Don't let your generosity cause financial dependency

• The "have" Christians of the world want to share in Kingdom work in "have not" places. So, they shower money on projects and people in faraway places.
• Giving money to people and projects in other cultures must be done wisely, strategically, and judiciously so that it helps rather than hurts.
• Dependency on foreign money can sap spiritual vitality, stifle local initiative, and actually slow down Great Commission fulfillment.
• Foreign money should only be used to "prime the pump" rather than to subsidize ongoing operations.

Mission Briefing: Ideas shaping world mission outreach today

Dependency. It is a word often associated with addiction. Sadly, dependency is also used as a label for a problem bedeviling world evangelism efforts. That problem develops when well-meaning attempts to aid a congregation or a leader in another country create a thirst for foreign funding and the view that more foreign money will enable a church to fulfill God's plan for it. Sadly, such financial dependency on foreign aid often has the effect of sapping spiritual vitality, stifling local initiative, and actually slowing down Great Commission fulfillment rather than speeding it up.

That's a tragic irony, isn't it? The "have" Christians of the world want to share in Kingdom work in "have not" places. So, they shower money on projects and people in faraway places. However, raining down money on people and projects can be akin to trying to help baby birds get out of their eggshells or butterflies out of their cocoons. That "help" is not good for the birds or the butterflies. What was meant to be a helping hand becomes counterproductive and winds up hurting rather than helping.

Here are ten reasons why allowing financial dependency to develop is unhealthy in global missionary ministry:

1. Dependency on a continual stream of foreign money for churches and other projects means a system has been set up that is not sustainable locally. It means churches are not infinitely reproducible since each new church requires that even more foreign money be sent in.
2. Dependency lulls aid recipients into thinking that Kingdom outreach is dependent on the generosity of overseas benefactors.
3. Members of churches dependent on foreign benefactors miss out on the joy of giving sacrificially and of living by faith in God's provision.
4. Knowing that a congregation is supported by foreign money taints a church's credibility in the eyes of the local community.
5. Dependency creates an entitlement: The more aid is given, the more it is expected and solicited. It becomes an unquenchable thirst.
6. Dependency sometimes leads those with access to foreign money to think of themselves as powerful rather than as the servants of those they are trying to lead.
7. Because jealousy too often raises its ugly head among those not receiving assistance, dependency can strangle the sense of community that should characterize networks of local churches and believers.
8. Though it seems paradoxical, dependency has even fostered resentment toward or disdain for foreign benefactors (who never seem to be giving enough).
9. Dependency allows foreign benefactors to have undue influence over vision, goal-setting, and decision-making in churches where they have only a very superficial understanding of context and cultural dynamics.
10. Dependency breeds temptations to "borrow" foreign funds or embezzle them outright.

For these and other reasons, depending on a pipeline of foreign money to finance local ministries often winds up stalemating things rather than sustaining or increasing momentum. It stunts initiative rather than stimulating it. It cripples churches rather than galvanizing them to increase action.

So, is giving financial help always bad? No. But it must be done wisely and with great discernment. No one sets out to purposefully create dependency. It is, tragically, an unintended consequence. To avoid dependency, foreign money must not be used to pay for everyday local expenses such as pastors' salaries, living expenses, building rent, or utilities. To use an analogy from pioneer days in the American West, foreign money must only be used to prime the pump rather than subsidize ongoing operations.

All Christ's followers are called to give. Believers are called to help the less fortunate. However, we must do it judiciously and strategically to help rather than hurt.

Discussion questions

1. What are some negative consequences of creating financial dependency in global missionary ministry?
2. What would be some positive outcomes of financially supporting world missions ministry wisely and with great discernment?
3. How can the creation of financial dependency hinder the fulfillment of the Great Commission?
4. What are the negatives of foreign benefactors having undue influence over vision, goal-setting, and decision-making in local churches?
5. How can churches and organizations ensure that foreign money is used wisely and strategically so that financial dependency can be avoided?

    -- Howard Culbertson,

This mini-essay on a key issue in world missions outreach is one of 12 articles in the "Mission briefing" series published in Engage magazine.

Afterwords

Troublesome issues brought on by financial dependency in world missions outreach include:

• Lack of Sustainability: Projects begun with significant amounts of foreign or external funding often struggle to develop livable local sources of support. That way of operating is unsustainable in the long term. It is not an infinitely reproducible model.
• Distorted Priorities: Doing what will attract external money becomes the focus rather than doing what best fulfills the mission of the group.
• Absence of Local Empowerment: Excessive dependency on external funding can smother local autonomy and self-sufficiency. Instead of empowering communities to address their own needs, the flow of foreign money fosters a culture of dependency, where people become passive aid recipients rather than active participants in the mission.
• Paternalistic Relationships: Financial dependency introduces unequal power dynamics between donors and recipients and opens the door to paternalistic attitudes and behaviors. Outside donors exert undue influence over decision-making, undermining local ownership and initiative.
• Risk of Corruption: When significant amounts of foreign money pour in regularly, doors open for corruption and mismanagement.
• Dependency Cycle: Financial dependency can create a cycle in which reliance on foreign funds for ongoing expenses make it difficult to find an exit ramp to locally sustainable minisitry operations.

The worst of such issues can be avoided by:

• Using a sustainable funding strategy
• Emphasizing local empowerment, entrepreneurship, and ownership
• Holding everyone accountable
• Insisting on transparency in handling finances

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