“The General Fund of the Mission has never been sufficient to cover travel expenses, and it has thus far pleased the Lord to supply the needed funds by means of specially designated gifts.” (World Vision, May 1955)
During this past month it has been my privilege to look back through our financial archives. I have discovered that many of our distinctive characteristics date back to the very inception of the Prayer League. Here are a few interesting notes from those early years:
The South American Mission Prayer League (SAMPL) was incorporated in May of 1937. During that first year receipts totaled $2,004 from 121 donations; our first two missionaries in Bolivia received $1,244 in living allowance. From the beginning, SAMPL had the policy of remitting donations to the field whenever it was practical. For that reason, during those early years our books closed at the end of the year with virtually no cash balance. On December 31, 1938, the cash balance was just 98 cents. Five years later the balance was $15.00.
Our first monthly allowance “target” was established in 1946 – $65 for a single worker, $115 for a couple, and $15 for each child. That scale remained the same until 1960. By October of that year, we listed 73 missionaries serving in seven countries. Twenty-four were in Bolivia, while 16 more served in Asia – which precipitated the name change from South American to World Mission Prayer League.
In August 1955, our monthly magazine (then called “World Vision”) reported that 41 workers received full allowance, 19 workers received 25% of their targeted allowance, and 25 more received something in between, which appears to have been a typical month. In some months, a few of our workers received no allowance at all – sometimes for multiple months in a row.
In reading through the early financial reports one comes to the conclusion that the Prayer League of 2012 is the direct descendent of those early years. So many distinct and good characteristics have survived. At the same time, there have also been some changes in our financial policy over the past 75 years. This shouldn’t surprise us, because the Mission itself has changed. From 1937 to 1946 alone, we grew from 2 missionaries to 73, serving in seven countries on two continents; annual donations increased from $2,000 to $79,000; the afore-mentioned allowance scale was instituted and a mission home was purchased. So it should come as no surprise that our financial practices have continued to evolve, yet in ways still characteristic of those early years – as circumstances have changed and as God has led us. Obedient response to God’s leading is yet another connection between the WMPL of today and the SAMPL of 1937.
During the month of March we paid full allowances to all of our 50 missionary units. After all allowances were paid, we had $42,574 remaining in the General Fund. Thank you for your ongoing support!