Question: “Should the title of ‘reverend’ be
given to a church leader?”
Answer: Psalm 111:9 (KJV) states, referring to
God, “Reverend is his name.” Some interpret
this as saying the title “reverend” is to be used
of God alone and vehemently oppose any human
church leader being referred to as “reverend.”
The original Hebrew word, though, is not
referring to a title. It is declaring that God’s
name is to be “revered, highly respected.” The
NIV, NAS, NKJV, and ESV all render the Hebrew
word “holy and awesome” instead of the KJV’s
rendering of “reverend.”
Whatever the case, if you are uncomfortable
using the title “reverend” for a church leader, by
all means, use some other title. In most
churches/denominations, the title of “reverend”
is given to a person who has undergone formal
ministry training and has been examined by
those in church leadership. This is commonly
known as “ ordination .” A “reverend” is a person
who has been formally “ordained” into the
ministry. First Timothy 5:17 states, “The elders
who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose
work is preaching and teaching.” A godly man
who exemplifies 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and sets a
godly example in word and deed is worthy of
being “respected.” Whether or not the title of
“reverend” should be used is a matter of
personal conviction and preference.