We have a babysitter who is out of college and hopes to go to seminary soon. She is in a program at a local church (large non-denominational Bible church), which is billed as a training internship for prospective ministers.
The arrangement between her and the church is set up such that the church pays her nothing for her work as a college minister in-training. She is expected to raise her own salary through private donations. What feels odd to me is that donations for her salary are instructed to go to the church, which "retains discretion over the use of the funds".
I have seen plenty of people asking for help to raise money for seminary tuition, but this arrangement feels weird. I would think the church should just call it an unpaid internship and tell her she's on her own for living expenses. The dynamic of having donors give directly to the church (which they may or may not attend) to pay her salary, and for the church to say they can do what they want with funds, seems fishy. Is this a common thing?
The arrangement between her and the church is set up such that the church pays her nothing for her work as a college minister in-training. She is expected to raise her own salary through private donations. What feels odd to me is that donations for her salary are instructed to go to the church, which "retains discretion over the use of the funds".
I have seen plenty of people asking for help to raise money for seminary tuition, but this arrangement feels weird. I would think the church should just call it an unpaid internship and tell her she's on her own for living expenses. The dynamic of having donors give directly to the church (which they may or may not attend) to pay her salary, and for the church to say they can do what they want with funds, seems fishy. Is this a common thing?