How a Millennial Minister Makes Money

As a millennial with several logs on the fire, I’m always curious about how other creative folks make money. A couple of weeks ago, I talked with Erin Lane of Holy Hellions about how her ministry supports her financially and spiritually.

Watch a clip of our interview here:

Erin works as a writer, blogger, and developer at a nonprofit, with no one full-time vocation. Although she knows it would be easier to have one steady career, she says, “I’ve always considered my vocation to be piecemeal.”

“That’s just how I’m wired,” she adds.

Erin’s disparate interests have led her to work as a program developer for retreats at the Center for Courage and Renewal, an organization that runs retreats across the country, and to blog and write. She edited Talking Taboo, an anthology about faith and feminism, and authored Lessons in Belonging from a Church-Going Commitment Phobe.

The royalties from both books “aren’t enough to keep me above the poverty line,” Erin says, which is one reason she takes on other roles. But splitting her time between steady work at the Center and creative freelance work is a good balance for Erin’s personality as well.

“I did not know what I wanted to do when I graduated,” Erin explains, “because I liked so many things.” After college, she ended up working as an editorial intern and mentoring a group of religious students. It was a perfect fit: half creative artistic work, half deep theological service.

Erin’s job titles now allow her to have a mix of both: theological service to the folks who go on retreats at the Center, creative work through writing. Without the writing, Erin says “I wouldn’t have as much playfulness.” But without the theological work, her creative work wouldn’t have as much depth.

The two support each other in more ways than one. Having a steady income also allows Erin to take creative risks she might not otherwise. If she had to support herself solely through writing, she might say yes to projects that didn’t necessarily inspire or interest her. But thanks to a steady part-time income (and the support of her husband, who is a full-time minister), Erin is able to be selective about what she writes.

There are downsides to working solo. It’s hard to know how to split her time between creative projects and work that pays. “A constant battle for me is to choose one over the other,” she says. Erin also doesn’t love the travel she has to do to work at retreats run by the Center, which keeps her from seeing local friends as much as she’d like. She’d like to work more locally.

But overall, Erin’s ministries feed off and encourage each other. Developing retreat materials requires Erin to practice introspection–“I can’t teach, write, and facilitate without having my own robust inner life,” she points out. This personal exploration is a large part of what she writes about on her blog, where she often explores topics like vulnerability and choices related to family and friends.

“I’ve always found the most meaningful ministry for me is the ministry I have a stake in,” Erin says.