Pastor Appreciation Day Is Sunday, October 10, 2021

Pastor Appreciation Day is Sunday, October 10, 2021. This celebration happens in the month of October, which also happens to be Pastor Appreciation Month. The celebration of this day began with the idea to celebrate the contributions of priests, ministers, reverends, and pastors to the country, especially in the United States. It is also the day that encourages ministers and pastors to keep up with their good work and continue their contributions.
 
As Pastor to Pastors in this Presbytery, I know how much more difficult the work has become for these pastors over the past nineteen months, as they've had to pivot and adapt to the challenges of being the Church in a pandemic that has entangled many in a wired and wireless world. One of our pastors even had a baby during this pandemic! She and her husband presented their baby daughter for baptism during worship on Sunday, September 19, 2021.
 
While Pastor Appreciation Day officially started in 1992, nearly two-thousand years prior to this, the Apostle Paul admonished the members of the congregation in Thessalonica with these words, "And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders, who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love" (1 Thessalonians 5:12, The Message).
 
Pastor Appreciation Day provides you with an opportunity to thank our pastors for his or her service to the church and community. It is my hope that, either on Sunday, October 10, 2021, or some other time during the month of October, our congregations take time to overwhelm their pastors with appreciation and love.

Faithfully yours,
Danny C. Murphy
General Presbyter