Study Version of
THE MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF ACCEPTING FUNDING FROM CERTAIN DONOR AGENCIES Introduction In 2012 the Faith and Order Commission published a paper titled: The Moral Implications of Accepting Funding from Certain Donor Agencies. The Commission decided that this paper which is accessible on the JBU Website, (as well as others), should be followed by a Study Version to allow for a more in-depth understanding of the subject through a process of analysis, interrogation and reflection, with a view to facilitating application. It is in this context that this study is presented. It consists of four sections: (1) Understanding God’s Mission and the Need to Fund the Mission; (2) Reflections on the Role of Moral Education in Funding the Mission; (3) Should all Resources be Used to Fund the Mission? and (4) The Moral Implications of Accepting Funding from Certain Donor Agencies. Reference is made in the study to the original paper and two excerpts from it are included in the text. However, maximum benefit will be gained from the study if it is undertaken after the original paper, available on the JBU website, has been read. It is also hoped that the study which is by no means exhaustive will challenge the reader(s) to engage in further reflection and research on the subject.
Section 1 Understanding God’s Mission and the Need to Fund the Mission The word Mission comes from a Latin word which means, “to send”. It is a word that is used frequently in today’s management and business sectors to express ultimate goals and achievements. The word Mission, when used in relation to the Christian church, describes, as Rev Everton Jackson puts it, “…. The going or sending efforts of the church to accomplish the task entrusted to her by God.” It is important to note that the mission of the church is God’s mission, not ours. 1
God’s mission became necessary as a result of man’s separation from God because of sin. God’s divine intervention through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus was the only means by which man’s relationship with God could be restored. Every person who accepts God’s offer of salvation becomes His disciple and is mandated to, “… Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you ….” Matthew 28: 19 – 20 (NIV). Over the years, the church has and still continues to engage in a wide range of mission activities in seeking to be faithful to God’s mission of making disciples of others, following the example of Jesus Christ. These activities include not only the preaching of the Word but also programmes and projects that would liberate persons in social, economic, spiritual and physical bondage as well as promote the protection of the environment. A key component of this mandate is the need for funding, that is, resources of cash or kind. Where can the church find the necessary funding? For Further Reflection: We have in the Bible, examples of funding related to God’s work e.g. Exodus 25: 1 – 9; Nehemiah chapters 1 and 2;
Philippians 4: 16 – 20.
Read the passages stated above and answer the following questions. o What mission activity was being funded? o What was the nature of the funds (cash, kind etc.)? o Who gave the funds? o Can you identify other passages in the Bible where funds were requested and or received for God’s mission?
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Section 2 Reflections on the Role of Moral Education in Funding the Mission Funding, be it cash or kind, is the life blood of any mission activity, be it - church planting, evangelism, congregational nurture, health and other social outreach, Christian education, youth development, caring for the elderly and the marginalized as well as caring for the environment. The need for funding is always a critical item on the agenda. What should guide our thinking as we seek to access funding for the many and varied mission activities? At the heart of our thought process must be God -directed moral education. What is moral education? Rev. Dr. Burchell Taylor, in an undated article entitled, “The Church’s Role in Society,” in addressing the matter of moral education indicated that an essential part of the Church’s teaching function is engagement in moral education. He further stated, “….. its (the church’s) work at moral education is undertaken from its perspective of the will and purpose of God revealed in Jesus Christ and with the understanding of the meaning and purpose of life that are associated with it .” Moral education involves informing, clarifying and raising consciousness (Rev. Dr. Burchell Taylor). For the Christian, moral education is concerned with understanding of right and wrong principles in the light of Christ’s teachings and the ability to apply such principles to our decision making process; and this includes decisions regarding funding of any kind. For Further Reflection: It is said that salvation is free but discipleship is costly. How does this apply to funding for God’s mission in light of your understanding of moral education? Can differences arise based on a moral understanding of funding for God’s mission? If so, how can such differences be addressed?
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Section 3 Should All Sources of Funding be Used to Fund God’s Mission? We live in a world today that is in a constant state of change, more rapid than at any other time in history. Rapid advances and diversity in technology, education, economic and social activities as well as changes in the ecological environment have caught many persons, including Christians, by surprise. The world has indeed become a global village. Some things become obsolete even before they are fully implemented. In this fast-paced, ever changing post- modern world, resources are becoming increasingly scarce and more expensive. It is in this context that Christians are required to live out their faith and Christian organizations must operate. It is the view of many that churches can no longer simply rely on congregational tithes and offerings to sustain their mission activities. Funding has to be sought from many and varied sources. The question is, what Christian moral judgment should guide decision making in requesting and/or accepting funding, and/or engaging in any funding activity. Funding can be at or come from the local church, the community, national and/or international bodies or institutions, or it can be a combination of some or all the above. Not all these groups are necessarily guided by Christian moral thought so it is for the church and church based organizations to be able to critically examine each source of funding in light of a Christian morally informed position, as they engage in God’s mission. For Further Reflection: “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it,” Psalm 24:1 (NIV). This verse implies that everything including material and financial resources belong to the Lord. Based on your knowledge of the world we live in today should all resources be used to fund God’s mission? Give reasons for your answer. 4
List some specific funding activities, organizations or agencies and indicate whether or not, in your opinion, funding should be accepted from such sources. What aspects of Christian stewardship have influenced your decision to accept or reject funds from each of the entities or activities you have listed?
Section 4 The Moral Implications Of Accepting Funding from Certain Donor Agencies In this section we will look at some of the moral implications of accepting funding from certain donors, whether directly or indirectly. One should not consider that it is alright to give a free pass to agencies or other entities on the grounds that the ends justify the means. A critical analysis of the issues shared in sections 1 to 3 must be brought to bear on the decision making process. The following comments extracted from the 2012 paper referred to in the introduction to this study should also be considered: “The churches and church schools of the Jamaica Baptist Union from time to time seek funding for major mission projects or might even be approached with offers of partnership or sponsorship of any of their projects. It is often difficult to make a decision on whether or not to accept funding from agencies, as their affiliations are sometimes questionable.” “The Jamaica Baptist Union has always been committed to partnerships with community as part of its understanding of stewardship and the management of resources. However, challenges arise if funds being accessed are known to originate from such activities as: gaming / gambling, money laundering, human exploitation and/or abuse, for example child labour. Such partnerships would not be deemed morally appropriate for cooperation between the JBU churches or church schools, and present some risks worth considering.”
For Further Reflection:
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Using the information contained in the Appendix to this paper under the heading “Potential Pitfalls and Risks,” identify four risks associated with accepting monies from questionable sources; state in not more than two sentences your understanding of each of these risks. For the remainder of this section we will examine two case studies which will highlight the issues and risks that may arise when funding for the mission is obtained from questionable sources.
Case Study 1 Greenhart, is a small town located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The entire town was devastated when the only basic school in the area, run by the Greenhart Baptist Church, was burnt to the ground when it was struck by lightning. The new school year was only a month away and the fifty five (55) young children would not have a school to attend if something was not done urgently. The Pastor who was also Chairman of the school board called an urgent meeting of the church members and the parent /teachers’ association to address the matter. Several suggestions were made but none would provide sufficient funds to undertake the rebuilding project. Deacon Mills shared a suggestion that he got from his son who worked as a marketing officer at the Chase Fund. The church could make an application to the Chase Fund for a grant to rebuild the school. His son would personally follow up the application and he was confident that they would get sufficient funds in time to complete the project. Additionally, there would be no need to repay any money. The Pastor and those in attendance at the meeting listened intently to Deacon Mills. Could this be the answer to their prayers? Questions for discussion: 1. What are the critical issues outlined in the case study? 2. What advice would you give to the meeting regarding making an application to the Chase Fund? 6
3. What possible alternatives do you think could be considered?
Case Study 2 Miss Bates operated a betting and gaming outlet which also sold lottery tickets. She employed three persons: A mother who was the sole provider for five children, all under the age of twelve. A male primary school drop- out; and An elderly widow without a pension or other source of income. Some months ago Miss Bates went to an evangelistic crusade where she accepted Christ as her Saviour. She has been attending the Baptist church near her home and willingly contributes an offering each Sunday. She began attending baptismal classes as she wanted to become a member of the church. At the last monthly church members’ meeting Sister Moore raised the matter of Miss Bates’ business operation. A heated discussion ensued and the meeting ended prematurely as many persons staged a walked out. Questions for discussion: 1. What are the critical issues outlined in the case study? 2. How should a) the Pastor and b) the church members deal with the issues? 3. What possible alternatives do you think could be considered?
Conclusion The experience of many of our churches within the Jamaica Baptist Union is that funding the ministry within the community is a critical challenge, making it even plausible to considering accepting funding from any donor who is willing to give. However it is important that as we seek funding and/or respond to offers to fund projects, that we consider carefully the Christian moral implications of the response we make. 7
Appendix Extract from Paper on: The Moral Implications of Accepting Funding from Certain Donor Agencies, Faith and Order Commission:2012 Potential Pitfalls & Risks Ethical (moral principles) Risks The essential ethical consideration that follows from accepting monies from questionable sources is that the church or church school becomes locked into a challenging ethical dilemma. How can an organization that claims to be serving the common good of community maintain its credibility when part of its income comes from and depends upon the success of sources that are known to cause harm to that same community? It has been proven, for example, that exploits within the gambling industry result in a variety of social concerns. Gambling can divert parental energy away from family life, thereby reducing input into relationships in such areas as family recreation and care of children (Williams, 1996; Raeburn, 2001). It certainly does not compensate to argue that the end justifies the means. How can such organizations set up to liberate people from all kinds of bondage and social ills, benefit in a real sense, either directly or indirectly, from other people's misery? These are some of the ethical issues at stake. In many instances the main functionaries within these funding organizations are aware of the negative impact their engagements tend to have on society. By partnering with the church or other organizations interested in community 8
development, they are in effect seeking legitimacy for their actions. They are hoping that their “public good” will “blind” the eyes of society to their inherent evil. If not discerning, the Church and other faith based organizations can become like mere pawns on a chessboard, being manipulated for ignoble ends and ‘to win the crowd’s approval’. In 2007, executive director of the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission, Derek Peart, explains that, “in addition to its work of regulating the gaming industry, the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission has been funding various social interventions to tackle the issue of problem gambling. One such is a grant to RISE Life Management Services (RISE), which has enabled this Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) to operate a gambling prevention and counselling programme, where activities include school interventions, training of Guidance Counsellors and providing counselling for problem gamblers” (JIS, p11 URL). Reputational Risks The reverse effect of funding organizations gaining positive publicity from partnering with churches and other community development organizations is that at the same time, those receiving organizations may be marring their own reputations. The perception of an association with any of these funding agencies of ill repute could be interpreted as complicity with their standards of acquiring revenue. Governance Risks Whenever an organization receives funding from any institution, there is a risk of losing one’s rootedness, self-reliance and unique identity which are important for transformation. To maintain or meet requirements to receive funding, receiving organizations are often asked to surrender their own goals, vision and values, in order to align themselves to those of the funding agency. This tends to result in an unhealthy pathological dependency in the name of survival. In addition, over time the receiving organization, if it is a church, may lose its prophetic edge as it regards the church’s competence to critique the standards of the funding agency. Relationship Risks 9
Church and church based organizations are expected to be relational entities in society. The church must maintain a keen interest in the building and strengthening of healthy relationships, be it on an individual or a corporate level. A further risk to consider is the possibility that receiving funds from sources which are funded by agencies of ill-repute may lead to the jeopardizing of existing relationships between the church and its supporters or an organization and its stakeholders.
Faith & Order Commission June 2017
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