Faith, Finance, and Productivity: The Missing Link in Christian Film, Ministry- Converter Adeyemo
By Converter Adeyemo
When Christian faith-based producers are told not to think about the financial or return-on-investment (ROI) aspect of their projects, I have a few sincere questions for those who hold this mindset.
If the people God uses to support and sponsor your vision are not prospering, will they still be able to sustain that support? The Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7, KJV). Dependence is not a divine strategy, productivity is. God never intended His children to live by constant begging but by creativity, diligence, and excellence. “It is God who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant” (Deuteronomy 8:18).
When Jesus Met Peter: Productivity First
When God met Peter through Christ at the shore of Galilee, the first thing Jesus attended to was productivity. Peter had toiled all night and caught nothing, but Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). The miracle was not just about fish, it was a divine strategy for economic restoration and vocational empowerment.
Before calling Peter into full-time ministry, Jesus revived his means of livelihood. That was not coincidence. God wanted Peter to understand that kingdom calling does not cancel productivity; it refines it. The miraculous catch symbolized that divine grace amplifies human effort, faith and work are partners, not enemies (James 2:17).
Wholeness Before Worklessness
Everywhere Jesus went, He restored people to wholeness — not just spiritually, but economically and socially. The blind saw (Luke 18:35–43), the lame walked (John 5:8–9), the leper was cleansed (Luke 17:14–19), and the oppressed were freed, all to make them functional and productive again.
Even in the story of the widow’s jar of oil (2 Kings 4:1–7), the prophet Elisha did not raise funds by begging. Instead, he gave her a business model: “Go, borrow vessels… pour oil… sell the oil and pay your debts, and live on the rest.” That was divine entrepreneurship. God turned a crisis into commerce, proving that faith without strategy is frustration.
Dr. Myles Munroe once said, “God never gave Adam a chair; He gave him trees.” (Munroe, The Principles and Power of Vision, 2003). The implication is that God gives raw potential, not finished products, it’s your responsibility to process it into profit.
The Fallacy of “Beg-Beg” Righteousness
The “beg-beg” culture at the start of Christian movies and ministries, endless solicitations before production, must give way to structured sustainability. Faith should inspire creativity, not complacency. As Apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
Holiness is not the absence of enterprise. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were men of faith, yet they were wealthy, industrious, and influential. Proverbs 10:4 affirms, “He becomes poor who deals with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” www.gospelfilmnews.com
Learning from Past Generations
Decades ago, many sincere Christians followed spiritual leaders with loyalty and good faith, contributing their time, energy, and even resources to build ministries that have now become household names. Today, many of those same ministries are being handed over to the biological children of those leaders, which is not evil in itself, because legacy and succession are part of divine order (Genesis 17:7).
However, purpose must align. As your leader is being fulfilled in his calling, you must ensure that you are also finding fulfillment in yours. God’s plan for you is not to live under someone else’s shadow forever but to grow into your unique assignment. “Two cannot walk together unless they agree” (Amos 3:3). Serve faithfully, but don’t lose your purpose in another man’s journey.
Jesus taught stewardship in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), showing that God expects multiplication, not stagnation. As Proverbs 4:7 reminds us, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.”
Billy Graham once said, “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area of his life” (Wisdom for Each Day, 2008). Poverty does not glorify God; stewardship does.
A True Story and Its Lesson
A friend once told me about a man who had sponsored a ministry for years. Upon retirement, he gave a lump sum to the leader and said, “This will be my last contribution. I now need to focus on my family.” The ministry begged him not to stop, claiming they couldn’t survive without his support. Shocked, he asked, “What have you done with all the funds I gave you for years?” It ended in painful conflict.
This story underscores a critical truth: if your ministry or creative vision cannot sustain itself after years of support, you have built dependency, not a system. True biblical prosperity is transferable, it creates more helpers, not more dependents (Genesis 1:28).
Rethink Leadership and Balance Spirituality
It is not a sin to earn from your labor. Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, “It is the gift of God for a man to receive wealth and enjoy the good of his labor.” If your leader or pastor discourages financial growth or industry excellence, prayerfully re-evaluate your alignment.
Even Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, founder of Deeper Life Bible Church, has openly admitted that some of his earlier messages discouraged engagement with media and business, causing long-term economic setbacks for families. While repentance is noble, many followers lost opportunities due to unbalanced teachings that equated progress with worldliness.
Bishop David Oyedepo put it plainly: “Spirituality without mentality equals calamity.” (Understanding Financial Prosperity, 1997). God expects His people to combine holiness with intelligence and diligence.
Faith Meets Financial Intelligence
Faith is not a substitute for financial literacy. As Napoleon Hill stated, “The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does.” (Think and Grow Rich, 1937).
Rick Warren, in The Purpose Driven Life (2002), wrote, “Your job is not who you are, it’s where you express who you are.” Productivity, therefore, is not greed, it’s stewardship.
God’s kingdom needs producers who think like Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 41), Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 6), and Esther in Persia (Esther 4). Each combined spirituality with strategic intelligence to influence systems.
Conclusion
The story of the old and young prophets (1 Kings 13) warns that misplaced loyalty and ignorance can destroy destiny. Don’t let outdated doctrines or guilt rob you of divine productivity. Develop your mind, your skill, and your financial base while staying spiritually grounded.
Proverbs 16:3 declares, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”
Faith does not oppose productivity, it inspires it. True Christianity is not anti-success; it is purpose-driven success under divine direction.
I drop my pen here, only to pick it up later.
Dey play, ore ooo.