Table Of Contents:
- Helping poor pastors to help themselves
- God sends an entrepreunal pastor!
- Breeding worms for missions
- Livelihood project for pastors – vermiculture (worm breeding)
Many pastors in poorer countries struggle to make ends meet. The typical pastor of a rural church in a Third-World country pastors a church of about 20 to 30 adults.
Since many of the able-bodied men and women leave the countryside to look for work in the city, the typical rural congregation consists of grandparents and children.
Most of the congregation live hand-to-mouth and have almost nothing to give as offerings at Sunday service. Often offerings are given in kind, ie, a few chicken eggs, a small pack of uncooked rice.
When the pastor is single or just married, he is able to survive on very little. However, when he has children then he needs to have a little cash to buy his kids’ needs. It is at times like this when pastors leave their little rural church and move to the city.
However, they are needed in the rural area because they pastor the only church in that area. In the city there are already many other churches. They know this but necessity forces them to move to the city.
In the city, even a small congregation can support them because people in city earn cash and give their offerings in cash. This enables city pastors to buy diapers, medicines and pay their kids’ school fees.
Therefore, it is common for cities in Third-World countries to have too many churches and rural areas to have no churches at all.
Unless pastors are helped to help themselves to become financially sufficient, this poor distribution of pastors and churches will continue.
Presently there are few programs to help pastors to help themselves financially because of the downsides to such programs.
Firstly, pastors are not trained to earn a living. They usually lack the attitude and skills to earn a living. Many such programs have failed because they assumed that pastors had some basic business and livelihood skills.
Secondly, pastors should spend their time on spiritual matters, rather than on earning a living. Many livelihood projects require much time and effort to succeed and divert the pastor’s time from spiritual matters.
Thirdly, most pastors have never earned much money and are therefore easily tempted to focus on their projects and neglect their ministries, especially if the livelihood project is financially successful. Many pastors have already succumbed to these temptations.
Fourthly, often pastors will be accused of being greedy and materialistic if they embark on a livelihood project. This is especially true in countries such as the Philippines which has a strong religious tradition of Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholic priests do not dirty their hands with earning a living. Buddhist monks are similar.
This fourth point is probably the greatest hindrance to reaching the rural poor because no pastor wants to be seen as materialistic and greedy!
Since the majority of Asians still live in rural areas, something must be done to reach them. And unless this bottleneck of insufficient financial support is overcome, the situation will remain.
Is there a way to help poor rural pastors to help themselves so that they can continue to reach and serve the rural poor??
Is there something that can be done to help these dear pastors who have given their lives to reach the rural poor?
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A few weeks ago, a co-worker of mine who is married to a Korean Christian worker told me something interesting. She said “Korean missionaries unite around the Gospel but we bring our differences to the mission field and fight over them!”
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Going back to the Philippines for winter break is something I truly looked forward to. After a not so normal Christmas and New Year/birthday celebration in China, I was more than ready to hibernate and enjoy the sun in my home country alone. But as usual, plans change every minute. As Hudson Taylor said, “ Man proposes, God disposes.” Being at the center of His will though is still the… Read More.... | 1 Comment
I am continuing to praying for you and ministry. Please uphold our activities in your tearful intercessory prayers to meet all the needs of the ministry. We need your constant prayers and support to lead these spiritual activities in our Ministry (II Cor 9:7)
Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ”. Gala 6:2 I have been dedicated to serve the word and to offer the salvation of Jesus to humankind. please pray for my gospel work .and for school children.
I am much pleased to communicate you all through this message in the Mighty and Holy name of Our Saviour, -The Son God, Lord Jesus Christ who unties us all as one body of His own and opens our hearts to love each other regarding about all of us as being the limbs of His body. We are teaching and helping the poors and needy street chrildren.
Brother I am doing ministry in India , Tamil Nadu from past 10 years in rural areas. Please pray for Pastors, Old Age People, Orphan Children as we are planning to help them.
God gave me the burden to go deep into the Gospel unreached Indian interior villages, to preach the Gospel to those who are lost and to those who are living in darkness. We need your special prayers and helps to bring that vision into live to enlighten the darkest areas of India.
i am a poor pastor i want a help
my name is pastor:K.Ramesh.from, vil-narsampet,Dist;Warangal,INDIA,iam coming poor famly.iam work in Banjara,koya traibal ariea
I am pastor Wilson from India. I have been in ministry since 1995. More than 500 souls were added unto the kingdom of God until now. some were gone to some where to feed their family and at present more than 80 members are there but they are not able to feed their family and look at me sometimes for help, because our village (near kakinada A.P India) is very poor.
DEAR MY LOVING BROTHER IN CHRIST,
SWEET GREETINGS TO YOU ALL IN THE LOVING NAME OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.REALLY WE FELT VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOUR MINISTRY ACTIVITIES THROUGH INTERNET THANK YOU VERY MUCH GOD BLESS YOU MORE
iam determined to continue with God’s work despite lack of support and chidren concerns. I am serving theLord in a predominantly spirist society with most people holding dearly to traditions and beloging to cults congregations. The challenge is great for me but God is stamping His authority thru the Word.
INDIA Christianity was facing financial difficulties with the poor condition of the People. Most of peoples are belongs to lower community. They are Laborer to earn 1 USD per day for their families. With the effect of Global Crisis we are having so difficulties to run ministry activities, we strongly believe Our Lord never forsake His followers. We kept all our faith upon Jesus and continue in Kingdom service.
In this mail I am requesting you to Please Pray for our Ministry to reach unreached. And also we requesting you to please allow us mission partner of your Church. So we are requesting you to please extend your outreach programme in INDIA. Cooperate with us what you can able to us to ministries efforts in taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
We heartily welcome you to visit INDIA.
I am a full time minister in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has called me and my wife Ruth to serve him among one of the most poorest communities in Kenya.The Rendille community.
Iam doing the ministry among the poorvillage people.Iam married and have two children.
There are more than 7000 poor pastors are ministring in our India and facing lots of financial problems like un able to construct churches and unable to provide good food for their children and wife.