Ministry or Profit?

Had something happen recently and was commenting about it to my best friend, and he said I should blog about it, so decided to, and see if I can get some input.

First off, I do want to say that I understand that people need to make a living. I get that. Totally. Now off to my subject....

There is a site I used to frequent often originally geared for people who go to conservative holiness churches, as I do. Frustration caused me to leave that sight and ban it from my life. I remember a discussion along this line once. A Christian singing group was starting to set a price on their concerts, and the discussion was, it it really a ministry if you set a price?

My friend Steven keeps bugging me to talk to a counselor - and I think he is correct that I need to. At his suggestion, I called New Life ministries to see if they had any Christian counselors in their network who might do pro-bono work - also Steven's idea. They don't, and the man on the phone said most of the counselors in their network charge $800-$900 an hour. You read that right.

Now I don't know how many people they see in a day. Say, five. Five people a day, five days a week, $800 an hour, comes out to $20,000 a week - I never made that in a year! How can you not call that greed?! I assume they are doing it because they want to help people, but can't they help people at a fraction of that, and still live a life with everything they need? And these are Christian counselors!

Stack that up against the missionaries, Christian school teachers, and many pastors across the world. Who is God going to honor more? I know how our churches work. We tell the pastor this is what you will get paid. When we have a preacher or singers come for special services, we give them a certain amount - I have an idea what it is, and I think its decent, but these people are serving God. Ministering. They don't set a price and say that's what they have to have to come to your church.

But take any Christian group - Southern Gospel, CCM, whatever.....any group/singer who has their CDs on the market. They all call what they are doing a ministry - and maybe it is. Yet any of them will not come without getting a certain amount.....and sure, they have buses, and have to have money, but can you imagine Jesus doing that?

"Hey Jesus, I need some advice." "Ok, I charge $800 an hour - come up with that, and then come back and pray to me." "Jesus, could you come and speak at my church?" "Sure. I need $1000, a suite at the Hilton during my stay, a nice buffet lunch and supper...." "Jesus, could you come and sing at my church?" "Sure, but I only do concerts for $2000."

Seems rather ludicrous, yet we have all these people who claim His name, claiming they want to help people - counseling, books, singing, preaching.....and yet they want no sacrifice. They want paid, and they want paid well.

Picture a scene in Heaven. The missionary enters the Pearly Gates. He has sacrificed a lot, lived on a shoestring in a country away from friends and loved ones. Behind him walks John Smith. He counseled people for $800 an hour, helping them get over issues they had and get on with life. Who deserves a crown more? Who deserves a crown more?

Again, I know these people need to make a living. Yet what is done in the name of "ministry" shouldn't always cost so much. It shouldn't cost so much to get help, whether it be counseling, a book that might help, a DVD course...and I could go on and on.

I have checked into online courses that looked like they would be helpful.....and they did look helpful, but they were also out of my price range - a lot.

There may be those who will disagree with me, and that is fine. I do know people need to make a living, but I also believe if a person is doing something to help people......whether it is speaking, counseling, writing books - whatever, they should try to make it more reasonable.....that would make it a true ministry.

Thankfully, God is always there for us, and He doesn't charge. We can talk to him 24/7 and He won't charge a dime.

So, what do you think? Do people charge too much for things done in the name of "ministry"? And is it truly ministry if you have to take out a bank loan to use their ministry?

And for those who would disagree, I will again state in closing: Yes, people need to make a living, but I think if they are truly wanting to minister - to help people - they also won't push the line towards greed.