Comments on: Should Christian Websites Charge A Fee?

By: FinancialBondage

FinancialBondage — Fri, 14 May 2010 04:26:35 +0000

Good topic.

Well, there was a site that had free excellent content that I valued… I was going to print this one article but decided to bookmark it instead. A month or two later I came back and the content which I valued was no longer free but was a $30 ebook. needless to say I did not buy it. Have to admit I was a little annoyed.

By: Sylvester

Sylvester — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:17:00 +0000

As a committed believer with a wide ministry of helps over 7 years, very involved in my local church, started off as a volunteer, involved in not one but several ministries, helped grow these several ministries, trained many men and women, helping ended up a paid staff after my pastor recognised my God-given talents, and now going back to being an unpaid volunteer by choice, for family reasons, please allow me to share these:
1. Any form of Christian service is by faith.
2. Any labourer is worthy of his hire, so honour him/her!
3. Mature Christians generally do not have a problem with giving.
4. Immature/Ignorant Christians who want everything for free have a problem, and they love to hang on to their problem through selfishness and self-centredness.
5. No one goes into a Christian bookstore and demand the manager give him/her a free Bible or free book, so why should believers not pay where payment is due?
6. Something is more valued when sacrifice is in it.
7. Don’t cast pearls before swine.

I would very much prefer to serve the Lord without any wage. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve refused a salary on a number of occasions. Has God blessed me? More than you can imagine. I’m giving more to God now on a pension than when I was working in a secular job, and more when I was on church staff. You can never outgive God. I have many missionary friends who can testify that they are kept on the field only when people give. If you’re not a giver, don’t bother trying to get free stuff off the internet. God does not bless that.

By: Larry

Larry — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:49:32 +0000

So I guess if I do not have an independently wealthy Christian benefactor to pay the bills, I’m out of luck. Oh well.

By: Craig Ford

Craig Ford — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:19:09 +0000

@Jose
Thanks for your kind comment. I think you use the perfect phrase “right balance”. I am thankful for business men and women to discern God’s will for their business.
@Joe
I agree that Christians should not have a problem about charging for valuable services. You are correct that we do make confuse ourselves when we try to divide our occupations into spiritual and secular categories. Thanks for you comment.

By: Jose Paclibare | Christian business

Jose Paclibare | Christian business — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:12:44 +0000

Thanks so much Craig for this thought-provoking post. Indeed, we have to seek God’s wisdom on issues like this one . The “guidelines” you presented above are filled with wisdom.

Am reminded of what a successful internet entrepreneur shared with me a while back. He said he received insights from God on new ways of doing business and God wants him to share them to people for free. But how could he earn a living? So, he asked God again. Now he is not earning from selling information but from the use of information eg., training programs etc.

I think we can strike the right balance if we seek God’s wisdom.

God bless.

Jose O. Paclibare

By: Joe Plemon

Joe Plemon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:15:54 +0000

While I agree that charging for the gospel message would be the ultimate in tackiness, I have no problem with Christians charging for valuable services rendered. While Paul prided himself for not receiving financial support for his ministry to the churches, he was nevertheless a Christian serving his Lord even while making tents, and he obviously charged for the tents…as he should.

I know I am reading more into this than what you intended, but I think we need to be careful about categorizing “ministries” as spiritual and secular because doing so creates a double standard of how one should be compensated. All Christians are in full time ministry whether they are evangelists, missionaries, factory workers or engineers. And no one faults a factory worker for expecting his pay.

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:14:01 +0000

Although I don’t come from a Christian background, this applies to all faiths. I have no problem with sites charging, they also are in the business of making money, and need money for their own costs.

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:51:33 +0000

Craig, good discussion you have started. I think I lean more towards the side of Richard and Dave Ramsey – I have noticed personally in my own life that when I invest more into something (time, energy, money) I value it more than when I don’t. I wish it wasn’t that way, but if I am honest I have followed that pattern in the past. Therefore, while I much appreciate people offering free products and services, there is a possibility that they would not be valued and respected the same as if they charged a fair price. SO, I think I just convinced myself to turn ChristianPF into a $20/month membership site – (just kidding, for those who can’t tell)

By: Craig Ford

Craig Ford — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:16:14 +0000

As a paid church worker (100% of my salary comes from contributions from individuals and churches) I LOVE hearing all your feedback.
It highlights the precarious position of full time church workers.
Some believe it is not right to charge for a religious service. Others believe it is less than noble to be given money. In the midst of everything we find men and women of God who must find a way to feed and support their families.
I believe the primary reason church workers should be paid is in exchange for their time. A person who spends all their time working for God does not have the time to go out and do other income earning work. Thus it is respectable for a person to be compensated for their time.
Free vs. paid:
I can give my product free and that requires faith. I can charge a fee and that also requires faith.
I have heard Dave Ramsey say that he charges for products because he knows people value items for which they have paid their own money.
To provide someone with a valuable service is not something for which one should be ashamed. But, as the comments reveal there are opposite opinions.
While some are offended by fees there are not people who are offended by free. Thus, it seems as though free might just be the better road.
But is this just acquiescing to the strong opinions of a few?

By: Kelly B

Kelly B — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:52:16 +0000

In the long run, it is entirely up to me what I pay for. I do not have a problem with a Christian website charging a fee for some online resources. They have to pay the bills too. And I fully agree with Richard’s comment.