Today is Clergy Appreciation Day and October is Clergy Appreciation Month. Priest, pastor, minister, preacher, parson, or cleric – whatever title is used, these people deserve our appreciation. We often tend to take these godly men for granted, expecting them to live a perfect life and to put their church first.
We tend to forget that these are people just like us – all Christians are called to serve the Lord, but clergymen are called to serve both the Lord and His people. They have challenges and difficulties just like laypeople. All believers should live exemplary, but not perfect, lives. While the church should be of high importance to clergy, many also have families, and those families should receive a fair share of their clergyman father’s attention. Even if the clergy are single, they deserve to have their own lives to maintain spiritual, emotional, and physical health.
We should appreciate our clergy all the time, but this month is a good time to give them special recognition. I appreciate Father Isaac Rehberg, rector of my church All Saints Anglican. He is a devoted priest, an excellent preacher, and a caring pastor. We are blessed to have him as our shepherd.
I’ve made some suggestions for recognizing clergy in previous posts:
- October is Clergy Appreciation Month
- Clergy Appreciation Day
- Clergy Appreciation (Be sure to watch the skit to the end.)

Heavenly Father, thank You for the clergy who proclaim Your Word, administer Your sacraments, and minister to Your people. We pray especially for the pastors and priests who have impacted us and helped us in our spiritual journey. Give them wisdom, courage, and strength to know and to do Your will. Lift them up when they are discouraged, strengthen them when they are weak, defend them from attacks of the enemy, and shower them and their families with Your blessings. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.