Honoring Our Pastors: A Call to Show Our Appreciation

The second Sunday of October is a significant day in the life and ministry of the church. It is Pastor Appreciation Sunday, an opportunity to express heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to our pastors and their families.

The Apostle Paul encouraged the church to “acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work” (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13). In a similar way, Paul wrote that “the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17).

The Biblical Role of a Pastor

A pastor’s role is both about being and doing. I think the following acrostic helps underscore the biblical importance of the pastor and the great need for these God given and called spiritual leaders:

P - Preacher: Called to  Exalt the Savior.

Preaching is about lifting Jesus, so that people admire and adore Him, focusing on His person and work to draw others to faith in Him. 

A - Administrator: Tasked to  Establish the Structure.

As Paul instructed Titus, faithful pastors put in order what remains unfinished so the church can fulfill its mission.

S - Shepherd: Called to  Encourage the Sheep.

A shepherd feeds, leads, guards, and guides those entrusted to his care.

T - Teacher: Charged to  Equip the Saints.

According to Ephesians 4, pastors and teachers prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.

O - Overseer: Appointed to  Examine the Spirits.

Paul warned Timothy of deceiving spirits, and John reminded believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God.

R - Restorer: Commissioned to Extend the Staff. Like the shepherd in Luke 15, pastors are agents commissioned to extend God’s redemption story, seeking out the lost and going into the night to rescue and restore those who have wandered.

I’m grateful for the pastors who taught me as a young believer, the pastors who’ve led the churches we attended over the years, and all the pastors I’ve been blessed to work with over the years. I’m also profoundly grateful for the privilege of serving as a pastor. I want to echo the reasons Chuck Lawless gives for why we should most appreciate pastors today:

1. They’re following an incredible calling to care for the souls of people (Heb 13:17). There’s a weightiness to that calling that’s hard to describe—and most pastors I know fulfill that calling with faithfulness and joy.

2. Their work is never fully done. Even when they go home at night, they’re still on call at some level. Crises seldom happen according to our schedules.

3. They shoulder burdens few people know. In fact, they sometimes must carry them alone, and they often weep more over the sin of congregation members than those members do over their own sin.

4. They do much of their work “behind the scenes.” We see them publicly when they preach, but that assignment isn’t the bulk of their work. Many are the hours they spend preparing sermons, visiting the sick, evangelizing the lost, counseling the hurting, and raising up leaders.

5. They work hard at balancing their personal and family time with congregational time. Not all pastors find this balance well—and their family often pays a price—but most pastors I know strive to do this task with diligence.

6. They bear the responsibility of preaching the Word. That work requires seeking God’s face, exegeting and interpreting the Word, crafting a sermon, and delivering it. No pastor wants to misinterpret or mis-teach the Word; thus, their burden is great.

7. They must deal with critique and criticism. Sometimes it’s warranted, but often it’s not. Many pastors could write a book on the surprising, odd, and often nitpicky criticisms they’ve received. Yet, most pastors I know hear them with grace.

8. They share all of life with their parishioners. Not even a family physician shares all of life – birth, conversion, baptism, graduation, marriage, parenthood, death, and every major struggle and celebration between birth and death. Only pastors have that privilege, and I greatly appreciate their investment in our lives.

How Can We Encourage Our Pastors?

As we celebrate our pastors, think about a few simple yet meaningful ways to support them:

• Pray faithfully  for your pastor and family, knowing they are often the target of spiritual attack.

• Examine your expectations. Pastors cannot be everywhere or do everything. Extend grace and understanding.

• Find your place in ministry.  A church with equipped leaders becomes a force to work with rather than a field to work in.

• Live as a growing Christian.  Nothing encourages a pastor more than seeing the people under his care live with godly character and consistency.

Pastor Appreciation Day is set apart to give honor to those who serve the Lord and His people in this sacred role. Yet beyond this special day, every day is a good day to encourage, support, and appreciate your pastor.