A Brief History of
CLERGY APPRECIATION MONTH

We believe that the concept of clergy appreciation started with the Apostle Paul as he was establishing the first Christian churches. In 1 Timothy, he wrote, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching" (1 Tim. 5:17). And, in 1 Thessalonians, he said, "Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work" (1 Thess. 5:12-13).

Accordingly, over the centuries, decades and years, pastors have been recognized and honored, either formally or informally, by many denominations and local churches at various times of the year. It has been a long-standing practice.

Focus on the Family named and began emphasizing Clergy Appreciation Month in 1994, reminding congregations that it was biblical and proper to honor their pastoral staffs and pastoral families throughout the year, but suggesting that they set aside the month of October for a special tangible tribute. For those churches that preferred a single weekend, we recommended the second weekend of the month. However, honoring a church's entire pastoral staff and their families can be done at any time — and, in fact, should become a normal part of a church's ongoing care of these special families throughout the entire year.

Our goal is that every pastor (including staff ministers) and his or her family would feel appreciated by those they serve. To assist congregations in this process, we have developed a planning guide (in both English and Spanish) intended to facilitate and publicize a CAM celebration. We also attempt to promote the concept ourselves each year through radio, newspapers, magazines and any other means at our disposal.

Over the years, we have been privileged to work in partnership with many publishers, bookstore chains, radio networks, news syndicates, musicians, denominations and other church groups, and have made many friends. Many of these fine organizations promote some form of clergy appreciation on their own. We think this is great! We feel that the fact that no one "owns" the idea of honoring pastors gives the campaign special inertia of its own — or from God.