For some time now I have had a growing feeling of revulsion at the marketing of resources for the gospel enterprise of taking the message of Jesus to a lost world.
This feeling was added to by the thoughts of fellow southern Californian preacher, TIm Spivey, in his blog on September 3, 2009.
It appears to me that every seminar I go to and most Christian websites I go are trying to get me to buy something. There is a balance in all this. I know it costs money to get resources to the point where they are readily available to me if I want them. I also understand that Christian authors have a right to live off the proceeds of their ministry just as Paul had a right to receive financial support while preaching (1 Cor. 9:1-14).
However it appears to me that the balance has tipped over into over-commercialization. It appears that the bean counters and investment entrepreneurs have entered into this Christian ministry area and have discovered you can turn a tidy profit.
We have a situation now where there is a huge and hugely successful business in selling two of the primary components of our enterprise as God's people. Worship music, and Gospel teaching.
I know I am judging people's motives here but I also know that when it comes to the Gospel we need to be very careful to not appear as mercenary. We have enough trouble with the negative image of churches as "only after my money".
I was so moved by Rick Warren, an extremely successful Christian author, when he would not accept all the proceeds (millions of dollars) of the sales of his books etc.(90% of all the profits from The Purpose Driven Life goes to our Acts of Mercy foundation) and chose to live on the same middle class income he had always lived on. More details on this. He was preaching, writing, teaching because of a fire within him, not to make a buck and he didn't want to be perceived any other way.
It is the slick publishing houses and other engine rooms of getting product to market that are driving this. The man of God who pens a book is not the problem. It is the one who lives for the profit of the book, rather than the prophet of the Book. Terrible puns but they make the point.
So, the next time I go to a seminar, I don't want to be accosted by marketeers trying to sell me something like those guys around the islands at the mall. No, I don't want a free sample of moisturizer. And I suppose that is what is really bothering me and I acknowledge it may just be paranoid, over sensitive me. I am starting to feel like the target of a pitch man for some product.
I have worked enough sales in my life (to support my preaching habit) to recognize when someone is trying to pitch me or close a sale to me. I also know that I would feel a little helpless without my library that came through the same channels I am know criticizing.
So, I am conflicted, and that's par for the course for me. I just want to go to a Christian seminar without it feeling like a sales showcase. Preach to me. Rebuke me. Love me. Encourage me. Just stop trying to turn a buck in your ministry to me.
