Pastor Appreciation Plaque Wording: 80+ Examples
Good pastor appreciation plaque wording names the honor, uses the pastor's correct title, and says one specific thing the congregation is grateful for. Below are 83 examples for Pastor Appreciation Month in October, pastoral anniversaries, ordinations, retirements, first ladies and the whole ministry team, with scripture from the public-domain King James Version, many closing with the traditional line "Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX", where ## and 20XX are filled in with the day and year of presentation. Copy any example, or open it in the designer with one click and swap in your details.
Pastor Appreciation Month and everyday thanks
October is Pastor Appreciation Month in many churches, and a plaque presented that month is one of the few gifts a pastor keeps for good. The strongest wording names what the congregation actually sees: the hospital visits, the late-night calls, the sermons that met people where they were.
- Pastor Appreciation Month
Pastor [Name]
Who Shepherds This Flock with Grace
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - With Grateful Hearts
Pastor [Name]
For Every Hospital Visit,
Every Midnight Call,
and Every Season You Stood Beside Us
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - Presented to
Rev. [Name]
Whose Preaching Feeds Us
and Whose Example Leads Us
By the Members of [Church Name] - With Deepest Appreciation
Pastor [Name]
Who Preached the Word
and Then Lived It Before Us
Your [Church Name] Family - In Honor of Pastor Appreciation Month
Bishop [Name]
For Keeping the Doors Open,
the Lights On, and the Word Going Forth
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - With Heartfelt Gratitude
Pastor [Name]
Who Married Us, Baptized Our Children,
and Walked with Us Through Our Grief
The [Family Name] Family
Given on this ## day of October, 20XX - Clergy Appreciation Day
Rev. [Name]
In Gratitude for [Number] Years
of Wednesday Night Bible Study
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - Our Pastor, Our Teacher, Our Friend
Pastor [Name]
With Love and Thanksgiving
The Congregation of [Church Name]
Pastor Appreciation Sunday, 20XX - In Gratitude for Answering the Call
Pastor [Name]
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - In Grateful Recognition
Rev. Dr. [Name]
Senior Pastor
Who Led Us Through a Pandemic,
a Relocation, and a Season of Growth
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX
Pastoral anniversary plaque wording
Pastoral anniversaries are celebrated in many Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and non-denominational churches, often with a special service and a plaque from the congregation. Put the milestone first and include the year the pastor was called or installed, so the plaque reads as church history.
- In Celebration of One Year
Pastor [Name]
Our First Year Together,
and the First of Many to Come
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Fifth Pastoral Anniversary
Pastor [Name]
Five Years and 260 Sundays,
Every One Pointing Us to Christ
[Church Name] - Ten Years of Pastoral Leadership
Rev. [Name]
Called to [Church Name] in [Year]
Growing Together in Grace and in Number
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Fifteenth Pastoral Anniversary
Pastor [Name]
Who Came to Plant and Stayed to Build
With Abiding Love, [Church Name] - Twenty Years a Shepherd
Pastor [Name]
Installed [Month Year]
Two Decades of Baptisms, Weddings,
Funerals, and Faithful Preaching
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Twenty-Fifth Pastoral Anniversary
Bishop [Name]
A Quarter Century of Service
to God and to [Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Silver Jubilee of Priestly Ordination
Rev. [Name]
Twenty-Five Years at the Altar of God
[Parish Name]
[Year] to 20XX - Thirty Years in the Pulpit
Pastor [Name]
Three Generations of Our Families
Have Called You Pastor
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Celebration of Forty Years
Rev. Dr. [Name]
Pastor of [Church Name] Since [Year]
Your Faithfulness Is Our Inheritance - With Joy on Your Pastoral Anniversary
Pastor [Name]
[Number] Years Ago You Answered Our Call,
and We Give Thanks for You Still
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Ordination, installation, and new ministry wording
Ordination and installation plaques mark a beginning, so they read best as a formal record: the rite, the full title, the church or denomination, and the date. Methodist elders are ordained and then appointed rather than installed, and Catholic priests are ordained by a bishop, so match the wording to your tradition.
- Set Apart to the Gospel Ministry
Rev. [Name]
By the Laying On of Hands
[Church Name]
Ordained on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Installation Service
Pastor [Name]
Called as Senior Pastor
of [Church Name]
Installed on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - With Joyful Welcome
Pastor [Name]
We Receive You with Gladness
and Follow You in Faith
The Members of [Church Name] - By the Grace of God
Rev. [Name]
Thou Art a Priest for Ever
Psalm 110:4 (KJV)
[Cathedral Name], [City]
Ordained on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Elder in Full Connection
Rev. [Name]
[Annual Conference Name]
Ordained on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - To the Office of Bishop
Bishop [Name]
[Jurisdiction Name]
For the Work Whereunto
I Have Called Them
Acts 13:2 (KJV)
Consecrated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Licensed to Preach the Gospel
Minister [Name]
Preach the Word
2 Timothy 4:2 (KJV)
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Called to Serve as Deacon
Deacon [Name]
Full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost
Acts 6:5 (KJV)
[Church Name]
Ordained on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Honor of Our Founding Pastor
Pastor [Name]
Who Planted [Church Name]
with Twelve Believers in a Living Room
Organized [Year]
Pastor retirement and pastor emeritus wording
A retirement plaque closes a chapter the whole church lived through, so include the full span of years. If the congregation has voted to name the pastor emeritus, put that title on the plaque; it is an honor worth displaying.
- Pastor Emeritus
Rev. [Name]
Senior Pastor, [Year] to 20XX
So Named by the Congregation
of [Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Well Done, Thou Good
and Faithful Servant
Matthew 25:21 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
[Number] Years of Ministry, [Church Name]
Retired on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - With Love on Your Retirement
Pastor [Name]
You Gave Us [Number] Years of Sundays;
May the Years Ahead Bring You
Rest, Family, and Quiet Mornings
[Church Name] - I Have Fought a Good Fight,
I Have Finished My Course,
I Have Kept the Faith
2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)
Rev. [Name]
Retired on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Honor of the Retirement of
Bishop [Name]
[Year] to 20XX
Another Will Fill the Pulpit,
but Never Your Place in Our Hearts
[Church Name] - With Love and Gratitude
Fr. [Name]
[Number] Years of Mass and Mercy
May You Know God's Peace in Your Rest
Your Parish Family
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Retiring from the Pulpit,
Never from the Kingdom
Pastor [Name]
[Church Name], [Year] to 20XX - [Church Name]
Honors
Pastor [Name]
On the Occasion of Retirement
After [Number] Years as Our Shepherd
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Rev. [Name]
Pastor Emeritus
[Year] to 20XX
The Church You Built Will Go On Singing
Pastor's wife, first lady, and pastor and spouse
In many Black churches the pastor's wife is honored as First Lady, and appreciation services often recognize her by that title. Other congregations say pastor's wife, name both spouses together, or honor a pastor's husband as First Gentleman. Use what your church actually says, and name her own ministry, not just her husband's.
- In Honor of Our First Lady
First Lady [Name]
Grace in the Pew, Strength in the Home,
Wisdom in the Women's Ministry
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman?
For Her Price Is Far Above Rubies
Proverbs 31:10 (KJV)
First Lady [Name]
[Church Name]
20XX - With Heartfelt Thanks
Mrs. [Name]
For Every Meal Taken to a Grieving Home,
Every Prayer Offered in the Night,
and Every Holiday You Shared Him with Us
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - First Lady Appreciation Day
Lady [Name]
The Heart Behind the Pulpit
With Love, the Women of [Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Rev. and Mrs. [Name]
Two Hearts, One Calling
With Gratitude for Loving Us Together
[Church Name]
20XX - In Appreciation of Our Pastor's Wife
[Name]
Choir Director, Sunday School Teacher,
Counselor, and Friend
[Church Name] - In Appreciation of
First Gentleman [Name]
Who Stands with Our Pastor
and Serves Faithfully Among Us
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Pastor [Name] and First Lady [Name]
Celebrating [Number] Years
of Marriage and Ministry
Your Home Has Been a Picture of Grace
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Scripture-based pastor plaque wording
Scripture is the most natural centerpiece for a pastor's plaque. These use the King James Version, which is in the public domain, so it can be engraved without a copyright notice; cite the reference on its own line and excerpt long verses.
- I Thank My God
Upon Every Remembrance of You
Philippians 1:3 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - And I Will Give You Pastors
According to Mine Heart
Jeremiah 3:15 (KJV)
Presented to Pastor [Name]
With Gratitude from [Church Name] - Feed the Flock of God
Which Is Among You
1 Peter 5:2 (KJV)
Rev. [Name]
Shepherd of [Church Name] Since [Year] - How Beautiful Are the Feet
of Them That Preach the Gospel
Romans 10:15 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - Esteem Them Very Highly in Love
for Their Work's Sake
1 Thessalonians 5:13 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Counted Worthy of Double Honour
1 Timothy 5:17 (KJV)
Bishop [Name]
[Church Name]
20XX - I Have No Greater Joy
Than to Hear That My Children
Walk in Truth
3 John 1:4 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
From Your Children in the Faith - Your Labour Is Not in Vain in the Lord
1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
With Thanks from [Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Here Am I; Send Me
Isaiah 6:8 (KJV)
Rev. [Name]
[Number] Years of Answering the Call
[Church Name] - The Lord Bless Thee, and Keep Thee
Numbers 6:24 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
As You Have Blessed Us
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Associate and youth pastors, deacons, elders, priests, and music ministers
Senior pastors are not the only ones who carry a church. These examples cover the rest of the ministry team; use the exact title your church uses, whether that is Minister, Elder, Deacon, Father, or Minister of Music.
- In Appreciation
Associate Pastor [Name]
Faithful in the Second Chair
and First in Our Affection
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Grateful Appreciation
Youth Pastor [Name]
Who Never Gave Up on Any of Us
Through Lock-Ins, Mission Trips,
and a Thousand Wednesday Nights
The Youth of [Church Name] - Be Thou an Example of the Believers
1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV)
Pastor [Name]
Student Ministries, [Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Appreciation
Deacon [Name]
[Number] Years at the Communion Table
and at the Bedside of the Sick
[Church Name] Deacon Ministry
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Elder [Name]
A Pillar of Prayer and Sound Counsel
[Number] Years on the Board of Elders
[Church Name] - With Gratitude
Fr. [Name]
For the Sacraments, the Homilies,
and the Hours in the Confessional
[Parish Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Farewell and Godspeed
Fr. [Name]
[Parish Name], [Year] to 20XX
As You Prayed for Us, We Pray for You - Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord
Psalm 100:1 (KJV)
[Name]
Minister of Music, [Year] to 20XX
[Church Name] Choir - Worship Leader [Name]
Who Taught Every Voice in This House
to Lift a Song unto the Lord
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Children's Ministry Director
[Name]
Who Knows Every Child by Name
and Every Small Need by Heart
[Church Name] - In Honor of
Presiding Elder [Name]
[District Name] District
With Appreciation from the Pastors
and Churches You Serve
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX
Short and simple pastor plaque wording
Small plaques, desk pieces, and crystal awards need wording that fits in three or four lines, and they often leave off the full presentation line. These work on a 5x7 plaque or a compact acrylic or glass award.
- Our Shepherd
Pastor [Name]
[Church Name], 20XX - Pastor [Name]
Called. Faithful. Loved.
[Church Name] - With Love and Gratitude
Rev. [Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX - Bishop [Name]
Servant of God, Friend to All
[Church Name] - With Gratitude for Leading Us Home
Pastor [Name]
[Church Name] - Fr. [Name]
A Priest for Our People
[Parish Name] - Pastor [Name]
The Same in the Pulpit
as Out of It
[Church Name] - We Thank God for You
Pastor [Name]
Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX
Church volunteers, lay leaders, and building dedications
Pastor appreciation season is a good time to thank the people who keep the building open and the ministries running. For a new sanctuary, fellowship hall, cornerstone, or memorial gift, the dedication wording here follows traditional church form.
- Mother of the Church
Mother [Name]
[Number] Years of Prayer and Wisdom,
and a Table Always Set for Others
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - In Appreciation
Trustee [Name]
Who Kept the Books in Order
and the House of God in Good Repair
[Church Name] Trustee Ministry - [Number] Years of Sunday School
[Name]
Generations of Children Learned
to Pray in Your Classroom
[Church Name]
Presented on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Usher Board Appreciation
[Name]
The First Face at the Door
and the Last to Leave the Sanctuary
[Church Name] - To the Glory of God
This Sanctuary Was Built
Under the Leadership of Pastor [Name]
[Church Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - Except the Lord Build the House,
They Labour in Vain That Build It
Psalm 127:1 (KJV)
[Church Name] Fellowship Hall
Pastor [Name]
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - This Window Is Given to the Glory of God
In Loving Memory of [Name]
[Year] to [Year]
By the [Family Name] Family
Dedicated on this ## day of [Month], 20XX - [Church Name]
Organized [Year], Erected 20XX
Rev. [Name], Pastor
Jesus Christ Himself Being
the Chief Corner Stone
Ephesians 2:20 (KJV)
Tips for pastor plaque wording
Start with the title your church actually uses. In formal usage, "Rev." goes before the full name rather than the surname alone, and "Rev. Dr." is correct when the pastor holds a doctorate. Catholic priests are "Fr." or "Rev.", a monsignor is "Msgr.", and many Pentecostal and Church of God in Christ congregations use "Bishop" or "Elder". When in doubt, check the bulletin or ask the church office, and confirm every name spelling and the exact anniversary or installation date against church records.
Close with the traditional date line, such as "Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX" for Pastor Appreciation Month, or "Installed" or "Ordained on this ## day of" for a service of installation or ordination, filling in the actual day and year; historical years, like the year a pastor was called, stay as plain years. Then match the wording to the plaque. A 5x7 or 6x8 holds about 4 to 6 short lines, which suits the short examples above. An 8x10 or 9x12 fits 6 to 10 lines plus the church logo or a cross, and an 11x14 or larger can carry a full verse, a paragraph of church history, or a list of everyone who served. The formal date line suits wall plaques, while small crystal and desk pieces often leave it off. Walnut and cherry suit a pastor's study; glass and crystal read well on a desk or bookshelf.
If the plaque is for a Pastor Appreciation Sunday in October, order early enough to approve the proof and allow for UPS shipping. Every order gets a free digital proof from a real designer within one business day, with unlimited revisions, and nothing is charged until you approve it. Text engraving is free, churches and other tax-exempt organizations can order tax-free, and if you would rather not lay it out yourself, send your wording and logo through Let Our Team Build It and a designer will do it at no charge.
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Frequently asked questions
When is Pastor Appreciation Month?
Pastor Appreciation Month is October, and many churches mark Pastor Appreciation Day (also called Clergy Appreciation Day) on the second Sunday of the month. Churches often present a plaque during that service or at a dinner afterward.
What do you write on a plaque for a pastor?
Use a short header that names the honor, the pastor's title and name, one or two lines about what they have meant to the church, the church name, and a closing date line such as "Presented on this ## day of October, 20XX". A specific detail, such as years of service or a ministry they built, makes the plaque personal.
Should the plaque say Pastor, Rev., or Dr.?
Use the title the congregation uses from the pulpit and in the bulletin. "Rev." works with a full name, "Pastor" is warmer and common in Baptist and non-denominational churches, and "Rev. Dr." is appropriate when the pastor holds a doctorate.
What Bible verse is good for a pastor appreciation plaque?
Popular choices are Jeremiah 3:15, Philippians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:13, 1 Peter 5:2, and 3 John 1:4. Quote the King James Version or the World English Bible, which are in the public domain, and cite the reference on its own line.
What should a pastoral anniversary plaque include?
Include the anniversary number, the pastor's title and name, the church name, and either the year they were called or installed or the full year range. A line about what the church has lived through together turns it from a certificate into a keepsake.
How do we honor the pastor's wife on a plaque?
Use the title your church uses for her, such as First Lady, Lady, Mrs., or Sister, and name her own ministry, like leading the women's ministry or teaching Sunday school. A joint plaque for the pastor and spouse works well for a combined anniversary.
Can our church order a plaque tax-free?
Yes. Churches and other tax-exempt organizations can order tax-free; our tax-exempt ordering page explains the steps.
Pieces that suit this wording
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