Under the heading of "the priesthood of all believers," theologians note that each follower of Jesus has an equal status, but not an identical calling, before God. While the fellow up front in the pulpit has been called by the congregation to preach, teach, and administer sacraments, every other person in the pews could have been so called.
This can be made clearer by examining the words we use - words which sometimes seem to create distinctions and classes among believers, but which were intended to reflect tasks which God might occasionally assign to any believer. Consider these words:
A priest is one who stands as an intermediary between man and God. A priest represents God to man and man to God. Although the term has taken on complex meanings from the ancient Hebrews to the modern Roman Catholics, in its simplest sense, if you are praying for someone, then intercession is a priestly function, and you are at that moment a priest. Likewise, if you assure someone of God's love, that is likewise representing God to man, and you are executing a priestly function.
A minister is someone who serves. In any context, if you are helping another person, you are ministering, and you are a minister.
A pastor is a shepherd. To the extent that you care for others, take care of others, whether in the sense of provision or in the sense of leadership, you are a pastor, carrying out pastoral ministry.
A preacher is one who proclaims. To make a statement about God is to preach.
An evangelist is a messenger, specifically, a messenger who brings good news. Any word of love or forgiveness you speak is an evangelical word.
A disciple is one who is training or trained; one who is being trained or who has been trained. A disciple is a pupil, one who studies and learns, and is subject to discipline.
A prophet is a spokesperson for God. Anyone who explains God's intent or meaning to another is a spokesman or spokeswoman for God, and is prophesying.
An ordained person is one who has been appointed or officially designated for a purpose. While this word is normally reserved for clergy, there are times at which God ordains an individual to carry out a specific task, whether proclaiming doctrine or changing a flat tire, and there are times at which the church appoints or designated a person for a specific task, perhaps ushering or organizing sheet music.
As we look at these words closely, we note that their semantic fields overlap, despite the fact that the prophets and the priests, categorically, were often in conflict. This is not surprising, from a God who will "unite all things" and who sees all of His people as a royal priesthood. If you are a follower of Jesus, you may not normally think of yourself as a priest or as a pastor, as ordained or as prophetic, but at any moment, for perhaps a brief time, God may appoint you to be all of these and more.
