Hudson Taylor once said, “God’s work never lacks God’s supply.” Yet, the current economic climate may put our confidence in this truth to the test.
Families, communities, churches, nations, and even mission agencies are facing greater economic uncertainty than ever before. But with new financial challenges, ABWE has also seen a testimony of how God uses His faithful ones to accomplish His purposes.
ABWE’s missionaries rely on generous and consistent gifts from churches and individuals to make their ministries possible. We know that many supporters and members of supporting churches are experiencing job loss, declining retirement savings, and other financial challenges. Yet, by God’s grace ABWE’s missionary giving has remained consistent, and, in some cases is increasing.
One church treasurer sent us a note describing how his church budget had to be adjusted due to reduced giving. His church, however, felt strongly about making budget cuts without reducing its missionary support. This seems to be a pattern among our church partners. Many individual donors share this conviction in their financial choices. One woman sent us a note asking for prayer about a recent job loss, while simultaneously commenting that she would do everything she could to continue sending monthly support for “her missionary.” Her example calls to mind Christ’s comment about the “widow’s mite”!
These are only two of the countless stories we’ve heard of God continuing to supply for the needs of His work during these uncertain times. We are humbled by such displays of dedication to our worldwide gospel ministry.
ABWE’s GREATEST CHALLENGE
Unfortunately, ABWE is now facing a reduction in support for our home office ministries. In the past, careful management of our investments has kept ABWE’s reliance on missionary support to a minimum, while we provided our missionaries with vital training and services. As you can imagine, however, this type of income has been drastically reduced in today’s investment climate. We reached the point where we began earnestly praying about greatly increasing the amount we took from the missionaries’ support accounts to cover our administrative costs.
But, naturally, God had a better way. More than 20 years ago I sat with one of our donors as she talked of her passion for missions. She was actively involved in volunteering at our home office and gave a substantial amount of her income to support ABWE missionaries and projects. This woman wanted to know how to continue giving to God’s kingdom when she went “home.” We set up a trust, and when she died more than a year ago, ABWE ministries benefited from this planning.
During 2008, gifts from annuities, estates, and trusts made up for the lost revenue from our invested assets so that we did not have to immediately increase missionary account contributions. Imagine: God knew 20 years ago what we would need and when we would need it!
PLANNED GIVING
Our planned giving ministry began in the late 1960s with this very idea in mind, and my, how God has blessed! As people learn that their final gift can be used for the sake of the gospel, we’ve seen an increased interest in estate planning.
We don’t know how God is going to accomplish His work through ABWE’s planned giving for 2009 and beyond, but we know He will do it. We are discovering once again that our confidence is not in the objects of the world’s confidence.
In David’s day and culture the normal symbols of such confidence were horses and chariots. He expressed in Psalm 20:7, “some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Isaiah warned his people about relying on power and governments (31:1). He reminded them that God would be the sure foundation for their times and “the fear of the Lord is His treasure” (33:6). Perhaps today God would tell us, “Don’t trust in government, banks, or the stock market.” May we honor Him with the trust His great acts deserve as He works through His people to accomplish His good work with His ample supply.
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