exhorter

Exhorter is a term that refers to a person who issues exhortations—strong encouragement, urging, or admonition intended to persuade others to adopt a belief, take a course of action, or change behavior. In general English usage, exhorter is relatively rare; the base verb exhort yields the agent noun exhorter to describe someone who exhorts.

Etymologically, exhorter comes from the Latin exhortare, meaning to urge or encourage, formed with the agent suffix -er in English. The word has been attested since earlier periods of English, but in contemporary usage it is seldom encountered outside specific religious or historical contexts.

In Christian contexts, exhorter historically denotes a role or office involving exhortation, rather than formal doctrinal teaching or sacramental duties. An exhorter may be a layperson or a clergy member whose primary function is to deliver exhortations—brief, uplifting sermons or messages designed to call believers to repentance, faith, holiness, perseverance, or renewed spiritual commitment. Exhorters commonly participate in revival meetings, prayer gatherings, or as part of post-sermon exhortation in worship services. The degree of formality and authority attached to the role varies among denominations; in some traditions it represents a distinct ministry, while in others it is an informal description of a speaker’s function.

Beyond religious use, exhorter can denote anyone who urges others to act, improve, or adopt a course of conduct in civic, moral, or practical matters, though this sense is less common today. Related terms include exhortation, preacher, pastor, and evangelist, all connected by the broader idea of urging and edifying others.