Five Ways to Fire Your Pastor
Igniting a New Flame in Your Pastor, His Family, and His Ministry Team
John Di Giorgio
October 9, 2026
In the Beginning
Yes, you read the title correctly. Fire your pastor! But before anyone calls an emergency board meeting, let me explain. The kind of firing I have in mind is the kind that sets a heart ablaze, not the kind that sends a man home with a box of books.
Pastor Appreciation Month, also known as Clergy Appreciation Month, began in 1992 as “Clergy Appreciation Day.” By 1994, it had grown into a full month-long observance.1 Focus on the Family, through the leadership of H.B. London, formally established the observance and promoted it nationally.2 But the roots go much deeper than 1992. They reach all the way back to the Apostle Paul, who urged congregations to honor and respect their spiritual leaders (see 1 Timothy 5:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13).3
The reason was simple. Ministers were burning out, running on empty, and desperately needed a spark to ignite the fire again.
Consider Joshua Musser Gritter, who co-pastors First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, North Carolina, alongside his wife, Lara. In an October 2024 article for Mockingbird titled “A Word for Beleaguered Pastors,” he opened up about his own season of burnout. The pressure to grow his church, improve his preaching, and meet everyone’s expectations had slowly drained him, until it felt as though “the fire that was once within me was gone.”4
Think about that, friend. Here was a man who had poured himself into the work of the Lord, and the flame had flickered down to embers.
He is not alone. Over two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to his younger protégé, Timothy, who was facing intense pressure, leadership challenges, and fear while pastoring in Ephesus: “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6, ESV).5 When Paul said to “fan into flame,” he used the Greek verb anazōpyreō (an-ah-zoh-poo-REH-oh), built on the root pyr (poor), meaning “fire,” the same root that gives us our words pyre and pyrotechnics. Paul was telling Timothy, quite literally, to rekindle a dying fire: stir up the embers until the flame leaps back to life.
You see, every pastor, teacher, worship leader, and minister carries a fire in the heart for God. But here is the problem: a fire needs fuel, and ministry can drain the woodpile faster than most of us realize. The good news, friend, is that you can help keep that flame burning. How? Let’s look at five ways to fire your spiritual leaders.
Fire Lesson 1: Remember Them
Strike the Match
Our first fire lesson is the simplest, and it may be the most neglected: remember them. Imagine pouring your life into individuals, only to find yourself suddenly forgotten. Feeling abandoned or lonely in ministry is one of the heaviest burdens a leader can carry, and it is a profoundly common experience among pastors across generations. As one pastor, leaving the ministry, put it:
“It is a strange feeling to be surrounded by hundreds of people every Sunday who look to you for strength, while feeling entirely alone, unsupported, and quietly discarded when you show a single tear or vulnerability.”6
Another said:
“When you give your life to care for everyone else’s crisis, you quickly learn that when your own crisis comes, the pews often empty out and the calls stop coming.”7
Friend, that is a fire going cold. And every fire begins with a spark. The writer to the Hebrews, whose name Scripture does not reveal (though some have suggested Paul, a man who knew abandonment well; see 2 Timothy 4:16), gives us this command: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you…” (Hebrews 13:7a, NASB).8
Notice what kind of command this is. To “remember” is far more than a passive nod to the past. It is a present-tense, active-voice imperative, an ongoing command to keep faithful spiritual leaders continually in your mind.
Let me tell you how this came alive for me. Years ago, as this truth began to take root in my heart, I started a little practice. Any churchgoer who has sat under the same pulpit for a while knows that pastors will sometimes drop small details about themselves into a sermon. Whenever my pastor did that, I made a special note of it. In one case, he mentioned that he loved Krispy Kreme donuts. At the time, the nearest Krispy Kreme shop was roughly two hours away. But I went, because I loved my pastor and wanted to bless him the way he had blessed us so many times. I left the donuts on his doorstep. Not long afterward, I received an email asking if I had left them. He was so very, very blessed to know that someone had actually thought of him and cared about him in that way. One small match, and a flame was lit.
Here is how you can do the same:
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Listen for the details. When your pastor mentions himself, his family, his needs, or what he is going through, jot it down.
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Pray and act. If it is a physical need for healing, write it down and commit to praying for him, his family, or a member of the church staff. If it is something he or his family has been wishing for, like the church that bought a washing machine for its pastor’s family, then do it.
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Don’t take him for granted. Don’t take him, his family, the ministry staff, or the musicians for granted. Keep them active in your mind and in your prayers.
Strike the match.
Fire Lesson 2: Reflect Their Faith
Catch the Flame
But the writer to the Hebrews does not stop there. He continues, “…and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7, NASB).9 We are not only to remember our leaders continually; we are to reflect their way of life.
Look at what this verse asks of us. The imperative mood issues an urgent, authoritative call to action, charging believers to actively recall and apply the godly principles taught by those who faithfully shepherd their souls. In other words:
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Evaluate the trajectory of their lives. Look at the lifelong faithfulness of these godly leaders.
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See how well it turned out for them.
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Copy their behavior and manner of life.
Now, let’s be clear. The ultimate goal is not to worship the leader. It is to anchor our trust in the same God they trust. As the Apostle Paul said, “Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah)” (1 Corinthians 11:1, AMP).10
Here is the beautiful thing about fire: it spreads. A single candle loses nothing by lighting another. When a congregation catches the flame of a faithful shepherd, the fire multiplies rather than fades. Those are big shoes to fill, friend, but the Holy Spirit who lives within us supplies the power. Reflect their faith. Catch the flame.
Fire Lesson 3: Respect Them
Guard the Flame
Another way we show our appreciation for those in spiritual leadership is by simply recognizing them. Listen to Paul: “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to appreciate those who diligently work among you [recognize, acknowledge, and respect your leaders], who are in charge over you in the Lord and who give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:12–13, AMP).11
There is so much to unpack in these verses, but let’s focus on the word “appreciate.” Different translations render it in different ways: “know” (KJV), “get to know” (AMPC), “give recognition” (CSB), “appreciate” (AMP), and “respect” (ESV). It is a tough word to translate because it carries all of those nuances at once.
In the next verse, Paul uses yet another word: “esteem.” Not only are we to recognize, respect, and appreciate our leaders, but we are to esteem them very highly. That means a deep, active regard for church leaders, bound together with genuine affection. It is an active mental and emotional posture, not just a passive thought.
Now, how are we to do this? Paul gives us two answers.
First, the motivation is love (“in love”). This respect is not cold, formal, or purely hierarchical. It is wrapped in Christian love (agape, pronounced ah-GAH-pay), creating a warm, personal bond between you and the leader God has placed over you to shepherd you. That is a fire that warms rather than burns.
Second, the basis is the work (“because of their work”). This high regard is not based on a leader’s personal charisma, popularity, social status, or perfection. It is earned by, and focused on, the heavy spiritual labor he does: teaching, guiding, working to exhaustion, and watching over the community. “Laboring” is not a casual routine. It is strenuous, exhausting toil, a selfless pouring out of mind and heart to feed, guide, and protect the flock through God’s truth.
And what is the main focus of all that toil? Prayer and the Word. As the apostles declared, “we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4, ESV).12 And Paul instructed: “The elders who perform their leadership duties well are to be considered worthy of double honor (financial support), especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching [the word of God concerning eternal salvation through Christ]” (1 Timothy 5:17, AMP).13
Too many times, we take what we hear for granted. Yet, friend, please understand: when we open the Word of God each Sunday, we are standing on the shoulders of hours of silent, prayerful labor. Faithful preaching means digging into the original Greek and Hebrew, wrestling with the historical context, comparing Scripture with Scripture, and letting the Scripture first transform the preacher’s own heart before it ever reaches yours. That is the fire in the study, and it burns long before Sunday.
So here is a practical step: take notes as you listen. Imagine standing in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen as he offers to teach you one of his greatest dishes, and you don’t write a thing down. He would be stunned! All that expertise, and you just let it pass by? Heed the Word. Write it down. You will never know how much this blesses your pastor, and how much good it does for you! Guard the flame.
Fire Lesson 4: Remunerate Them
Fuel the Fire
Now we come to a lesson that makes many of us uncomfortable. Look at 1 Timothy 5:17 once more: elders who lead well are “worthy of double honor,” especially those who labor in preaching and teaching (AMP).14 We sometimes glance right over that phrase. Oh, we don’t like to see it. But it is there, isn’t it? And it makes sense. No fire burns without fuel.
The Greek word for “honor” here, timē (tee-MAY), carries the sense of both respect and material provision, and Paul makes that unmistakable in the very next verse, as we will see in a moment. Pastors should be compensated for their unrelenting study, their fatigue, their careful exegesis (ek-seh-JEE-sis, the drawing out of a passage’s true meaning) of the Word, and for sharing its principles as the Holy Spirit enlightens them.
Think about what a pastor is asked to be in a single week. He is a teacher preparing original messages. He is a counselor sitting with the grieving, the broken, and the marriages on the brink. He is an administrator overseeing staff, budgets, and buildings. He is a crisis responder whose phone rings at two in the morning. In the secular marketplace, each of those roles commands its own salary. Yet many churches ask one man to fill them all, and then quietly wonder why he is exhausted. Friend, when the fuel runs out, the fire dies.
Paul himself had to make the case. He asked the Corinthians: “Since we planted [sowed] spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we should harvest material things from you [receive support for ministry]?” (1 Corinthians 9:11, EXB).15 Can you imagine? An apostle having to reason with a church about why he deserves to be supported?
And remember, even Jesus received financial support from His followers. Luke 8:1–3 makes that clear. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and “many others” were “contributing to their support out of their private means” (NASB).16 These were not cheap Christians or stingy saints! They knew what Scripture says: “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain,” and in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” (1 Timothy 5:18, NLT).17
Please hear my heart: this is not about greed, and no faithful pastor enters the ministry for the money. It is about stewardship, and about a church that values the shepherd it asks to care for the flock. Friend, remunerate your pastor! Fuel the fire!
Fire Lesson 5: Make a Request for Them
Fan the Flames
And lastly, if you really want to appreciate your pastor, his family, and his ministry staff, make a request for them. Over and over and over again, the Apostle Paul was not shy about asking for prayer. In 1 Thessalonians 5:25, he asked: “Brethren, pray for us.” In 2 Thessalonians 3:1, he made the same plea again: “Finally, brethren, pray for us.” In Colossians 4:3, he wrote, “praying at the same time for us as well.” And in Romans 15:30, he pleaded: “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (all NASB).18
Others have heard that plea across the centuries. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great “Prince of Preachers,” urged his congregation: “Never fail to plead for your pastor in your closet.”19 By closet, he meant the private place of prayer that Jesus described in Matthew 6:6. Spurgeon went on to ask them to carry the minister’s name to the Lord right alongside the names of their own family, in private and in public prayer.
And E. M. Bounds, the author and preacher who, it is said, prayed every morning from four until seven,20 wrote: “Air is not more necessary to the lungs than prayer is to the preacher.” He added that “it is an absolute necessity that the preacher be prayed for.”21 Prayer is as essential to every pastor as air is to the body. And what does air do for a fire? It fans it into a blaze.
So how do we do this? Let me give you three ways.
First, it should be corporate. Paul said, “Brethren, pray for us.” The word “brethren” is plural in Greek (adelphoi, pronounced ah-del-FOY) and was used as an inclusive term when addressing an entire group or community. It encompasses both the brothers and sisters in the church, not just the men. We could rightly render it “brothers and sisters” in English. If a prayer ministry is not already established, get others in your church involved. Start a prayer meeting each Sunday morning before service, asking the Lord to help the pastor and interceding for his wife, his family, and the ministry staff. Believe me when I tell you, it makes a world of difference. A single log burns, but logs stacked together burn hot.
Second, it should be continual. The grammar of Paul’s verb “pray” demands an ongoing, habitual, and continual action. This is not a one-time prayer meeting after which everyone forgets. No, prayer for the pastor, his family, his children, and the ministry staff must be continual. Remember the altar of old: the fire was “not to go out” (Leviticus 6:13, NASB).22 Brothers and sisters, keep on praying for them!
Third, it needs to be combative. What do I mean? “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB).23 We are wrestling with powerful spiritual forces in the unseen realm, and Paul knew it. So it is no surprise that in that very passage, he asks for prayer support as well (Ephesians 6:19–20). And Romans gives us the key to how we ought to pray: “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Romans 15:30, NASB).24
Notice the word “strive.” In first-century Greco-Roman culture, this word was heavily associated with athletics and warfare. It described athletes wrestling in an arena or soldiers fighting side by side in battle formation. So when Paul asks them to “strive,” he is not making a casual, passive request. He is calling prayer an active, intense, joint struggle.
Here is my own expanded paraphrase of what Paul is saying: “Now, my dear brothers and sisters in the faith, I urgently appeal to you and implore you, by the authority and person of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through that deep, unifying love that the Holy Spirit produces within us, to jump right into the arena beside me. Join me in an intense, sustained, hand-in-hand struggle by pouring out your earnest, focused prayers to God on my behalf.”
Do you see the intensity?
Friend, engage in combative prayer for your pastor, his family, the ministry, and the church! Your prayers are sustaining them in ways you will never understand, and God is keeping count: He “is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name” (Hebrews 6:10, NASB).25 Fan the flames!
Let the Fire Fall
So this month, if you want to truly impact your pastor, his family, his ministry staff, and ultimately your church, here are your five fire lessons:
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Remember Them (strike the match)
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Reflect Their Faith (catch the flame)
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Respect Them (guard the flame)
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Remunerate Them (fuel the fire)
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Make a Request for Them (fan the flames)