Presbyters Serving as Pastors in Roman Africa

Abstract Presbyters served as individual pastors for rural congregations or at a regional church in the city of Carthage or another city, such as Sufetula, that had multiple churches and congregations. Twenty such presbyters can be identified by name or location. A presbyter or group of presbyters also might serve as a substitute for a bishop who was travelling, disabled, or between the death of one bishop and consecration of a successor. One such presbyter (Heraclius of Hippo) can be identified as long-term administrator for Augustine. Augustine’s correspondence and the legislation of the African bishops—usually on disciplinary issues—provides most of the information about presbyters serving as pastors. The legislation of the African church restricted the authority of these presbyters to baptize and to perform other actions that changed the status of a member of the congregation: admit penitents to communion apart from emergencies, to consecrate virgins. Although the legislation referred to the presbyter as praepositus, the person placed in charge, presbyteral pastors acted under the supervision of the bishop.