The Cost of Ministry

Here are some things that my wife and I learned after I became a youth pastor. In my mid to late twenties I accepted a part-time position at Mecca Wesleyan Church. My wife and I have two children and at that time we were not financially sound. We learned that there was a cost to serving Jesus Christ.

1. As a youth pastor, I found out that ministry cost personal money to do it.

2. Pursuing ordination cost money. Correspondence courses cost just under $200 a class.

3. After doing homework by hand for several classes I realized that I needed to save for a computer which was a great struggle.

4. Youth ministry required a type of committment that was a struggle to give and maintain. There was much spare time put into working with teenagers.

5. While pursuing ordination, Flame classes were developed by the Wesleyan Church. These would cost a couple hundred dollars too. However, vacation time from the my job was required as well as money, when available, for a hotel room.

6. A great amount of friction was experienced between my secular job and my ministry on behalf of the church.

7. Eventually, it was obvious that God wanted me to step-out on faith and be a full-time youth pastor. This was a 6 or 7 thousand dollar pay cut. Plus, it also involved giving up other benefits and scaling back on other benefits.

8. My family, parents, grandparents, and sisters, thought I was crazy. I did too.

9. After ordination, God called me to quit that position and move to SC and attend Southern Wesleyan University to obtain a Bible degree.

10. Attending college at 34, demanded that I give up $21,000. And that I uproot my family too. My wife gave up her job too.

God has always taken care of my family. God rewarded every one of these sacrifices. It has been a journey. Many consider ministry, but there is a cost.