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In Christian churches, a minister is a man who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community. The minister may serve a congregation or participate in a role in a parachurch ministry. A person ministering to a particular congregation or religious group is generally designated as a Pastor. Ministers performing in other roles may be referred to as a preacher, chaplain, deacon, elder, or bishop. An increasing number of charismatic Christians recognize the offices of the five-fold ministry, which they consider a revival of original Christian practice.
In Protestant churches, "minister" generally refers to a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation as its pastor. A minister may also participate in a leadership role in a parachurch or allied ministry such as a street ministry, reaching out to those in the community who do not attend or regularly participate in church services or activities. Such a person may also be referred to as a Preacher, Chaplain or Elder (although in some cases, an elder may be a layperson, not fully-ordained as a minister). A minister may also be designated a Bishop, but this is usually a hierarchical designation, for management or coordination of the church organization.
Professional ministers in many religious affiliations are seen as set apart from the community to which they minister through ordination. They may be provided a stipend, a wage or a salary.
All denominations make some claim to finding their model of leadership (or church governance) in the New Testament. However the variety of relationships is large, ranging from the view of a minister as one of the people, to that of the minister as a priest or church leader, set apart with special qualifications or authority.
Ecclesiology is the area of theology that relates to church structures and ministry.

Issues
Ministers may, by themselves or with others:

research and study religion, Scripture and theology
plan and conduct services of public worship
preach
preside over sacraments of the church. Such as:
The Lord's Supper also known as Holy Communion, and the Baptism of adults
Conduct marriage ceremonies, funerals and memorial services, anointing the sick or dying, participate in the ordination of other clergy, and confirming young people as members of the Church.
provide leadership to the congregation, parish or church community, this may be done as part of a team with lay people in roles such as elders
build a community of faith
work on developing relationships and networks within the religious community
supervise prayer and discussion groups, retreats and seminars, and provide religious instruction
assist in co-ordinating volunteers and church community groups
train leaders for church, community and youth leadership.
provide pastoral care
provide personal support to people in crises, such as illness, bereavement and family breakdown
visit the sick and elderly.
engage in welfare and community services activities of communities
refer people to community support services, psychologists or doctors
pray and promote spirituality
keep records as required by civil or church law
teach on spiritual and theological subjects
prophesy according to the function of the Holy Spirit
establish new churches Roles
Depending on the denomination the requirements for ministry vary. All denominations require that the minister has a sense of calling. As regards to training, denominations vary from those that emphasise gifts and abilities and place little emphasis on book learning to those that require advanced tertiary education qualifications for example from a seminary, theological college or university.

Training and qualifications
There are a range of references to leadership in the New Testament.
One of the clearest references is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-16, which outlines the requirements of a minister or bishop (Episcopay Επισκωπη [Greek], interpreted as elder by some denominations):
(1) This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. (2) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (3) Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; (4) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (5) (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) (6) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (7) Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (8) Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; (9) Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. (10) And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. (11) Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. (12) Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. (13) For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. (14) These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: (15) But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Related titles
The Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican/Episcopal churches refer to their ordained clergy as deacons, priests, and bishops.
The term rector (from the Latin word for ruler) or vicar may be used for priests in certain settings, especially in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Episcopal traditions.
A parish which is responsible for its own finances is overseen by a Rector. A Bishop is nominally in control of a financially-assisted parish but delegates authority to a Vicar (related to the prefix "vice-" meaning substitute/deputy).
In the Catholic tradition, the Pope is given the title Vicar of Christ.

Priests/Vicars

Main article: Pastor Pastor
The English word clergy derives from the same root as clerk and can be traced to the Latin clericus which derives from the Greek word kleros meaning a "lot" or "portion" or "office". The term Clerk in Holy Orders is still the technical title for certain Christian clergy, and its usage is prevalent in ecclesiastical and Canon Law. Holy Orders refer to any recipient of the Sacrament of Ordination, both the Major Orders (bishops, priests and deacons) and the now less known Minor Orders (Acolyte, Lector, Exorcist and Porter) who, save for certain reforms made at the Second Vatican Council in the Roman Catholic Church, were called clerics or Clerk, which is simply a shorter form of Cleric. Clerics were distinguished from laymen by having received, in a formal rite of introduction into the clerical state, the tonsure or corona (crown) which involved cutting hair from the top and side of the head leaving a circlet of hair which symbolised the Crown of Thorns worn by Christ at His crucifixion.
Though Christian in origin, the term can be applied by analogy to functions in other religious traditions. For example, a rabbi can be referred to as a clergyman.
Parson is a similar term often applied to ordained priests or ministers. The word is a variant on the English word person from the Latin persona used as a legal term for one having jurisdiction.

Clergyman

Dominie is a specific Scottish word, equivalent to the Dutch Dominee, both from the Latin domine (vocative case of Dominus 'Lord, Master'), only used for Protestant clergy or for schoolmasters.
However in various Romanesque languages, shortened forms of Dominus (Dom, Don) are commonly used for Catholic priests (sometimes also for lay notables as well). Benedictine Monks are titled Dom, as in the style Dom Francis Brown. Dominie, Dom, Don
Chaplain as in English and/or Almoner (preferred in many other languages) or their equivalents refer to a Minister who has another type of pastoral 'target group' than a territorial parish congregation (or in addition to one), such as a military unit, school population, patients, etc.
The Spanish Padre ('father') is informally used to address them, also in English.

Elder
In the majority of churches ordained ministers are titled Reverend, however as above some use the term pastor and others do not use any specific form of address, in which case it would be Mr, Ms, Miss or Mrs as the case may be.

Forms of address
In Anglican Churches the form address depends on the office the person holds:

A priest is referred to as Reverend (as in the Reverend Mr Smith, or the Reverend John Brown, but not as Reverend Smith) or in High Church or Anglo-Catholic circles as Father; female priests often go by the title Mother or Pastor.
Bishops and archbishops are addressed as Your Grace or My Lord. Roman Catholic Church
An Orthodox Church metropolitan or patriarch is addressed as Your Beatitude.