Missionary fundraising gets a bad rap. Sometimes it is seen as a lack of faith, sometimes as deceptive, sometimes as pure begging. But there are biblical precedents for missionary fundraising that we will examine in this new blog series: The Ultimate Guide to Missionary Fundraising.
In the book of Numbers, God lays out a plan for His servants to be supported by the tithes of the people.
“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 22 Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’”
Numbers 18:21-24
This set the precedent for spiritual leaders being supported in their work from that time forward.
God is here instituting the idea that full time ministry workers should actually receive some of the tithe – the money given to God – for their personal living expenses. That’s pretty amazing! It’s amazing because it shows how God cares for His servants, and also amazing that God would allow money given to Him – holy money of sorts – to be used for someone’s personal needs. But what that shows us is the weight of the office of a “full time worker” in the ministry. God views it as so important that He is willing to “share” the money that people have given to Him.
It is important to understand this Biblical precedent of missionary fundraising from both sides: as a giver and as a receiver. When we tithe to our local church, it is a fact that a good portion of that money will go towards paying the “salaries” of those who work in ministry “full time”. Depending on the size of the church, this may include pastors, assistant pastors, secretaries, receptionists, janitorial staff, and on and on. But the principle is that God has designated – declared that it’s okay – for these people to receive their wages from the money that comes to Him through the tithes of His people.
It’s also important to see it from the side of the receiver. I remember the first time I cashed a check as a full time missionary. A church had given me an honorarium for my ministry to them, I believe for $100 or so, and I went to my bank to deposit it. As I was going through the deposit process at the bank, I began to think about the gravity of the situation. This money that I was depositing was money that people had given to God. They had sacrificially taken money out of their wallets, given it in good faith to God through their church. And now I had it. I had their money. More correctly, I had God’s money. It was quite a realization for a 20-something missionary. I suddenly realized the responsibility that came with the privilege. What was I going to do with this money? Was I going to use it wisely? It was an epiphany moment for me; an “ah-ha” moment. I was a servant of God. He was taking care of me through other people giving in His name. Wow.
This is just an introduction to biblical precedents for missionary fundraising. This post really is laying the groundwork for understanding the support of full time ministry workers, including missionaries. Stay tuned for more posts coming soon that will delve into New Testament examples and connection to “active fundraising”!