Frequently Asked Questions: How Are You Funded?

Many people think that denominations or large churches fund missionaries. There is some truth to that, but if we relied only on the funding of denominational conferences or large churches we would never complete the Great Commission. The truth is that the lion's share of missionaries must raise their funds and most of that funding comes from individuals who commit to partner with a missionary and give from their personal income.

Heather and I receive no support from a denominational level. We do not (as of this writing) have a single large church supporting us. We do have 4 small churches that have committed to partner with us and several individuals that give on a regular basis. I do not share this as a complaint, but to make the point that the primary force behind the modern mission movement is individuals taking their place in fulfilling the Great Commission by financially supporting those whom God has called. I wish local churches set aside 25% of their budget to support missionaries, but they don't. Actually missions budgets are being reduced and the recent trend is to use the mission budget for the local church's "mission trips" rather than supporting long-term cross-cultural missionaries.

The challenge for missionaries is to connect with those who want to partner financially with them. We must effectively communicate with many, many people the vision and calling of God for our mission ministry in order to develop partnerships that will fund our ministry budget.

The challenge for supporters is to trust God to provide these finances through them. Some supporters also find the Lord convicting them of waste and extravagance in their lives that can be redeemed for mission support. Heather and I supported a missionary couple shortly after we were married by turning off cable television and giving that money. We haven't had cable television since! We recently spoke at a church where the pastor challenged the congregation to give one dollar per day. He said that was less than most of them spent on soda! A young woman approached us after the service and said, "I'm giving up my Cokes and sending $31 per month!"

The bottom line is that Jesus has called every believer to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18-20). We must all consider how He is leading us to be part of this command. Will you go or send? I see no other options except disobedience.