Ekklesi

Why is it paid?

Many churches understandably ask: "Why pay for a website? There are free tools." That's a fair question. Here is our answer — transparent and straightforward.

An online service is never truly "free" — someone always pays

Even a "simple" website relies on real costs:

  • Hosting and infrastructure (servers, backups, bandwidth)
  • Domain name and security certificates (HTTPS)
  • Software development and maintenance
  • Security updates and bug fixes
  • Support when your team has a question
  • Payment processing fees (card, Mobile Money…)

When a tool is completely free, the cost is often shifted elsewhere: advertising, data resale, or a project maintained in someone's spare time — with the limits that implies.

"The worker deserves his wages"

Jesus reminded his disciples:

"The worker deserves his wages." — Luke 10:7 (see also 1 Timothy 5:18)

Building, hosting and improving a web platform is work: design, code, testing, supporting churches, fixing incidents. That work deserves recognition — like a carpenter, accountant or sound technician.

Ekklesi is not a "nice little side project" built on weekends between other activities: it is a professional service designed for communities that rely on their online presence week after week.

Being paid means ensuring longevity

This is at the heart of our conviction.

A project maintained only voluntarily, without stable income, has very little chance of surviving long term: priorities change, time runs out, life happens… Your church's website, however, must stay online Monday as well as Sunday, next year as well as today.

By being paid, Ekklesi can:

  • Keep going even when the founder's personal life becomes demanding
  • Fix bugs and ship updates regularly
  • Respond to churches that need help
  • Invest in security and infrastructure reliability

Your subscription is not an "extra": it is what allows the service to last.

A model that makes quality possible

Today, Ekklesi is built with limited time. By being compensated for this service, the goal is to dedicate much more time to it — ideally full time.

More time on the project means:

  • better quality (fewer bugs, more polished interfaces)
  • faster improvements (useful features for churches)
  • more responsive support when you are stuck
  • a long-term vision rather than patching things together

We aim for a price accessible to a local church (see pricing), not an aggressive model. The goal is not enrichment: it is a viable balance between mission and sustainability.

What your subscription actually funds

Each month, your contribution helps cover:

  • hosting for your site and media
  • technical maintenance (Laravel, Statamic, security)
  • development of new pages and modules
  • email support
  • banking and billing fees

In short: you pay so you no longer have to worry about the technical side. Your team focuses on church life; we focus on the tool that serves it.

What about the 30-day free trial?

Exactly: we believe you should try in real conditions before committing. That is why sign-up is free for 30 days, with no credit card.

But a generous trial at the start does not replace a sustainable model afterwards. Without subscriptions after that period, the project would stop — and that would be bad news for the churches that trust us.

In summary

Ekklesi is paid because:

  1. A website has a cost — denying it only postpones the problem.
  2. Work deserves fair pay — Scripture says so clearly.
  3. Longevity requires a viable model — volunteering alone cannot guarantee the service survives.
  4. Quality takes time — and time must be funded.

We are building Ekklesi to last, in service of churches. If this transparency resonates with you: