noun
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the office or term of office of a pastor
-
a body of pastors; pastors collectively
Etymology
Origin of pastorate
1785–95; < Medieval Latin pāstōrātus, equivalent to Latin pāstōr-, stem of pāstor ( pastor ) + -ātus -ate 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He increased the Zion Baptist Church membership from 250 to 3,500 during his pastorate, friends said in a death announcement.
From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2022
He was drawn to scratchy radio broadcasts by King, then a young minister in his first pastorate in Montgomery, and later the leader of the yearlong bus boycott that followed Parks’ arrest.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 18, 2020
That pastorate started and ended much like his time at Eagle Brook - he doubted himself at the beginning, put his head down, worked hard, prayed hard and saw membership increase drastically.
From Washington Times • Feb. 8, 2020
When he began his pastorate at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, a block from Alabama’s capitol, a sophisticated note crept in.
From Economist • Mar. 28, 2018
From his own assistant pastorate, Karel wrote that he would be there and looked forward to seeing us all again.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.