Believers: What do you think of preachers charging people for their lectures?

Question

Or even charging for books? Shouldnt *spiritual* people who are not of this world be beyond $$?

Answer 1

Well how do you expect them to pay for thier Mercedes? That stuff isn't free.

Answer 2

I could spend a long time on this single question.

If by "lecture" you mean the sermon he preaches to his congregation, yes he deserves to be paid. He does much more than stand before the congregation and speak for a couple of sessions a week. He is available to the congregation for all their pastoral needs, often at the sacrifice of his own family time.

If he travels to deliver a message, sure he should be compensated as other speakers are.

I do have a problem with the selling of copies of the sermon...

In all fairness, this is not all on the preacher, in effect, people are paying for someone to do the research they won't do..........the Bible has already been written, everything else is just commentary, people have the choice to buy or not to buy...personally, I prefer to do my own thinking and reading, and a lot of this stuff is available at the library.

I do think the congregation of the church should support the pastor and his family, but he should not live beyond their resources.. If he does something beyond the church, he deserves compensation. Where I have the problem is when it is presented " and for your donation of.........you will receive a copy of........." this is not a DONATION, it is a SOLICITTION, and that is insulting........

Salvation is not for sale--commentary is.

Answer 3

I think the way this is set up is horrible.
There is a profit motive on the part of publishers.(of course, they are in business)
Ministers can fall victim to the temptation for more money, some have. Others see it as a way to raise money to support their primary ministry.
The thing is, if you have a manuscript with a message that you believe people truly NEED to hear, how else can you possibly distribute it so quickly and effectively?
Some donate all they receive to their church or missions.

Now, as far as lectures, something should be given, as often times these men have to travel great distances sometimes. Air fare is costly. It should not be overly much. A minister that hasn't been bitten by the money bug wouldn't seek gain.

Answer 4

I have mixed feelings about the matter. Renting halls and printing materials costs money as well as paying staff. And if it is a well written book why shouldn't the author profit to some degree. But I also find it hard to imagine Jesus charging someone to tell them about salvation. We may not be of this world be were are still in it. And last time I checked not too many freebies.

Answer 5

I'm not Christian, but in any religious context I can agree with ministers/priests charging money to recoup their costs plus a reasonable living wage, if they have no other occupation.

But the amount that some of the current preachers are asking of people is just ridiculous...

Answer 6

Yes, but there are cost associated with printing books and such. But I think preachers charging for lectures is wrong. They should spread the good news to all people, freely learned, freely given.

Answer 7

If the $$ are used to cover production costs then I don't have a problem. Our church charges a small amount for DVD copies of the sermons...the price pays for the equipment, the materials, and the salary of the people that do the production (e.g., editing, copying), the pastor gets nothing. My church also operates a very small "bookstore" where members and others can purchase other materials (e.g., bible study materials, books by popular Christian authors)...the small markup they charge covers the cost of operating the store and funds the purchase of bibles that the church GIVES to anyone who requests one!

Answer 8

Unfortunately the world requires money to acquire the essentials of life. Like housing, cloths, food. Each person does the work they are called to and they are paid for that work. The work of a minister of the Gospel is to teach.. Jim
1 Timothy 5:18
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward.

Answer 9

Well in asking that it would be like should the gov. let Churches have free Churches with out any cost rent electric all the costs they come into just because there a preacher doesn't mean they are super human. They have to live too.

Answer 10

i dont think preachers should "charge" for their sermons or lectures... GODs word is free, and if you are gonna teach it, it should be free also... and plus, when you preach or minister, you should do it because the LORD has lead you to do it, and not for financial gain....because if $ is involved, you are no completely selfless in spreading his word... book are a different story... i think it is ok to charge for books because it actually cost the writter of the book money to print, ship, and all the other things that go along with publishing a book.

Answer 11

See Micah 3:8 - 12 (especially verse 11). This is one of the prohecies made by Micah. Micah is talking about the wickedness and sins of Israel. This has been happening throughout the ages, and is even going on today. There are "heads [or leaders] that judge for reward", "priests that teach for hire" (or are hired / paid to teach), "prophets [or false prophets] that divine [or prophesy] for money", etc... This is called priestcraft. The word of God is not for sale. It's for rich and poor, bond and free, etc...

I only know of one Church for definite that has a Lay Ministry (or in other words, they don't get paid for their Church work even though they are bishops, priests, elders, deacons, apostles, etc... - they work for their own support at regular jobs like us). But, it is very few and very rare. I don't know for sure if Buddhist monks get paid or not. I don't think so. I think they live off of the land. But, I'm not sure on that.