Financing Missions Work

Giving for Growth or Dependency
Mission ministry is a giving work. It is transacted through the expenditure of energy, time, ideas, and funds. Most often than not, the last item may be the most important. I liken funds to be the lubricant for the engine of growth.

But then there are some who disagree to the giving of funds to the mission field, period. And they have reasons. Suffice to say the differences are not over Biblical giving. The major objection is that giving creates unhealthy dependency. After spending many years and having expended many dollars in the mission field, I have concluded that it is productive to give. The fruits are there for all to see. My mentor in missions has a very simple target in giving. He said, Give. Make sure it goes to the furthest and the poorest! He did not even address the dependency problem and I think for a good reason. We have the wisdom of God not to allow that to happen to the recipients. And crucial still, the recipients will not allow funds to create friction, competition, jealousy and all things unhealthy and detrimental to their spiritual dynamism and hunger.

So resources are there to be shared. We need not give to all and sundry though. But we must give with no expectation of its return in any forms. We must give careful consideration the hows, whats, whys and wheres. And then making sure it is used as intended and judiciously. These two conditions are to be honoured by the recipients and the donors must have some mechanism for feedback for control purposes.

Let us consider some areas that are worthy of funding.

Indigenous Work

Even up to today Partners International still fund many overseas ministries and supports indigenous ministries all over the world. It is a dynamic agency, which has an income of US $15,765,039 in 2010. It was established in 1943.

In their Spring 2001 newsletter, Paul-Gordon Chandler, President/CEO quoted Rev Wilson Wong (Partners Board member) as saying! , Tr aining indigenous Christians to spread the Gospel is still the most effective means to reach this part of the world.

Paul continues to say, We train for a purpose: to send workers to the unreached. But they cannot be sent unless someone supports them. The small size of the indigenous church and the low economic state of their countries hinder the launching of these strategic ministries. This is where Partners comes in: identifying innovative opportunities and coming alongside and serving Gods servants in the hard places.

Essentially, indigenous works are more cost- and result-effective in comparison to the placement of a foreigner/missionary. They need no acclimatization, language learning, visa and facing a host of cross-cultural issues. In my experience indigenous workers can go further (distance), address local concerns and culture in their messages, take advantage of the citizenships privileges without arousing suspicion of the authorities and consternation of the locals.

Frontline Workers

In Vietnam a lot of funds go into the workers training and support program. The Vietnamese government persecutes the church esp. those in the villages and ethnic groups. A church can lose 90% of its membership in severe persecution. But with proper training of the local leaders it can reduce the rate of attrition. The Cham church is a case in point. The church was in shambles because of persecution in the mid-90s. Today it has through a combination of funding for church planters and training programs, grown in size and leadership to become viable as a force for evangelisation. The Chams was listed as the top priority in the AD2000 and Beyond unreached people groups.

Frontline workers have a right to access good training and support. They are the spearhead and most often are found in the most difficult environment. Trainings and support will not and cannot be provided unless funds are forthcoming from external sources. We need to look for transformational re! sults in our partnership rather than the transactional short-term, short-sighted policies of the result-oriented biggest bang for the buck mindset.

Strategic Work

George Soros the currency speculator and democracy advocate has a soft heart for those whose human rights were violated. He has pumped millions in socio-economic programs to help these countries. Before the breakdown of the Iron Curtain he has poured in his millions to aid democracys activists. According to the Readers Digest, in one of their rare foray into investigative journalism, credited George Soros as instrumental in the downfall of the Romanian regime. George Soros foundation has a powerful guiding principle in their funding: funds are used to build capacity in people living in dictatorial and autocratic nations.

Besides, frontline workers in church planting and evangelism, strategic work may include many other approaches like Bible School, social support programs in resistance and restricted areas, outreach to the least reached and unreached peoples group. In my experience in Laos, they dont need and dont want monthly support for their frontier pastors and church planters. But they gladly receive the offer of support for his frontline workers training program and other forms of assistance. In some areas in Thailand they want funds for training and church planters support while in another province none was asked. Cambodia is willing to shoulder part of the funding though not much. Bangladesh wants both and their support for front-liners will be for the duration of seven years due to difficulty in their socio-economic and religious realities. In Vietnam, a good example of a successful model for support of workers is that urban and rural church planters are supported up to 35-60% of the tithes and offerings of the congregation. Funds can initiate and propel a work but it can also create jealousy, favouritism and greed. One thing for sure each local groups will learn how to use these funds for the good of all,! progres sively.

Conclusion

There are many hard places around the world that are smitten with poverty. Thats not the main reason for funding but if grouped with the above reasons then there is no stopping the transfers of Gods blessings from the haves to the have-nots. Let us not put ourselves in a straitjacket. Training programs that build capacity and empower, should have top priority in our consideration for funding.