This is what a minister looks like: The expanding Baptist definition of minister

Abstract

In 1956, H. Richard Niebuhr and Daniel D. Williams asserted that to the traditional definition of minister as pastor-preacher must be added teacher, chaplain, missionary, evangelist, counselor, and countless others. What Niebuhr and Williams observed as happening within American churches in general was also true within Baptist churches. Beginning sometime around mid-century, Baptist churches hired staff members to lead and plan their music programs; to work with preschoolers, children, teenagers, college students, and senior adults; and to oversee administration, education, and recreational activities. Around the 1970s, some Baptist churches recognized and publicly identified these staff members as ministers and began ordaining them. Women were among these newly ordained ministers. By the 1980s and 1990s, the number of ordained Baptist women had increased significantly, and the number of recognized ministry positions both inside and outside the church also increased significantly. Women were obviously beneficiaries of the trend of ordaining as ministers those serving in positions other than pastor-preacher, or perhaps women were leading the way and were trendsetters for Baptists. Either way, Baptist women were in the mix in this move toward the broader definition of minister.