What does the Bible say about fundraised missionaries?
Have you wondered if the Bible approves of fundraised missionaries? Maybe you received a phone call, letter, or text from someone who is a missionary and their request for a donation has got you thinking… or even concerned. Or maybe you are praying about taking the leap and saying yes to a fundraised ministry role.
As I was preparing to take the faith-filled step to sell my small business and pursue serving as a full-time missionary, I found myself wrestling with similar questions. At first, it felt uncomfortable, and sometimes almost wrong, to ask for financial support.
My calling to become a full-time missionary in Southern California, with this area's high cost of living, really challenged my faith. Could God provide for our needs? I mean, I know that he can, but would he? Further, I wrestled with scripture that describes Paul as a "tent-maker". Did this mean I should be self-sufficient as a missionary, avoiding financial support?
As I dove deeper into scripture, I discovered a clear theme and truth. The Bible not only condones but actively encourages believers to steward their resources in the pursuit of God's mission in the world. And it affirms that giving toward missions is part of God’s strategy for seeing the world reached.
After studying scripture, I was able to move forward with full-confidence that the fundraised missions model is a strategic way in order to advance God’s mission in the world—especially when used to free up faithful and fruitful ministers to invest more of their time catalyzing Gospel Movement in their region.
In this post, my hope is to help you make informed and God-directed decisions as you choose whether or not to invest in the lives and ministries of missionaries.
Biblical Examples of Supporting Missionaries
Jesus
Did you know that during his years of public ministry Jesus, the son of God, chose to rely on other people for financial support? Check it out in Luke 8:3 (emphasis added):
“Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.”
This might be surprising to those who heard that Jesus was a carpenter. There was a season where Jesus set down his trade as a carpenter and was financially supported to do ministry. These prominent women chose to steward their resources so Jesus could remain focused on his ministry and mission.
Notice that it wasn’t large corporations, the government, or grants that were funding Jesus. God was using individuals to use their personal resources in order to fund His mission. And that is still true today.
Almost all of the support that I receive as a missionary and the majority of the support for global missions comes not from churches, grants, or corporations, but from individual donors who want to invest into seeing the Kingdom advance in our cities, state, and world.
The Disciples
Jesus, who was supported by individuals out of their personal means, encouraged the disciples to remain dependent on the generosity of others when they are sent out to do ministry.
In Matthew 10:5-15, we read that when Jesus sent out the twelve they were not to provide for themselves but they were to rely on the support of others. Again, in Luke 10:7 Jesus repeats this instruction when sending out the 72, “stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.”
It seems that being a support raised missionary is not only acceptable to God, it was a part of Jesus’ strategy to accomplish his mission in the world. These disciples were not freeloaders, instead they were being obedient to Jesus, embracing his strategy, taking leaps of faith, and working hard in order to see the Kingdom of God advanced.
Paul (he was a tent-maker, right?)
Paul was an apostle who saw countless believers begin following Jesus, planted churches in numerous cities, and at one time saw everyone in the region of Asia reached with the good news of Jesus (Acts 19:10). That’s a ministry that would have been an honor to invest in!
You might be surprised to discover that for the majority of Paul’s ministry he was sustained by financial support from individuals and churches. Not only that, but Paul seemed to view fundraising as being directly tied to his calling as a missionary and church-planter as he regularly used both his travels and his letters in order to gain support for his personal needs, for other ministry workers, and for the poor.
Some will protest, “But Paul was a tent-maker!” However, the truth is that only in a few instances do we see Paul taking up work as a tent-maker and only out of necessity or when it served the mission in that particular city. In fact, it appears that Paul’s preferred mode of operating was to focus on his ministry of multiplying disciples and equipping/mobilizing believers whenever he had the opportunity.
Paul worked as a tent-maker in the city of Corinth until Timothy and Silas arrived. They brought with them a financial gift for Paul from the church in Philippi. At which point we read that “after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah” (Acts 18:5).
When Paul was briefly in the city of Thessalonica, he was not support-raised because Paul wanted to provide an example to the believers in that city who were lazy and often not working. Paul specified, “It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate” (2 Thessalonians 3:9).
In the book of Romans, we see how Paul often used his letters for the purpose of raising support–it was not the sole purpose, but it certainly was a purpose for some of his letters. In fact, some theologians refer to Romans as a “fundraising letter”. In Romans 15, we see Paul give an account for the work that he has been doing and then invite believers' support as he continues on in this ministry. In verse 24 Paul writes, “I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.”
Paul continued throughout his letters to encourage financial support. In Titus 3:3 Paul encouraged the believers to support Zenas and Apollos. He encouraged the church in Galatia to support their teachers (Gal 6:6). Finally, in 1 Timothy 5:17-18, Paul quotes the Gospels and encourages the church to “not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain” and that “the worker deserves his wages”.
Paul was content with little or with plenty, but he knew that inviting others to give toward God’s mission in the world was a benefit to the one giving. Paul wrote, “Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account” (Philippians 4:17).
Although Paul was willing to work, his priority was on preaching the Gospel and inviting others into participating in God’s mission in the world. As a result, Paul seemed to often prefer relying on the support of others so that he could give all of his time to ministry and so that he could bring benefit to the one giving.
The Bible on Fundraising
Scripture reveals a clear and consistent pattern of God's people supporting those He has called to serve, especially those who are not only sustaining one church community but are working to catalyze a Gospel Movement in a region (like Paul did in Asia!). That is a good use of Kingdom dollars and a wise-stewardship of funds. From Jesus and His disciples, to the apostle Paul, the biblical model of ministry often involves financial support. Beyond being a practical reality that frees missionaries up in order to be catalysts for disciple-making in a region, we have seen how ministry workers relying on financial support is not only an acceptable practice, but part of God’s strategy for seeing the world reached.
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
(Romans 10:14-15)
Jesus commanded us to make disciples. He is inviting us to participate in his mission, to be a part of seeing the Good News of Jesus spread contagiously and seeing Gospel Movements that transform our communities. One critical way that we can do that is by giving toward missionaries who are catalyzing disciple-making in the region that God has placed them.
If you have the opportunity to financially invest in the work that a full-time missionary is doing, I strongly encourage you to do it. Every gift that I recieve is an encouragement, you could be that kind of encouragement to a missionary as well. You could fuel the fire of the ministry that God is doing through those he is leading you to give toward.
Further Scripture to Study on the Topic:
Nehemiah seeking support to rebuild the wall (Neh. 1:1-2:9).
The Levitical system in the Old Testament (Num. 18: 21-24).
The church is encouraged to support ministry workers in this letter (3 John 6–8).
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