Ingenuity and creativity are blessings from God. Pastors have these in huge dosages. Why do I say so? The call of God is unique. The works of the ministry are multi-faceted. Talents and learned skills are needed to run through the ministry’s gauntlet. There will be hurdles after hurdles in the pastor’s multi-disciplinary works as they use scarce or non-available resources to meet another’s needs.

Often, these lack release innovation and bring in imaginative substitutes. These can go on for years until it becomes unbearable with the onset of age, sickness in the family, and their children’s needs coming to the fore. 

Many of these workers faced incredible odds with staying in the ministries, especially when facing a cash crunch. Money is needed to transact many different aspects of daily living. These services or products may not be able to be paid for in-kind and goods.

I could name a few of these emergency and cyclical events that can put the pastors’ families in deep financial distress: hospitalisation, school expenses and long-distance transportation. How can we help them generate cash to help them in their cashflow? And still, preserving the integrity of their ministry?

In a small town and rural economy, cash is scarce and opportunities to make cash rarer still. People scrounge and save for the rainy day and when it comes, they will lose it quickly. They have to start all over again, never knowing if they have enough time to save for the next emergency. This vicious cycle robs them of opportunities, not just for themselves but also for their children. Still, these lovely “called” folks maintained a sweet disposition and continue to trust God.

Some church traditions make it difficult or discourage pastors from conducting a side business, but many have loosened up on these strictures. Others encourage fruitful use of the hands to earn a living while fulfilling the ministry’s call. Paul was one of them, engaging in tent-making for a living rather than receiving support from unfamiliar sources.

Are there some ways we can help? I am not talking about charity and providing crutches as these open the door to the dependency problem. It’s about helping these rural ministers attain, at the very least, a similar standard of living comparable to the populace. The challenge is often that the entire tithes and offerings of the congregation are insufficient to remunerate the full-time workers to take care of their family. Not that they are complaining, but if we can help them, why not?

Assuming the workers are open to receive help. There may be several products and services that generate income and revenue. The question is which one will best serve the pastor and his ministry? What are the current trends that disrupt old product lines and surface new opportunities? How can they sell and send out the best of their locality to satisfy the whole nation’s demands using the vastly improved online and courier services?