Articles
Money & Mission Partnerships
Twelve years ago, I walked with my friend David Kitonga down the mud streets of a slum outside Nairobi, Kenya. Children clambered on garbage heaps, foraging for food. Dozens of children crowded around us. "These children are so quiet and well behaved," someone commented.
"They are quiet because they're sick," David said.
As we walked toward countless rows of darkened, clapboard shacks, several men rushed toward us. They were not there to greet us; they came to chase us away. The economy of that slum was based on prostitution and the illegal production of liquor. Even the police seldom ventured there.
Today, in the heart of that slum stands Huduma Church, with a congregation of twelve hundred adults and countless children. Drunkards, drug dealers, and prostitutes have come to Christ there. Men are taught basic carpentry, women are trained in sewing, and children are fed once a week and given basic education. Many other programs are underway to help the church grow and to help slum dwellers escape the grip of poverty.
Huduma Church is a tree of life in a field of despair. It exists first because local Christians had the compassion to work in the slum and second because a few outsiders had the humility to follow their lead.
Would Huduma Church have come to life without outside support? I don't know. Perhaps not. But I am certain that the people of God are designed for each other, and the kingdom of God advances when we work together. The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. Under Christ who is the head of the body, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body grows and builds itself up in love (1 Cor. 12:12, 27; Eph. 4:16).
How do we go about sharing financial resources for the work of the gospel? Advising someone on the use of money in such an endeavor is like forecasting the weather–it's a huge challenge with many unpredictable variables. The best we can do is advise one another on biblical principles and general patterns of success and failure.
Navigate by Biblical Principles
Should Christians within the global community of Christ share resources? Absolutely! The Bible is clear about how Christians are to care for one another. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Galatians to do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (6:10). His statement is not merely a nice sentiment. It took Paul nearly ten years to organize a large collection of funds from the Greco-Roman cities he evangelized to be sent back to Jerusalem. Paul's example reveals many important principles for sharing resources in the body of Christ (Acts 21:17–19; 24:17; 2 Cor. 8–9).
The Apostle John wrote, If any one of you has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in you? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:17–18 tniv). If a person who has the ability to help is aware of acute human need–particularly within the Christian community–and yet refuses to act in any way, the love of God simply cannot be in that person. Sound harsh? If these passages are not enough to guide us, there is much more guidance in the Scriptures.
The following charts identify twenty principles that help us think biblically about giving and receiving money. These principles are organized into two lists: Ten Laws of Receiving and Ten Laws of Giving. Admittedly, these lists are far from complete. For a comprehensive study, I recommend Craig Blomberg's book, Neither Poverty nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions.
In these lists, you'll find a tension between generosity and responsibility, between what we should do for others and what they should do for themselves. This tension is epitomized in Galatians 6. On the one hand, believers are admonished to carry each other's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ (v. 2). On the other hand, verse 5 says that each one should carry his own load . But don't be too quick to assume these verses are contradictory statements. Rather, they intentionally set up the tension between doing for others and others doing for themselves. Those who share resources in the work of the gospel must learn to navigate between the need to care for others and the need of others to care for themselves.
Ten Laws of Receiving
| General Principle | Key Text | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | It's better to trust in God than in money. | Psalm 34:9–10; 107:9; 111:5; 127:2; Matthew 6:24; Hebrews 13:5 |
| 2. | It's more blessed to give than to receive. | Acts 20:34–35 |
| 3. | Christians are to work to provide for themselves and their families and to have something to share with others. | Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 1 Timothy 5:8 |
| 4. | Christians are to manage their resources as faithful stewards of what belongs to God. | Psalm 24:1–2; Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 12:48; 14:28–30; 16:10–12; Acts 17:24–28; Romans 14:12; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 5:9–10; 1 Peter 4:10 |
| 5. | Christian workers have the right to financial support. | 1 Corinthians 9:3–14; 1 Timothy 5:18 |
| 6. | Christian workers should be grateful for financial support, but not depend on it. | Acts 18:3; 20:33–35; 1 Corinthians 9:15–18; 2 Corinthians 11:7–10; 1 Thessalonians 2:7–9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–9 |
| 7. | It's important not only to keep financial integrity before God but also to be perceived as doing so by others. | Deuteronomy 25:13–15; 2 Corinthians 8:16–24 |
| 8. | Christians can be content and thankful for God's supply. | Philippians 4:10–19 |
| 9. | Some Christians may be more impoverished than others, but that gives them no right to be idle and to depend solely on "welfare" from others. | 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–15; Titus 3:14 |
| 10. | Improper motives for getting money can lead to all sorts of trouble. | 1 Timothy 6:9–10 |
Ten Laws of Giving
| General Principle | Key Text | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Lord honors the generous and withholds from the miserly. | Deuteronomy 15:10–11; Proverbs 19:17; 22:9; Isaiah 58:7, 10–11 |
| 2. | Christians should beware of giving with mixed motives. | Luke 14:12–14 |
| 3. | Christians should give according to what they have, not according to what they do not have. | 2 Corinthians 8:12 |
| 4. | The financial surplus that some Christians have should be used to make up for others' financial deficiency. | 2 Corinthians 8:13–15 |
| 5. | Whoever sows generously will also reap generously. | 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 |
| 6. | Christians are to do good to all people, especially to fellow believers. | Galatians 6:10 |
| 7. | Christians are to have Christ's attitude of self-sacrificing humility and love for others. | Philippians 2:1–5 |
| 8. | Inappropriate giving can excuse others from taking personal responsibility. | 1 Timothy 5:4, 8, 11–13, 16 |
| 9. | Christians should beware of favoritism in their giving. | James 2:1–10 |
| 10. | Love demands that Christians never deny a brother in need when it's within their power to help. | 1 John 3:16–20 |
As you can see, many hazards surround the giving and receiving of money in ministry. Ignore the tension between generosity and responsibility and there will be problems. Allow the Holy Spirit's control to be replaced by pride, selfish ambition, or greed, and there will be still more problems. The sweep of Scripture suggests that if we err, it should be on the side of generosity. Let others say of us that we are too loving, not controlling; too generous, not stingy; too sacrificial, not self-serving. Let people around us say, "Look how they love one another."
Learn from History and Experience
Should local ministry be funded from the outside? History and experience answer "Maybe." In some cases, outside funding might be the right thing to do. In other cases, it might be the wrong thing to do. No formula will work in every situation. One thing, however, is clear: giving and receiving foreign funds in the work of the gospel requires careful attention and much prayer.
in indonesia
When churches began springing up among the Dani people of Irian Jaya, Indonesia, missionaries John and Helen Dekker were careful to encourage biblical stewardship and the use of local resources. Although the Dani lived a Stone Age-like existence and used small seashells for "money," they supported their own pastors and sent dozens of missionaries to neighboring tribes. Only when the churches had become well established were outside funds used to help students going to Java for seminary education.
in brazil
When Jim Orr and Marcio Garcia began reaching out to isolated villages along the coastline of Brazil, few Brazilians were willing to support their ministry. In the early days, World Partners of Canada provided 80 percent of their entire support. Today, they receive 20 percent from Canada and 80 percent from Brazilian churches. Because of this partnership, more than 4,500 people confessed Christ, and 100 churches were established.
in south africa
When Richard Makuyane began to preach on the street corners and bus stops of South Africa, he was completely alone. Richard had no church or mission to support him, and he was constantly limited by the apartheid government's policies. To support his ministry he kept a small kiosk where he sold food and household items and his wife Setty worked as a nurse in a local hospital. Although Richard was barely able to read, he began winning many people to Christ. When crowds grew too large for street corners, he borrowed an old tent and continued preaching. When the tent wore out, a Western mission purchased two large preaching tents.
Since Richard preaches mostly to poor people, he and Setty teach a variety of self-help skills. Although Richard and Setty work to pay their own expenses, a Western mission helps fund their feeding programs, health clinics, literacy programs, and water development projects in remote villages. Through Richard's ministry, more than ten thousand people have become believers and sixteen churches have been started.
in india
When God began moving among the Khond people of India, Southern Baptist missionary Calvin Fox recognized it as a spontaneous expansion of the church. He knew it was not something the missionaries had caused, neither was it something they were required to control. But they were responsible to nurture it. Since the Khond people are among the poorest of the poor, the mission subsidized both the school for master trainers and radio programs that teach farming techniques and the Scripture. For the Khond, the cost for these programs would be insurmountable, but for the mission, the cost is very little–just $33 per Khond church per year! Today, there are some 900 Khond churches and over 100,000 believers.
Although each story is different, involving different people in different parts of the world, there are definite similarities.
First, the churches did not receive direct outside subsidies, neither were the pastors paid with outside funds. This is a well-established principle of church growth. The healthiest churches grow out of their own indigenous resources. That does not rule out all forms of outside support, however. The Khond churches were aided in leadership training and agricultural development. Dani churches received help in training their top leaders. South African churches were assisted by a variety of self-help programs.
Second, missionary work by definition requires outside support. Marcio Garcia's church planting ministry still requires outside support, though now it comes from churches within Brazil. Richard Makunyane's evangelistic ministry was similar, although he accepted help with major capital expenses and specialized development projects.
Third, in every case, outside support came only by invitation and after careful assessment of the impact it might have.
Because there is no formula for effectively sharing resources across national, cultural, and organizational boundaries, each new situation requires individual judgment and discernment. But as stars help the navigator steer a ship, biblical principles and lessons learned from experience can guide us.
Know the Warning Signs
When is it wrong for outsiders to fund local ministry? The Assessment Checklists at the end of this chapter will help you identify warning signs of sharing resources for a particular project. Have the local partner ministry work through Checklist A, and you, the outside agency, work through Checklist B.
If you answer "No, we don't have it" to any question in the Assessment Checklist, it may indicate a problem. If your answer to more than one question is "No, we don't have it,", problems are a distinct possibility. If your answer to several questions is in the negative, it's almost certainly wrong to fund the project at this time.
Did you spot some potential problems? Some uncertainties, perhaps? Then you have more work to do. Search for a culturally appropriate way to address those troublesome issues.
Giving and receiving money in mission partnerships requires sound judgment in ever-changing circumstances. Yet there are constants, such as the doctrine of love, the unity of all believers, the fact that we are members of the same household of God and of the one body of Christ, and that we share a common call to glorify God and make Him known.
In Christ, we have all we need to build relationships of mutual respect and trust. The body of Christ is designed so that each part has something to give to others and something to receive from others. When we respect the giftedness of each part and the responsibility of every believer to steward what God has given, we will have partnerships that are complementary and mutually beneficial. Together we will proclaim Christ, grow in faith, and show the world the God we serve.
Serve One Another
I will long remember the first global conference hosted by Partners International. It was 1987, the week following the ground breaking COMIBAM conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ministry leaders gathered from all over the world to discuss the details of partnership. The most enduring result of the meeting was a covenant, drafted by the leaders of partner ministries, to establish the common ground on which our partnerships would stand. Here is what they said:
As those who share in God's grace with each other (Philippians 1:7), who have been qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:12), who share in the heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1), who share in his holiness (Hebrews 12:10), and who will share in the glory to be revealed (1 Peter 5:1), we as partners in the work of God affirm:
- We are called to invest our lives and resources in Christ's ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18);
- God has given his church a variety of gifts to complement each other in the ministry of equipping it to fulfill its mandate for the glory of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–13);
- In seeking to fulfill this mandate, we recognize that our ability does not depend on human criteria such as wealth, education, experience, and so on, but on the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6);
- It is both an honor and an obligation for Christians to assist one another in the work of Christ (2 Corinthians 8:1–15);
- Any God-honoring service should be carried out in a spirit of mutual respect, trust and submission in the Lord (Colossians 3:23–24; Galatians 5:13);
- Mutual accountability is an integral aspect of Christian stewardship (1 Corinthians 4:2; Romans 14:12);
- Our motivation should be that of a servant in keeping with the example of Christ (Philippians 2:1–11).
If we are to be the people of God in the global neighborhood, let us resolve to bathe our partnering relationships in prayer and to reflect together on our standing in Christ. Let us commit to our mutual call to the work of the gospel, all the while being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose (Phil. 2:2). Only then will we gain the discernment and courage to act like true brothers and sisters in Christ.
Source: Appeared originally as "Fine-tuning financing: Principles of giving and receiving in missions partnerships," Evangelical Missions Quarterly 38 (January 2002). Reprinted by permission of Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved.