Some of you have asked how Genesis 2:24 Ministries is funded. Simply stated, we are funded in whole by the kindness of patrons like you.
Others wonder but rarely ask, “If I give, how is the money used?” We are not embarrassed to provide full disclosure of that in a very public way. We post our budget on our website. You can see both the 2019 budget which was updated for September 2019 and the 2020 planned budget at www.genesis2-24.net/donate/. Let me encourage you to take a look at both and let us know if you have any questions. We believe that transparency in this matter is very important.
Please note there is no line item in any budget for a salary for Chris & Gay. We have never taken a salary from the ministry and do not plan to change that. God has always seen fit to feed and clothe us and we are believing he always will (Philippians 4:19). We do not include an expectation of income to the ministry in our plan because we never charge for any ministry we do. We allow those that are able and willing to donate to help cover the cost of doing ministry.
In past years Gay and I would fund the ministry’s needs from our personal income. God had always allowed us to work at jobs that paid well enough and that allowed us the flexibility to meet with couples in the evenings. We could also take a day off here and there to teach conferences and travel when needed.
But that changed in April of 2018. Gay and I felt God was calling us to quit working and do ministry full time. Being the stubborn and hardheaded man that I am it was not until August of 2018 that we actually did it. So why the delay? Well, three things really. We had to change what we were planning to do in retirement. Our current plan did not include a full-time ministry. We had to learn to live on a fixed income, I would not be able to go work an additional job to pay for those extra things that come up. And we had to learn to ask others to support Genesis 2:24 Ministries.
I think I am a typical man. It took me some time to register what God was asking me to do. We have never drawn any kind of salary from the ministry and I knew that was not to change. Gay and I still do not take any salary or reimbursements from Genesis2:24 Ministries. God has always supplied my needs from his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19) and he continues to today. God reminded me that he has never let me down and he will continue to feed me, and he will see to it that ministry needs are met. I was still not ready to make the jump.
How will the ministry be funded, I asked in prayer? Then I complained to God that in the past we would simply take the money needed to run the ministry from our own pocket. After all, God has always provided me with a good job, so that we could afford it. But God was calling me to leave the marketplace and spend all my time helping couples learn to live happily ever after. We do not charge for ministry and think of it as a free service. How was that going to work? Ministry might be free, but it does cost something. I was lecturing God on how the world works. He was not as impressed as I hoped he would be.
In addition to praying often, I talked to my friends, I asked for advice from other ministers; surely, they struggle with the same questions. I got the same answer from them all: “You should do what God is calling you to do.” No one provided advice about how I should do it or how to satisfy my concerns, instead, the sum of all their advice added up to a slogan “just do it.” Thanks, guys. Then one morning in August Gay and I were praying. I presented to her both the call I had heard and the list of reasons I was holding back. First, she thanked God for the conversation we were about to have. Then she shared that she had been hearing the same call, but God had told her I was wrestling with the decision. God had given her peace to let me work on it. Then She said to me “Chris, it’s the money isn’t it?” I was embarrassed because she was right. It was about the money. I would now have to depend on others and not my own initiative. We quit working that day and declared that our only work would be ministry whenever and wherever God calls (2 Timothy4:2).
Just as an update, God has honored the time we have given back to him. When we worked we had the capacity of being able to see 5 couples at a time because of our limited time. Everyone else had to wait. We now have a capacity of 15 couples and we currently see 12 every week and have solved the waiting list problem – for now.
I tell you all of that because we do indeed need your help. Perhaps you can make a monthly commitment to Genesis 2:24 Ministries, or perhaps you would prefer to make a one-time donation. Maybe you would like to pay for a line item in the budget. For example, you might make a monthly donation to cover our travel expenses of $250 / month or pay for all our software needs at just $300/year. Bottom line your donation no matter how big or small will help us keep serving. Thank you for your kind consideration.
