pastor?

You need a bachelor's degree in religious studies to be a pastor. Bachelor's degrees in theology or religious education are also acceptable. If you want to become a lead pastor you should also seek to obtain your master's degree in religious studies, theology, or religious education.

How To Become A Pastor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a pastor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Christopher Foster

A pastor leads a congregation of people and is responsible for their spiritual nourishment. They are responsible for assisting in church financial matters and overseeing the management of all areas of a congregation's ministry. They support, oversee and evaluate congregation staff by holding regular meetings to coordinate ministries.

Further duties include ensuring church facilities are functioning, leading religious worship services, providing counseling to parish members, including comforting them when they are distressed, visiting those who are sick, or offering advice on important decisions, performing religious ceremonies such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals, organizing and directing charitable efforts and fostering a sense of community, and composing and delivering sermons.

A pastor should have a strong character with impartiality and compassion for the concerns and struggles of others. He/She should have public speaking skills and the ability to communicate clearly. They earn an average of $44,708 per year. Most denominations require a pastor to complete higher education, such as earning a bachelor's degree in theology or religious studies. Some go through the seminary, theological college, or divinity school.

What general advice would you give to a Pastor?

Dr. Christopher Foster

Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, Graduate School of Theology and, Oral Roberts University

Find a local church where you can serve and begin to apply the things you have learned-even if you are not employed there. Many churches hire from within to ensure staff fit the culture and ethos of the community. Remember your agility skills - creativity and innovation will be a requirement. Be comfortable working in an unknown and do not be afraid to innovate. Run with new ideas or test new approaches in this constantly changing environment.
Work is not your life! Focus on who you are called to be (being) and not what you are invited to do (doing).

ScorePastorUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $44,787

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 6.60%

Black or African American 11.72%

Hispanic or Latino 8.97%

Unknown 4.00%

White 68.28%

Gender

female 12.93%

male 87.07%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress Level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a pastor

Explore pastor education requirements

Most common pastor degrees

Bachelor's

50.7 %

Master's

30.6 %

Associate

7.8 %

Start to develop specific pastor skills

Skills	Percentages
Community Outreach	21.93%
Overseer	6.87%
Bible Study	6.67%
Public Speaking	5.86%
GOD	5.65%

Complete relevant pastor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pastors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pastor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pastor resumes.

Research pastor duties and responsibilities

Manage and provide oversight for the administration of all ministry areas within the organization.
Provide formal and informal leadership training and forums for frequent communication, encouragement and evaluation.
Coordinate visitation program, VBS, and youth programs.
Develop children's ministry including writing of curriculum for Sunday school and VBS.

Prepare your pastor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pastor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a pastor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Pastor Resume templates

Build a professional Pastor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Pastor resume.

Apply for pastor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a pastor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do pastors rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Pastor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2021

Pros

Educating unbelievers, Soul winning and people communicating directly to God through Jesus Christ

Cons

Castigation, arguement and condemnation