Would you pastors object to being called "brother" instead?

The Rogue Tomato

The Rogue Tomato

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But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Why do we call anyone pastor, especially since the title has become synonymous with rabbi + teacher/instructor? 

Instead of "Pastor Bob", shouldn't we be referring to him as "Brother Bob"?  That's actually how the assembly I attend works.  Everyone is "brother" or "sister" regardless of their roles. 

 
My church back home pastor was "Brother Ray" until the day he died.  His wife has always been "Sister Norma".  Partially no doubt because of the local and customs.  Nothing wrong with it.

What I don't like is calling the pastor "Bob".  I've never been able to address any pastors wife as anything other than "Mrs. so and so".
 
IFB X-Files said:
My church back home pastor was "Brother Ray" until the day he died.  His wife has always been "Sister Norma".  Partially no doubt because of the local and customs.  Nothing wrong with it.

What I don't like is calling the pastor "Bob".  I've never been able to address any pastors wife as anything other than "Mrs. so and so".
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I'm glad to hear that, but I'd like to hear from some of the pastors on here. 
 
I call them Jon, Phil, Russ, Don, Phil, Bill, Mike, Randy ...

BTW two of them are doctors, two are "reverends" and I don't call them doctor or reverend either.
 
I am in the deepest South... everybody is "brother" down here.
 
FSSL said:
I am in the deepest South... everybody is "brother" down here.
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You're dodging the question.  Does your congregation call you pastor or brother?  Are you listed in the church pamphlet/bulletin as pastor or brother?  If the answer is "pastor", would you object to changing all references to "pastor" to "brother" in order to conform to what Jesus said? 

 
We're all pretty close; most of us our congregation are in a first name basis with the elders. They don't demand we address them as "pastor" or "brother". Then again my old IFB, pastor demanded, yes he demanded, we call him pastor. Because he "wouldn't dare address his pastor as Rod."
 
The Rogue Tomato said:
FSSL said:
I am in the deepest South... everybody is "brother" down here.
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You're dodging the question.  Does your congregation call you pastor or brother?  Are you listed in the church pamphlet/bulletin as pastor or brother?  If the answer is "pastor", would you object to changing all references to "pastor" to "brother" in order to conform to what Jesus said?
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They call him "brother" "Lloyd." I call him "pastor" or "Lloyd."

When he calls me "reverend," I call him "doc."
 
FSSL said:
The Rogue Tomato said:
FSSL said:
I am in the deepest South... everybody is "brother" down here.
Click to expand...

You're dodging the question.  Does your congregation call you pastor or brother?  Are you listed in the church pamphlet/bulletin as pastor or brother?  If the answer is "pastor", would you object to changing all references to "pastor" to "brother" in order to conform to what Jesus said?
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They call him "brother" "Lloyd." I call him "pastor" or "Lloyd."

When he calls me "reverend," I call him "doc."
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Answer the question.  Are you a pastor?  If so, would you object to instructing people to call you "brother" instead, and having all references to "pastor" changed to "brother"? 
 
When in Michigan, no one, in my circle called each other "brother." It is a Southern greeting.
We used names, even of the pastor.

IFB churches with Midwestern and Hyles connections used the southern "brother." Hyles came from the South.

Typically, we used pastor when describing who the leader of the assembly. We used his name or title. Same down here.
 
In all my interactions with churches in the last 35 years I have only ever heard one objection regarding this subject and it was from the wife not the man. Someone referred to him as Pastor Joe and she felt that was too informal. Of course that was 25 years ago and a different generation/culture.

FTR it should be obvious to most that Butt Face would be inappropriate.
 
Most of our members refer to him as Pastor Jon in the third person (we have a lot of Jons/Johns) but call him Jon in person.
 
FSSL said:
When in Michigan, no one, in my circle called each other "brother." It is a Southern greeting.
We used names, even of the pastor.

IFB churches with Midwestern and Hyles connections used the southern "brother." Hyles came from the South.

Typically, we used pastor when describing who the leader of the assembly. We used his name or title. Same down here.
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"Brother" isn't "southern"..... I'd thought you might have read it before somewhere...... but maybe you're missing the obvious. IT has nothing to do with Hyles or the South. Geesh.....

Of all the things blamed on the south....
 
praise_yeshua said:
"Brother" isn't "southern"..... I'd thought you might have read it before somewhere...... but maybe you're missing the obvious. IT has nothing to do with Hyles or the South. Geesh.....

Of all the things blamed on the south....
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I never heard it up north, unless I am around the Midwestern/Hyles group.
 
FSSL said:
praise_yeshua said:
"Brother" isn't "southern"..... I'd thought you might have read it before somewhere...... but maybe you're missing the obvious. IT has nothing to do with Hyles or the South. Geesh.....

Of all the things blamed on the south....
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I never heard it up north, unless I am around the Midwestern/Hyles group.
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Yup. Nearly 54 years on this ball of dirt and have never found it to be commonly heard in Michigan. I know a few people who use the term but it is certainly not the norm. But when my daughter went to Arkansas for school all of the men (staff and students) were called brother whatever. Not what she was used to to say the least.

BTW why would it be an issue to point out? We don't say y'all here either but we don't give the south credit for contractions by saying y'all is a southern linguistic/cultural phrase.
 
So far, all I see is "this is what we do."  Someone please answer the QUESTION.

Are you a pastor?  If so, would you object to instructing people to call you "brother" instead of "pastor", and would you object to having all references to "pastor" changed to "brother" (such as in bulletins, etc.)?

It's obvious why nobody wants to answer this question, but I was hoping at least one pastor would man up. 

 
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