What are careers in ministry?

Pastor, chaplain, and missionary are careers in ministry. Here are some details about each of these careers and others in ministry:

• Pastor

A pastor is an officially ordained church leader that serves a particular Christian faith. They are often in charge of leading church services that involve worship. They may help individual church members with personal issues, especially ones that relate to spiritual growth.

Pastors utilize the Bible in church services and often read excerpts to a congregation and then also relay their own interpretation of the text. They may also be present and lead religious services, like marriages and baptisms.

Pastors are also often involved in the church's budgetary matters when appointed.

The average salary of a pastor in the United States is $42,586 per year.

• Chaplain

Chaplains are ordained ministers who give religious instruction in the Christian faith. They may do this in the church setting or outside of the church setting at public events or by making visits to individual church members.

Chaplains may give sermons, lead weddings, and officiate other religious functions. In addition to churches, chaplains may work in a wide variety of settings, such as military barracks, nursing homes, schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities.

In all of these environments, they seek to provide people with spiritual guidance to assist them in overcoming many different types of personal challenges.

The average salary of a chaplain in the United States is $49,959 per year.

• Missionary

A missionary is a religious person who goes on an official religious quest to teach the doctrines of a Christian faith to people from all over the country and world. Missionaries work in many different denominations of Christianity.

They are also known to provide charitable services, like helping a population of people in an impoverished region of the world obtains food, clean water, and clothing.

While helping in these communities, they may educate the members of the community, adults and children, on religious matters. They attempt to show these people the benefits of spiritual growth and faith they can have in their lives.

• Youth counselor

Youth counselors are mental health professionals who help children and teenagers with emotional, mental, behavioral, and spiritual challenges. They often work with or at churches or other religious facilities.

Youth counselors may specialize in certain kinds of behavioral or mental issues in youths. They also might incorporate prayer into their clients' treatment plans.

The average salary of a youth counselor in the United States is $33,283 per year.

• Social media manager

Churches and religious organizations often employ social media managers and marketers to assist in community outreach. Social media managers may oversee all platforms a church is on and curate their postings. They may do this to inform the public about church-related events and to help churches gain more members.

Postings may include photos, videos, blogs, and links to religious articles. Churches will also hire social media managers so they can minister to online communities by sharing sermons and daily prayers and providing updates about church offerings.

The average salary of a social media manager in the United States is $46,239 per year.