"Pastor" is a role in the Christian church. A pastor's job is to bring insight to difficult situations that people find themselves in, and to bring comfort in times of pain and sorrow. Church ministers can also have the role of preacher (exhorting people to do right, to develop their spiritual nature, and to share in God's mission in the world) and the role of priest (bringing assurance that God forgives our mistakes and praying with people seeking God's grace). I really enjoy being a pastor will have my pastor hat on when I answer your questions.
Pastors are great people to chat with and seek advice from! We have often dealt with many, many people with all kinds of issues, so we have had a chance to formulate ideas and suggestions that can be helpful. Pastors are trained to counsel people in times of crisis (illness and death) and celebration (weddings and baptisms), and our greatest skill is listening. Over time, over so many conversations, pastors become serious listeners. We are good at hearing the deeper issues that are troubling people and pointing them towards solutions. We continually grow in our ability to see the commonalities among all people and the longings of their hearts. We are privileged to witness the spiritual and lifetime journeys of many people and to offer back the wisdom that we ourselves learn along the way.
