Daily AncestorMinister
A minister was a clergyman, especially of a Protestant church, who preached, led worship, performed weddings and funerals and cared for a congregation.
The word comes from Latin for servant or attendant. In American records it usually means a Protestant clergyman trained to preach, lead services, perform baptisms, weddings and funerals, and give pastoral care. Ministers are often styled Reverend.
A minister's name is useful beyond the census entry: churches kept registers of the baptisms, marriages and burials he performed, and he signed marriage returns as the officiant.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1880 census
Rev. Jas. Calhoun, 46, Minister of the Gospel
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Minister." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/minister. Last checked 2026-10-10.