This is a good question.  Let’s spend a couple of minutes defining ‘minister’ and ‘preacher’ from the Bible.  The real meaning of the word minister is to be a servant.  We can see that clearly in the first time the word ‘minister’ is used in the Bible.  Exodus 24:12-13, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them. And Moses rose up, and HIS MINISTER JOSHUA: and Moses went up into the mount of God.”  Moses was older, he was the deliverer of the Israelites, and he was the leader of these people.  Joshua, a much younger man was his ‘minister’ or his servant.  As a servant, he would work to meet the needs of his master.  Today, we often think of a minister as one who is a ruler and is the head of a local church, quite often called ‘his’ church.  That could not be any farther from the truth.  Ephesians 5:23 says, “…Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”  As far as being the one who leads, in scripture any type of headship over an assembly or church group is given to the elders of that group.  The word elders is always used in the plural when speaking to the church.  It is the group of experienced, godly men who lead the assembly.

Let’s consider the action of the Apostle Paul.  In Acts 20:17 we read, “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.”  Paul called the elders together and exhorted them, realizing he would not see them again.  So, it’s to the elders that Paul says in Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”  The elders of a local group are the ones who operate as overseers.  There is so much that could be said about elders, but I will only have us look at one more portion.  1 Peter 5:1-3 says, “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.”  This is the proper order for the local church.  The qualifications of an elder are very strict.  I encourage you to read them in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and in Titus 1:5-9.

Now, let’s see what the scriptures say about preachers.  The first time we see this word is in Ecclesiastes 1:1, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.”  The writer of Ecclesiastes is Solomon.  The word ‘preacher’ simply means ‘proclaimer.’  It refers to someone who tells someone else about the things of the Lord.  It is as simple as that.

I often say that we all preach something.  We preach, or proclaim, with our words (or even lack of words), we preach by how we treat others, we preach by all our actions.  Every Christian is ALWAYS preaching.  For another example let’s look at 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”  Here, the Apostle Paul is teaching the Corinthian believers about the Lord’s Supper.  In this verse, we have the word ‘shew’.  This word is very often translated ‘preach.’  By partaking of the Lord’s Supper as He has asked us to do, we are preaching to the world that we know the Lord Jesus Christ died for us.  Are you a preacher?  Indeed, you are!  Make sure what you preach is that which honors the Lord.

Romans 10:13-15, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”  Who is sent to be a preacher of the Gospel?  IF YOU ARE SAVED, YOU ARE SENT.  2 Timothy 4:5 tells us all to, “do the work of an evangelist.” An evangelist is a preacher of the Gospel.  Can you see that?  The Lord has sent all believers to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ.  So…are all ministers preachers?  Absolutely yes.  But, I hope you also see that we are ALL ministers (servants) and we are ALL preachers (proclaimers)!  (207.8)