Do you know the value of a word “rightly spoken”? According to Proverbs 25:11, it is worth more than “apples of gold in settings of silver.” Perhaps that is why the idea of a time set aside for pastor appreciation has been so quickly embraced by many Christian groups including Alabama Baptists.
Pastor Appreciation Day provides a structured opportunity for individuals and congregations to share words “rightly spoken.” It is a time to encourage the pastor and other ministry staff members as well as affirm their various ministries. And, in case you missed it, pastors need the uplifting affirmation that comes from words “rightly spoken.”
In mid-2012 a Gallup survey found that confidence in organized religion had shrunk to a modern-day low. Only 44 percent of Americans expressed confidence in organized religion. Forty years ago (1973) the church was the most trusted institution in the nation, according to Gallup.
Later in 2012 another Gallup study found that only 52 percent of Americans deemed clergymen to be highly honest. Again ministers had declined from being the most trusted vocation in the nation to being eighth on the list.
Against these findings, it is not surprising to read the words of one Baptist minister who wrote, “We are in a high-demand, low-stroke profession in a culture that does not value our product or our work. We labor among people with unrealistic expectations and deep inside we expect far more from ourselves and the church.”
There is no denying that some ministers have damaged the credibility of their fellow servants of God but there remains an army of committed pastors and other ministers who listen to God and lead their churches to follow Him. The great majority of those serving Alabama Baptist churches are faithful and committed servants of God and of His church.
Words “rightly spoken” on Pastor Appreciation Day can be like a healing tonic to these servants of God. They can sooth disappointments. They can repair confidence in one’s ministry skills. They can compensate for pain carelessly inflicted. They can restore a sense of calling.
After all, ministry is always done in community and it is the community that either affirms or rejects the work of its ministers. Pastor Appreciation Day is a way for the church to reaffirm the calling of God on the lives of its ministers.
One pastor wrote how deeply he was impacted by a church that gave him a plaque on Pastor Appreciation Day signed by all of the church’s active resident families pledging to pray for him each week during the coming year. It would be hard to overstate the affirmation of his ministry and of his calling to that church symbolized by that gift, he said.
In 1 Timothy, the apostle Paul reminds his son in the ministry of the importance of teaching the church to honor its ministers. Elsewhere the Bible teaches that ministers are one of God’s gifts to the churches for their work has been given to them by God.
Ministers (overseer and elder are interchangeable here) who direct the work of the church well are worthy of “double honor,” Paul writes in 1 Timothy 5:17. In both the Old and New Testaments, the words translated “honor” have the connotations of recognition, respect, rewards and remuneration.
Pastor Appreciation Day provides the opportunity of recognition and respect. Some churches choose to use the occasion for rewards and provide tangible gifts. But a financial gift on a special day of recognition can never take the place of systematic care for the pastor and ministerial staff members.
The apostle Paul ties “double honor” to the Old Testament warning not to muzzle the ox while treading grain (Deut. 25:4) and Jesus’ words that the laborer is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7).
The principle is simple. Just as God ordained ample provision for the ox at work, the Christian community is to reward adequately those who devote time and energy to the work of ministry.
Earlier in the letter (1 Tim. 3:3) the writer condemned the minister who is a “lover of money.” Here the apostle writes with equal harshness about the stingy attitude of churches that feel it is their duty to keep the pastor poor and humble.
Through the centuries scholars have disagreed on the exact meaning of “double honor.” However all agree it certainly means more or greater honor than given to others. That implies God intends for ministers of His church be honorably rewarded for their labors for Christ in behalf of others.
No Baptist should ever forget that the principle of adequately providing reward and remuneration for the pastor and ministerial staff has divine biblical sanction. Providing recognition and respect through observing a Pastor Appreciation Day is good but it is not enough. Every church must also consider reward and remuneration in order to provide “double honor.”
Churches are responsible for ensuring that salaries and benefits of ministerial staff members are fair and adequate. Churches are responsible for annually reviewing salaries and benefits to ensure they remain appropriate. Churches are responsible for establishing procedures for this to be done in an ongoing way so the work of the church is done “decently and in order.”
Part of the “double honor” due pastors and ministers includes continuing educational opportunities as God continues to work in their lives to make them better ministers. Certainly part of “double honor” is making sure that those who give their lives in ministry through God’s church can live out their final days in dignity because churches have helped them prepare for retirement.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month on the denominational calendar, and many churches will have a special day to show recognition and respect. And those churches that really provide “double honor” to their ministers will continue to show honor as they work on the reward and remuneration provided the pastor and ministerial staff members through the church budget.
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