Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 1 Corinthians 9:1-4

Local church leaders do important work and should be compensated fairly for it. It’s tough, demanding, and almost 24/7 work. I’ve never understood leadership committees that begrudge fair compensation for pastors, or worse, committees that “starve out” a pastor because of non-performance.

Granted, most pastors I know are not now nor have never been in the ministry for the money. In fact, many go into the ministry knowing that it’s probably low paying but do it anyhow because of the needs, urgency, and calling on their lives.

Today is your chance to express your appreciation to one or all of your pastors. Let them know you’re thinking about them and praying for them. They have a dangerous and weighty task.