Editing Clergy (section)

===Lutheranism===
[[File:LutheranClergy.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|right|Lutheran pastor confirming the youth of his congregation.]]

From a religious standpoint there is only one order of clergy in the Lutheran church, namely the office of [[pastor]]. This is stated in the [[Augsburg Confession]], article 14.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Augsburg Confession|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/275/275-h/275-h.htm#link2H_4_0015|access-date=2022-02-07|website=www.gutenberg.org|archive-date=2021-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205444/https://www.gutenberg.org/files/275/275-h/275-h.htm#link2H_4_0015|url-status=live}}</ref> Some Lutheran churches, like the state churches of Scandinavia, refer to this office as [[priest]].

However, for practical and historical reasons, Lutheran churches tend to have different roles of pastors or priests, and a clear hierarchy. Some pastors are functioning as [[deacon]]s or provosts, others as parish priests and yet some as [[bishop]]s and even [[archbishop]]s. Lutherans have no principal aversion against having a pope as the leading bishop. But the Roman Catholic view of the papacy is considered antichristian.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537): Smalcald Theologians|url=https://www.projectwittenberg.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/concord/web/smc-pope.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=www.projectwittenberg.org|archive-date=2022-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207212812/https://www.projectwittenberg.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/concord/web/smc-pope.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In many European churches where Lutheranism was the [[state religion]], the clergy were also [[civil servants]], and their responsibilities extended well beyond spiritual leadership, encompassing government administration, education, and the implementation of government policies. Government administration was organized around the church's parishes. In rural parishes the parish priest tended to be the foremost government official. In more important parishes or cities a bishop or governor would outrank parish priests.

The [[Book of Concord]], a compendium of doctrine for the [[Lutheran Church]]es allows ordination to be called a sacrament.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Confident.Faith |date=2019-12-10 |title=Art. XIV: Of Ecclesiastical Order {{!}} Book of Concord |url=https://thebookofconcord.org/apology-of-the-augsburg-confession/article-xiv/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=thebookofconcord.org |language=en-US}}</ref>