10/12/2026
THROUGH THESE DOORS
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. All across America, churches are finding special ways to honor their pastors. There will be dinners, cards, gifts, special offerings, and congregations coming together to express their appreciation for the men and women who faithfully serve them.
I love seeing pastors recognized. Their work is not easy, and much of what they carry is never seen by the people sitting in the pews on Sunday morning.
But this year, I've been thinking about a pastor whose congregation looks a little different. A pastor whose church members may not have a home to return to after Sunday evening service, much less the money to purchase a gift or organize an appreciation dinner.
That pastor happens to be my husband, Felix.
For 18 years, Felix has devoted his life to serving people struggling with poverty, homelessness, addiction, and some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. He's the Executive Director of New Life Mission in Hamilton, Ohio, and the pastor of our homeless church on Sunday evenings.
But if you asked me what Felix actually does, I wouldn't even know where to begin.
He's the one who makes sure the doors open, the building is operating, the food is purchased, and the bills are paid. He's the one dealing with deliveries, broken equipment, plumbing problems, maintenance, and whatever unexpected situation comes up that day. He's the administrator, the operations manager, the maintenance man, and the janitor. Some days he's all of those things before lunchtime. And most of the time, he's doing it without much help.
There isn't a large staff to divide the responsibilities or a maintenance department to call when something breaks. If something needs to be done, Felix usually figures out how to get it done himself.
I see the things other people don't.
I see him worrying about a roof that needs replaced, repairs that keep getting pushed back, and improvements he'd love to make but doesn't have the resources to accomplish. I see him stretching every dollar because the money spent on a building repair is money that isn't available for food or another pressing need.
I see the interruptions, the long days, and the work that continues after everyone else has gone home. And I see him come back the next morning and do it all again.
Then Sunday evening comes.
After a week of managing everything it takes to keep New Life Mission running, Felix steps into another role. He becomes Pastor Felix to a congregation of people who may be sleeping in tents, staying in shelters, living in cars, or trying to survive one more week without knowing what comes next.
Some are struggling with addiction. Some live with serious mental illness. Some have been rejected by family, lost everything they owned, or spent years trying to find their way back from life-changing circumstances.
I've known people in this community who died in dumpsters. I've known people who lost limbs to frostbite after surviving outdoors through Ohio winters. I've known people who were sick and couldn't afford medication. These are the kinds of circumstances that touch the lives of the people Felix has chosen to serve.
His congregation may not look like the congregations filling sanctuaries across America, but they're still a congregation. They still need a pastor who will preach the Word, remind them of God's love, and treat them as people whose lives have meaning and purpose.
And that's what Felix does.
He doesn't have a church full of people who can financially support the ministry. He doesn't have committees organizing fundraisers or a congregation with the resources to maintain the building. Yet the responsibilities of the ministry don't disappear because the congregation is poor.
Who looks after him? Who makes sure he has help? Who notices when the person everyone depends on is carrying more than one person should?
Those are the things I think about during Pastor Appreciation Month.
Because I know Felix. I know he doesn't do any of this for recognition. He's not someone who wants attention or needs to be standing in the spotlight. In fact, I imagine he'd rather I didn't write this at all.
But after all these years, I think it's important to tell people what I see.
I see a man who has given years of his life to a calling that doesn't come with much recognition. A man who has taken on responsibilities far beyond the title of pastor or executive director because somebody has to do them. A man who continues serving a congregation that may never have the means to repay him. And I see a husband who carries those responsibilities home with him, even when the workday is over.
This month, while churches are honoring their pastors, I want to honor mine. Not because he leads the largest congregation or stands behind the most beautiful pulpit. But because he has remained faithful to people who are so often overlooked. Because he's willing to do the work nobody sees. And because on Sunday evening, after doing all of that throughout the week, he still has a message of hope for people who desperately need to hear one.
Felix, I see how hard you work. I see what you carry, what you sacrifice, and how much of yourself you've given to this calling. I know there are days when the needs seem endless, and the resources never seem to be enough. But I also know how many lives have been touched because you've remained faithful.
You may never have a congregation that can organize a big Pastor Appreciation celebration. There may never be a special offering or an elaborate dinner in your honor. But I hope you know how much your work matters. And I hope that as people read this, they'll remember that some of the most dedicated pastors are serving congregations that have the least to give.
Sometimes the greatest way to appreciate a pastor isn't to tell him what a wonderful job he's doing. It's to come alongside him, share the work, and remind him that he doesn't have to do it all alone.
Happy Pastor Appreciation Month, Felix. I love you, and I'm proud of the life you've devoted to serving others.
