Does the Call to Ministry = A Call to Poverty?
As most of you know, Rusty and I are full-time support-raised missionaries. That means, we depend on donations made by our supporters to get our monthly paycheck. You could compare it to a pastor of a church – he gets a paycheck because people give tithes and offerings in the plate on Sunday morning. We get a paycheck because people send in donations to Adventures in Missions.
There are many different opinions about 
support-raising. Some people aren’t supportive and think we should get ‘real jobs’ and stop asking people for money. Some people (who support us) love being a part of our mission work. And those of us who support-raise usually have a love/hate relationship with it; we LOVE the way it keeps us dependent on God and in relationship with our supporters….and sometimes we HATE the way it keeps us dependent on God (because as sinful, prideful humans we like to do things on our own!)
There are several references in scripture to support raising. Most people know that there were churches and individuals who supported Paul’s ministry, but there is another scripture that is less familiar in Luke 8: 1-3. The truth is, Jesus was actually a ‘support-raised missionary’ too!
traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the
good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2and
also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary
(called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3Joanna
the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many
others. These women were helping to support them out of their own
means.
It’s comforting to me to know that there was a time Jesus was in the same boat we are in. Called to a life of full-time ministry, He depended on the support of others to meet His and the disciples’ needs.
Still, Rusty and I sometimes struggle with how other people may perceive us as missionaries. That’s what made us decide to write this blog. We’re wondering if other support-raised missionaries struggle with the same thoughts, and exactly how those of you who are supporters view your partnership with those you support.
I will be honest, I struggle with worries sometimes that we are not meeting the expectations of our supporters. The idea behind support raising is a PARTNERSHIP; the donor’s job is to give and pray, the missionary’s job is to carry out the ministry. Unfortunately, I think sometimes I view supporters as my BOSS or my SUPERVISOR. Because they are, essentially, paying my salary, I wonder if I am living life the way they expect, sacrificing as much as they expect, and, to be blunt – “poor enough” for them to continue supporting me.
The problem is, when God called me to missions, I didn’t take a vow of poverty. Now, don’t get me wrong, if God is calling you to a vow of poverty then blessings to you. It takes a very strong person for that! But neither I, nor Rusty felt that call. The call to missions automatically equals a call to SACRIFICE – this we knew. We knew we would probably make less than half the money we could make in ‘real world’ in this ‘occupation’. We knew we would have to sacrifice employee benefits (like insurance and retirement). We knew we would have to sacrifice the houses, cars, clothes and trips that many others splurge on. We knew there would also be times God called us to GIVE sacrificially, to orphans, mission work, or a friend in need. We knew that we would have to live on a budget and there might be tough times. But God promises ABUNDANT LIFE and GOOD GIFTS to His children….so we never expected to live a life of poverty.
But sometimes, I struggle with whether or not our supporters expect that. (and I wonder if any of you in ministry have the same struggles?)
We were recently sharing our financial needs with one of our awesome supporters, and explaining that we’d be going on a support raising trip in May/June. Her suggestion – “You might not want to tell people you went to Disneyworld on vacation if you want them to support you!”
It made me wonder if she was right. If people knew we went to Disneyworld on vacation, would they still support us? (Even though our airfare, lodging, and tickets were all paid for by friends who wanted to bless us?!)
I know that there are people who sacrifice to send the monthly support
they give us and for that we are SO grateful! But what kind of
lifestyle is “sacrificial enough” for us to be the missionaries you
expect us to be? Sometimes I wonder if we are “suffering enough” for people to want to support us.
I am being very honest with you here. These are the thoughts we wrestle with sometimes!
I guess it comes down to realizing that as much as we need support, we aren’t looking for donors who pity us as we “suffer for Jesus” as missionaries. We are looking for PARTNERS; people who believe in us, are passionate about seeing Kingdom come to earth, and want to be a part of our work to see orphans fed, the poor loved, missionaries sent out, and His name made great! (If that describes you, then please click here!)
We serve a God who wants us to give us ABUNDANT LIFE and who loves to bless us with good gifts. I hope in the future we can enjoy those gifts without hearing the question “are we suffering enough?” in the back of our minds.
You go, girl, for having the willingness to ask the question! As a support-receiving couple, I think it’s your job to steward that money and use it wisely. And part of that stewardship is to build in some fun time/money. You’d be insane not to, because everyone needs a rest and a time for fun.
You’re right, you would be making at least twice as much doing the same job in the non-ministry world. And that means that you won’t have everything. You don’t get to see every movie in the theater. You make a budget that includes some peanut butter and jelly lunches. But as Christ-centered, spiritually and emotionally healthy people…we need a little Disney every now and then! Having vacations and rest time means that you’re able to give your heart and time to God to fulfill those ministry needs.
In Iraq, soldiers often work 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day on a deployment. And this policies are being harshly criticized because it is too much for the human mind. After about 6 months of that soldier start to crack, and after a year of it, they crash. It’s unsustainable. If someone who is thinking of supporting you expects you to be Mother Teresa 24/7 on their dime…they are severely out of touch with reality.
Great blog Ericka! Brad and I have struggled with some of these same questions, ESPECIALLY after spending this year on the world race and seeing so much poverty! But here is where we landed: we answer to God alone. Our fear of man (and his expectations of us) will only distract us from His calling on our lives. Our job is to be obedient to what He calls us to do, whatever that ends up being. If neither you nor Rusty felt called to poverty, there is a reason for that (He always has a purpose!). It is not up to us to try to live up to anyone’s expectations for our lives other than God’s. Does that mean that people will judge us? Yup. Does that mean that we will be misunderstood? Yup. But at the end of the day, we will still have those people around us who love us, who support us, and who will continue to speak life into us. None of that other stuff matters. Thank you for being so vulnerable! It always helps when have brothers and sisters in Christ who struggle with some of the same thoughts you do!
hi erika!
great thoughts, and ones i never really stopped to consider, even though we do support several support-raised missionaries such as yourselves. it’s never really occurred to me that something wouldn’t be “right” about how they’re going about things when i read that they’ve gone on vacation somewhere, or bought a vehicle or a computer. i guess when you get right down to it though, anyone in ministry is support-based, even if on staff at a church or any other ministry where we are “employees” and draw a “salary.” my wife and i work at a children’s home, and any time churches and individuals who support the Home decide they no longer wish to do so, our “salary” isn’t any more guaranteed than someone who receives their support directly from others. we all need to remember that we are in service to God, and are called to conduct our lives in such a way as to please Him, no matter where our financial sustenance comes from.
once we start attaching strings and setting conditions (other than that the ministry we’ve committed to support gets carried out of course!), i think we’ve misplace our priorities. God bles you both as you continue to serve Him and His Kingdom!
i can always count on you to ask the hard questions, ericka 🙂 i know that when i was raising money for the WR, i felt guilty almost because i was giving up my job and “traveling the world” as most people saw it. when in reality, i was giving up everything…good bed, clean clothes, alone time, etc. to follow God’s calling on my life. like you, i would worry that i wasn’t “poor” enough or living up to my donors expectations if i were in your shoes, but just like i plan on fun vacations and date nights with my husband, so should you! and God provides that for you through the generosity of others whereas, i may have to budget for it 🙂 eventhough i work a “real job” (i’m defining “real job” as one with benefits, insurance, etc) i still have to be a good steward of my money. this is my mission field. i work hard for the money God blesses me with, but so do you. you work hard to maintain relationships with your supporters and you work hard by being the hands and feet of Christ. we won’t always see what you and rusty do on a day to day basis, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t working hard. you are called to do this….i pray blessings over you and rusty. i admire what you both do.
I’ve found that going to those similar in mind and thought for guidance often ends in reassurance, not advice. You requested comments from fellow receivers of the call as well as those that currently support the common cause. I admit that I am neither, so if you stop reading here, I understand. If you’re still with me, I offer my “outsider” food for thought.
I only know the basics of the tasks you opt to take on, and can only make assumptions as to the challenges and stresses that accompany the resulting lifestyle. I have the utmost respect for your decisions and find them admirable, which is saying the least, but that doesn’t justify my right to discuss the issue you opened for comment. I do however know a little about money as a professional in that industry, and can’t help but observe the common trends people show in their management of it. In my opinion, there are 2 things every person has when it comes to disbursement of their personal funds. Whether rich or poor, kind or rude, giving or selfish, when it comes to money everyone has (1) skepticism; and (2) hesitation. Whether paying a bill or funding an operation for a dying child, people will hesitate paying in order to skeptically compare the cost and the benefit of their payment. This process of quiet consideration is not seen or heard a majority of the time, but most of us do it, and rightfully so (afterall, that money was most likely earned in some way or another, and that’s not easy to give up).
That being said, also consider that some people put more into that quiet decision process than others. For example, when requesting a donation, some will step back and comment on your recent vacation, questioning your devotion and/or intentions, while others will smile and reply, “Sure, of course I’ll help out.” Both hesitated, but the differing levels of skepticism led to different outcomes. My point (yes, I have one) is that you shouldn’t take it personally; that’s just “man” as someone eluded to above. However I don’t believe that “fear(ing) man” will help in your mission, but that obtaining the best understanding of “man” possible will. You fear what you don’t know, and the unknown is hard to reach.
I would even go a step further and say that you could learn from man and reverse one his worst characteristics to use for your benefit…greed. Think how you can get paid for everything you do. What can you sell? Who else could you ask? What program could you start to that generates constant cash flow? Think like the greedy and think of everything you do as a means to making money knowing that every penny aids in funding the good you honestly intend. Your honesty is obvious. Combine that “good greed” with what you already do and those who are meant to see it will; ignore the overly skeptic.
I know you (or did some time ago in the past) and don’t for a second question your honesty or intentions, which your actions alone justify. You could have made different decisions along the way that would have put you in different places with different goals; but you didn’t. That takes a strong mind among other things, and I bet what other people thought never bothered you before, so there’s no reason to let it now.
If you kept reading and got nothing from this, I’m sorry I wasted your time; but hopefully you did. Good luck to you and your mission; the world most definitely needs some help and good people to unselfishly help.
War Eagle