The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod encourages churches to celebrate the people working for the clergy with Clergy Appreciation Month.
LCMS Celebrates Clergy Appreciation Month
According to the Reporter, the church is continuing its Set Apart to Serve church work recruitment initiative for this year together with Clergy Appreciation Month.
The church asked the congregation not only to appreciate the pastors but everyone who works for churches and schools that provide Christian education.
Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, the President of the LCMS, wrote to the Synod. In his letter, he commended the pastors of the church.
Also, he mentioned the work of the commissioned workers, calling them a "true blessing to the Synod."
The Synod listed down ways where people can show their appreciation to the church workers.
One of these ways is to send them a card or postcard. The church even provided card and postcard templates online for anyone to use.
The church also recommended sending them a video message, praying for them, or showing them support on social media.
Clergy Appreciation Month and Pastor Appreciation Day
According to Christianity.com, the National Clergy Appreciation Month is celebrated in October and is a time for people to recognize the work and efforts of their pastors, priests, reverends, and every clergy members.
During this month, Pastor Appreciation Day is also celebrated.
In the article, it says that the celebration goes back to St. Paul, who instructed the church to give "double honor" to the elders of the church in 1 Timothy 5:17.
It also said that in the U.S., there were reportedly 51,000 people employed as clergy in 2018 alone. The article then listed the work and time that they offer to their congregations that deserves appreciation.
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Set Apart to Serve
In a different Reporter article, the Set Apart to Serve initiative started as the Resolution 6-01 of the 2019 LCMS convention titled, "To Support and Participate in the Comprehensive Church Worker Recruitment Initiative."
It added that the initiative came after the Synod noted that the church seminaries and universities are facing a decline when it comes to ordained and commissioned ministers. Because of this, concerns were raised when it comes to the probability of worker shortage in the near future.
The article said that with the declining trend, the church's active pastors could go from 6,000 to 3,000 in just 15 years.
It added that for the Synod, the initiative is not just about recruitment but a way for the church to ensure that the passing of the Christian faith continues.
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the Lutheran Faith
According to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod page, it is a Lutheran denomination that "teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God."
This includes God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Synod believes that the three are coequal and coeternal as one God.
As a part of the Lutheran faith, it also follows the teachings of Martin Luther in the 16th Century. The Synod summarizes the teachings in three phases: "Grace Alone, Faith Alone, and Scripture Alone."
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