Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
- Psalm 82:3
The salvation we claim should be transforming us in the totality of our personal and
social responsibilities. Faith without works is dead.
- Lausanne Covenant
Title
Rationale for
ChurchCentered
Economic
Development
Purpose
The local church is tasked with proclaiming
the Gospel with words and action. It is poised
to reach large numbers of people living in
poverty. Working with and through the local
church is the Chalmers Center’s strategic
mission.
Target Audience
Donors, general public,
GFT constituencies, Mobile
Training Center
constituencies
Ø Why should the local church be involved in economic development?
Ø What particular strengths does the local church offer economic development
interventions?
Introduction
According to Colossians 1:15-20, the mission of Jesus Christ is to transform every part of the
cosmos – bringing healing, reconciliation, and lasting peace to every broken relationship in
heaven and on earth. The Bible also teaches that God has chosen the local church as the
primary means of demonstrating and proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ reconciling work. It
is through and with the local church that the Chalmers Center has decided to work, training
followers of Christ in holistic economic development strategies that can help alleviate material
and spiritual poverty. This rationale paper will explain why the Chalmers Center focuses on
training local churches. First, we will define the term church-centered economic development.
Next, we will discuss the biblical mandate for the church to be engaged in poverty alleviation.
Finally, we will point out additional strategic reasons why the local church is well poised to
make significant contributions to poverty reduction by promoting economic development.
Defining Church-Centered Economic Development
Church-centered economic development is an initiative of the local church,
supported by the local church, in line with the mission of the local church, but
owned and operated by members of the community at large.
While this paper will argue that churches have a significant role to play in promoting economic
development in their communities, a church should not become a bank or a microfinance
institution. Great harm can be done when churches attempt to make and collect loans.
“Churches find it very difficult to balance their culture of grace with the discipline needed to
enforce loan repayment” (Corbett and Fikkert, 209-10). Church-centered economic
development is when the church becomes a primary agent in training and supporting
holistic programs that help the poor provide economically for themselves, their families
and their communities. Churches can train people in their congregations and communities in
a variety of economic development interventions, such as how to form simple saving groups,
how to improve their small businesses, and how to save money for higher education. Churchcentered does not mean church-owned, but rather that the programs “are meant to be
nurtured and guided by the fellowship and teaching of a local group of believers committed to
living out the teachings of Christ in both word and deed” (Donthamsetty and Mask, 7).
Biblical Mandate Part 1: God’s People as Productive and Generous Stewards
They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Isaiah 65:21
1 God’s original plan for men and women was for them to know and love God, their Father and
Creator, experiencing the fullness of life that can only come from being in relationship with
Him. They were to be productive stewards and enjoy the good and beautiful world He created
(Genesis 1-2). When humans disobeyed God, sin created a rift that marred our relationship
with God, ourselves, each other, and the rest of creation. Dramatic and all encompassing, the
Fall has damaged all relationships and affected every aspect of human life, including our
ability to be productive stewards of God’s creation (Genesis 3:17-19). Ever since the Fall,
humans have struggled to be economically productive and provide enough for the well-being
of ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Yet, God has not left His people without hope, vision, or practical ways to alleviate some of the
affects of sin in the world. In the Old Testament, God’s people were commanded to be
generous to those who were struggling economically, which included the widow, orphan, and
foreigner (Deuteronomy 24:17-22). The Israelites were to use their special relationship with
God and their material resources to be a blessing to every nation (Genesis 12:2-3, Isaiah 42:57). While other nations were marked by oppression, greed, and idolatry, God’s chosen people
were to be radically different by extending their hand to the needy and caring for those who
were most at risk economically, socially, and physically. True service and worship of God was
inextricably connected to how God’s people stewarded their resources on behalf of the poor
(Isaiah 58:6-12; James 1:27).
As a guiding vision to encourage their generosity, God’s people were reminded of His ultimate
plan for a new kingdom where they would share in the bounty of meaningful and productive
labor (Isaiah 65:17-25). In this kingdom where God would make all things new, material
poverty and its devastating affects would be no more. “For as the days of a tree, so will be the
days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor
in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by
the Lord, they and their descendants with them” (Isaiah 65:22-23). People marred by the Fall
were encouraged not to lose heart because God was at work. He was bringing His rule and
reign to earth so that men and women might once again experience the fruits of being in right
relationship with God, themselves, others, and the rest of creation.
Biblical Mandate Part II: The Local Church as an Ambassador of Reconciliation
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news
to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of
sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Luke 4:18-19
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the
new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself
in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the
message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God
were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be
reconciled to God. II Corinthians 5:17-20
This promised kingdom was inaugurated on earth by Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ death and
resurrection, the power of sin, alienation, and brokenness was destroyed. When in Luke 4:1819, Jesus described the focus of His mission to earth, He was not merely describing something
that people would experience in the unforeseeable future. He was sharing His immediate plan
to heal the sick, to forgive sins, to release those caught in the bondage of broken relationships,
and to proclaim the good news that God was miraculously present and accessible to humans.
Jesus’ mission was about healing all of the relationships that have been damaged by sin.
Jesus said that His followers, that is, the church, are to be His ambassadors of reconciliation
wherever brokenness, suffering, and sin are found – even to the ends of the earth (Matthew
2 5:13-16; 28:18-20; II Corinthians 5:17-20). The church is to be so transformed through the
power of Christ that its contagious acts of love and service will draw people to Christ and his
church (Acts 2:42-47). Vinoth Ramachandra states:
In the New Testament, the church is central to the content of the Gospel- the church
understood not as just another religious institution dispensing religious services to
the faithful, but as a new community of those who have tasted the powers of the
coming age and who live as signs of that ‘upside-down’ kingdom. The church is the
place where social and economic barriers are being broken down in demonstration
of the reconciling power of the Gospel.
In summary, God desires that all humans experience the fullness of life that comes from being
in right relationship with him. Sin has damaged all of our relationships with one of the
outcomes being expressed in spiritual and material poverty. God commands the local church
to care for the poor and help provide for their economic and spiritual well-being.
The Local Church as a Strategic Promoter of Economic Development
While Christian organizations play a vital role in poverty alleviation, the Chalmers Center has
chosen to work primarily with the local church and its missionaries. In addition to the biblical
mandate discussed above, there are also strategic advantages to the church-centered strategy.
Theses benefits, shown in Table 1, apply to working with the local church in all types of
community development (e.g., access to water, education, and health), not just in economic
development.
Table 1. Benefits of Working with the Local Church in Community Development
CLOSE TO POOR PEOPLE - The local church exists at the grassroots of a community. It is
present among poor people and often consists of poor people. The local church is therefore in
close contact with local knowledge. It also benefits from relationships with other people and
organizations in the community because the membership of the local church usually
represents a cross-section of the community. The local church is part of the community, while
a Christian organization may be viewed as an ‘outsider’.
PERMANENT PRESENCE - While a Christian organization may leave a community, the
church exists for the people in the community and is likely to be there for much longer than a
Christian organization.
SUSTAINABLE CHRISTIAN WORK - If Christian work is to be sustainable, there is a need for
a permanent Christian presence. This is what the local church provides. Without this, when a
Christian organization moves on, the work left behind may start to lose its Christian
distinctiveness.
NATURAL CONTEXT IN WHICH FAITH CAN BE EXPLORED - Christian organizations are
focused on relief, development and advocacy work, while the local church has a wider agenda,
including providing space for those investigating the Christian faith.
NETWORKS - The local church is often a member of a number of networks. There are links
with other grassroots groups in the community through church members, and through
working with other groups in carrying out community initiatives. There are also links with the
wider church through denominations and Christian alliances. Membership of networks
facilitates learning.
RESOURCES - The local church contains many members who can be mobilized. This is
particularly useful for labor-intensive initiatives. Also, some local churches have buildings,
which provide a place for community members to meet to discuss local issues. In times of
crisis, church buildings can provide safe refuge.
(Blackman, 18)
There are also strategic benefits for the church to promote economic development activities to
help the poor in their communities. Table 2 lists some of the benefits that can come when the
local church is the primary actor in economic development.
Table 2. Benefits of Working with the Local Church in Economic Development
3 WORLDVIEW TRANSFORMATION – At the root of financial practices are deep-seated beliefs
about humanity’s relationships with the supernatural, ourselves, other people, and the physical
world. In affluent countries, strong cultural beliefs tell the poor and non-poor alike that they
are incomplete people unless they are continually purchasing more and more goods and
services. In many Majority World contexts the poor may believe that they are at the whim of
capricious gods and evil spirits. In response to these beliefs, the poor may spend large sums of
money buying “protective” services from witch doctors and spiritists. The local church can
introduce the poor and non-poor to Jesus Christ, the one who has conquered all powers and
principalities, and can free all people from their spiritual and economic bondage to an
animistic worldview and materialism. Similarly, communicating to the poor that they are
created in the image of God and given gifts to serve their families and communities can free
them from the belief that they are forsaken and not capable of participating in community
development activities.
BIBLICAL FORMATION OF VALUES- When the local church promotes economic
development activities, they can train participants in sound biblical values that promote
honesty, encourage transparency in financial transactions, and promote discipline in keeping
agreements to repay loans. The local church can also help people understand that that the
fruits of labor (i.e. money and assets) are not to glorify themselves, but to glorify God, serve
God, and support themselves and their families. Biblical models of leadership can help build
the capacity of the women and men who participate in the economic development initiatives.
RELIANCE ON PRAYER – When Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13,
he instructs them on the importance of acknowledging God’s rule and reign in heaven and on
earth. He also tells them to pray that God will meet their basic physical, social, spiritual, and
economic needs. “Give us this day our daily bread” is a request that is important to all people,
but especially relevant to those living in poverty. The local church can teach, model, and
encourage prayer as part of their promotion of economic development activities.
Conclusion
God’s desire for humanity is that we experience healing in all of our broken relationships –
with God, ourselves, each other, and the rest of creation. These broken relationships are at the
root of material poverty. As the body of Christ, the local church is specifically empowered by
God to care for people living in poverty. While there are many different ways to promote
economic development among groups of people who are poor, the Chalmers Center believes
that working with the local church is the most effective way to minister to the whole person.
The local church is also strategically placed and spiritually equipped to promote holistic
economic development interventions among millions of the world’s poor. It is the Chalmers
Center’s hope that the local church will embrace this important work in the assurance from
Jesus Christ that He will be with us “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
4 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blackman, Rachel; Partnering with the Local Church. UK: Tearfund, 2007.
Corbett and Fikkert; When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor
and Yourself, Moody, 2009.
Donthamsetty and Mask; Promoting Savings and Credit Associations, The Chalmers Center for
Economic Development, 2010.
Lausanne Covenant, Retrieved February 7, 2011 from http://www.lausanne.org/covenant.
Ramachandra, Vinoth; What is Integral Mission? Micah Network, 2006.
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