Congregational Ministry Fund

In the United States and other developed countries, when you show up at church, you take it for granted that there will be chairs or pews to sit in, that the musicians will have instruments, that the rain will not drip through the roof onto you during worship, that your children’s Sunday school will have a curriculum, that the youth group would at least have a soccer ball to play with, and that there will be plenty of food at the church fellowship dinner. None of these things can be taken for granted in developing countries.

It has been discussed elsewhere that the sustainable, long-term solution to the lack of resources for even the most basic items needed for congregational ministry is stable incomes for church members. This is 100% true. This approach will, however, take years to build up enough income among church members that their tithes and offerings can cover the costs of ministry as well as providing for the pastor. In the meantime, a three-pronged approach can help to lessen the pressure on congregational tithes as church members’ businesses continue to grow and become more profitable.

Prong One: Sustainably Raise Church Member Incomes through Small Business Ownership
This is the most important solution and is permanent.

Prong Two: Making Pastors Less Dependent on Church through Small Business Ownership and/or Emergency Assistance
This is especially important during the “ramp up” period for raising congregation members’ incomes. Hopefully, when there are enough congregation members doing well and tithing, the church can fulfill its responsibility to provide a livable wage to its pastor. It can be very helpful in small churches, however, for the pastor’s family to have additional revenue streams to lessen the pressure on the congregation.

Prong Three: Outside Assistance for Congregational Ministry Expenses
During the “ramp up” period for raising congregation members’ incomes, the pressure on the first few families to start new businesses can be lessened significantly if they don’t have to cover costs such as buying chairs, curriculum, instruments, etc. This type of assistance is not sustainable and absolutely must be temporary. It is, however, very helpful in the early stages of building toward financial stability for a congregation.