Ordained Pastors in the Bible? The Answer Might Surprise You.

Pastor was a gift, not a job title.

There Are No Female Ordained Pastors in the Bible.

It’s true, not a single one.

But guess what?
There are no male ordained pastors in the Bible either... When it comes to Pastors The Bible is a desert.

This surprises a lot of Christians, especially those raised in traditions where pastoral ordination is treated as biblical bedrock. Almost as the gospel itself. But the reality is, the Bible doesn’t mention anyone being formally ordained as a “pastor.” That framework, where someone is officially installed into the office of pastor through ceremony and institutional approval, developed much later in church history.

The Greek word poimēn—commonly translated as "pastor" or "shepherd"—appears several times in the New Testament, primarily in the literal sense of tending sheep. For instance, in Luke 2:20, “The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

However, in Ephesians 4:11, poimēn is used in a more specialized context, included in a list of roles given “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (v.12). This is the only instance IN THE WHOLE BIBLE where poimēn is explicitly used to describe a spiritual gift or leadership function within the church. Some argue that Paul’s references to elders (presbyteroi) or overseers (episkopoi) better represent the role we now associate with modern-day pastors. This reveals the complexity of biblical language and ecclesiology—words carried different meanings in different contexts, and translating them into contemporary roles requires careful interpretation. What we can say with certainty is that poimēn denotes shepherding, and in Ephesians, it appears once as part of a list of ministry gifts. There’s no detailed job description, no qualifications outlined, and certainly no formal ordination process attached to it. Pastor was a gifting.

Some may point to elders (presbyteroi) or overseers (episkopoi) in the New Testament as the functional equivalent of what we now call pastors. And they’re right to a degree—those roles involved care, teaching, and guidance. But even then, the early church’s leadership structure was far more organic than our modern systems. While there were moments of commissioning and laying on of hands (Acts 13:3, Titus 1:5), this wasn’t “ordination” as we know it today. It was more about affirming someone’s Spirit-empowered calling than installing them into a formal office with career status.

So how did leadership work in the early church if there weren’t any pastors?

Leadership was dynamic and Spirit-led. Individuals—both women and men—were recognized based on calling, gifting, and maturity of character, not institutional status. Some taught. Some prophesied. Some organized house churches. Some led prayer gatherings. Some were apostles, deacons, evangelists, or patrons. The earliest communities were fluid in structure and function, and roles emerged organically from within the life of the church. Women like Phoebe (Romans 16:1), Junia (Romans 16:7), and various female patrons and prophets played vital roles.

Importantly, there was no "clergy–laity divide" (a chasm between the elite church leaders and the regular folk) like we often see today. There was no sense of climbing a spiritual career ladder to become a professional minister. Leadership was relational, participatory, and deeply communal.

As the church expanded into the Greco-Roman world, things began to change. By the second and third centuries, especially as Christianity gained social legitimacy and formal structures, the Eucharist (Communion) became a central focus of Christian worship. Over time, only select individuals were permitted to preside over it. This is when ordination, as a formal rite of setting someone apart for ecclesial authority, began to emerge.

Interestingly, historical records—including inscriptions, letters, and liturgical texts—indicate that women were part of these early leadership structures. Some Christian communities even referred to women as deacons, elders, and possibly bishops (like Theodora Episcopa). However, as the institutional church became more aligned with Roman administrative models, leadership roles increasingly became restricted to men, and women’s participation was slowly marginalized.

Some may say Peter was ordained by God ( Jesus), making the only ordained person in scripture a man. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17)? And yes, in that moment, Peter is clearly commissioned. But notice what’s absent: there’s no ritual, no title bestowed, no office created. Jesus doesn’t call him “Pastor Peter.” Instead, He entrusts Peter with the responsibility of shepherding, not a formal role. That moment was deeply relational, restorative, and symbolic—not institutional. If anything, it shows us that true spiritual authority is grounded in love, humility, and obedience—not in ceremony or hierarchy. So if Peter was “ordained,” it was through intimate commissioning, not institutional positioning—and that’s a model Jesus never reserved for men alone.

Did you pay attention during High School history? I always wish I focused more on the Reformation period because now I am fascinated by it! During the 16th century, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin rejected the Catholic hierarchy of priests and bishops but still believed the church needed spiritual leaders. They turned to the biblical image of a shepherd and began using the term pastor more formally to describe someone who taught Scripture and cared for the congregation. Over time, pastor became an official title and ordination became the way to authorize that role. But even then, it was never meant to be a rigid job description…it was a calling rooted in service, not status.

So, when someone asks, “Why aren’t there ordained women pastors in the Bible?”
The correct answer is: The Bible has zero ordained pastors, male or female.

We are still left to ponder questions like: How should Church leadership be structured and chosen? Where is the line between career and ordination? Does ordination really need to be as complicated as we make it today? How do we differentiate between biblical church leadership and modern church leadership?

All questions with very nuanced answers that really lay in the hands of your Christian Tradition.

What we see in the Bible is a vision of leadership rooted not in hierarchy, but in service. Not in titles, but in testimony. Not in formal credentials, but in Spirit-empowered faithfulness.

And perhaps, in an age still so caught up in status, hiearchy and control, we would do well to revisit the model found in the early Christian church.

This truly isn’t an article meant to say Pastors should or should not be but to reassess how we approach pastoral leadership. And most importantly how we submit to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thanks so much for reading! If this challenged or encouraged you, would you forward it to a friend or share it on social media? Let’s keep the conversation going.

I have had the absolute honor of being able to study Biblical Greek with Biblingo which is what helped me create this article. You can use code: SCARLETT10 for a discount when you sign up!