Associate Ministers

What Are the Duties of an Assistant Minister?

The primary function of an assistant, or associate, minister is to help the head pastor lead the church. Depending on the church, he may have regular tasks assigned to him, or the assistant minister may serve in whatever position he is needed to fill within the church.

The assistant minister serves as a second preacher for the church, offering services when the head minister is out of town on business or on vacation and filling in as a pastor for other churches in the denominational association.

The assistant minister may have the responsibility of contacting church members outside the church setting, including visiting church members while they are in the hospital and providing follow-up care for those who are grieving. In an outreach role, the associate pastor makes new church members feel welcome and supervises teams of outreach personnel as they visit with prospective members. If he has the proper training, the assistant minister may also provide counseling services to church members.