My family and I used to work with Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT) in Papua New Guinea (PNG, just north of Australia). We lived in-country for a total of six years. My role was as a missionary pilot. The role of WBT is to translate the New Testament (or more, if able) into the viable languages that have no written scriptures in their own langauge.
Whenever a Bible Translation Project reaches its “completion”, there is a large celebration by the people-group receiving the published scriptures. One item that many people in “sending nations” find peculiar is that the receiving people are asked to buy the scriptures that have just been translated into their language. “We’re talking about the scriptures here, and salvation…and, you’re a ‘missionary’. Why are you charging for the work of the ministry?”
Meanwhile, there is an interesting website called “Business as Mission Network“, and it promotes exactly what its title implies, “Using businesses as an opportunity for spreading the Gospel.” Some of their tenets are:
- Committed to The Local Church: The business supports partnership with the indigenous church in the community.
- Glorifying to God: The name of God is the ultimate object of praise, not the name of the business.
One of these opportunities is providing business loans to people in developing countries. To the chagrin of some, the lenders charge interest for their loans. But, there is an interesting dynamic when it comes to money and certain types of product, including “christian product”. This same dynamic also appears in PNG regarding translated New Testaments: “If it’s free, it must not have much value. It isn’t worth much, otherwise you wouldn’t be “giving” it to me.”
Hope International is a non-profit Christian-based organization which has the goal of alleviating poverty via holistic means, including providing the business loans mentioned above…and again, they charge interest. But listen to a question they sometimes receive: “Why do you charge interest to the poor? Why not just offer interest-free loans or grants?” In reply, a woman who has her own counseling business directed at the poor stated:
- “It actually makes a lot of sense why they charge interest.” She shared that when her practice first opened, decades ago, she provided free counsel to underprivileged women—single mothers, former inmates, etc. “They rarely showed up for our scheduled sessions. If they did show up, they kind of blew it off.” She went on to discuss why she now charges these at-risk clients. While she discounts her service significantly, she still charges a fee. The change, as she described it, has been remarkable. “Now these women value my services. They come on time, they are invested, and they soak up every minute of their sessions. It’s been a dramatic shift since I’ve started charging a fee.”
Just as “freedom isn’t ‘cheap’ just because it’s ‘free”, neither is the gospel, nor any other commodity of value. Providing “free” money is counter-intuitive; providing free Bibles sometimes “devalues” God’s message; providing free counseling requires no commitment to change…thus, we charge a fee!
Somebody once “tweeted” in Twitter and asked why this website, MissionFundraising.com, charges $12.77 for its eBooks that supposedly help missionaries and church planters spread the Word. The author of these books, Jim Walters, replies:
- “I’ve sold bunches of them, and given away bunches of them, and people pay more attention if they bought them (or had them bought for them). When free, they are regarded as ‘worthless’.”
Your reason for charging for the gospel is very weak. Where is you philosophy supported in scripture regarding your statements: When free, they are regarded as ‘worthless’.” providing free Bibles sometimes “devalues” God’s message; God’s truth’s never ever lose value just because people do not pay for it. This statement is ludicrous and has no scriptural bases. Jesus said the whole world would hate his disciples, but does this mean the gospel message looses value? Get real.
Yvette,
Thank you for your comment.
Your point is well taken when only applied to the Gospel message. You are absolutely correct. Charging for the Gospel message is wrong; however, that is not what the gist of this article refers to. We are talking about charging for the “medium” through which the gospel message is presented, namely, the published Bible. While, in many cases, distributing free bibles is constructive and useful, this is not true in every case. It is proven through experience that in certain cultures (as the article states) providing a “free bible” en-masse actually denigrates the value of the bible in their eyes. Certain People Groups figure that if you’re giving it to me, it must not be worth anything. Whenever charges are made for a bible, it is only to cover the cost of the printing.
Again, to be more clear than the article may be, the charge is not for the “gospel message”, it is for the medium (the printed paper) upon which the gospel message is distributed, and this is only to cover the costs of the printing, and to demonstrate to certain People Groups that there is value in what they are receiving. You state the “God’s truth never loses value just because people do not pay for it” is absolutely true. God’s Truth never loses value; however, certain People Groups place no value on it, whether it is God’s Truth, or not. By charging for the medium of print, certain groups will place value upon it in their own eyes, which in turn, may persuade them to actually read it.
Again, thank you for your comment.
Add A Comment