“The Mission’s financial policy believes and assumes that God is faithful, and may be counted upon to provide in every way, both spiritually and materially, for the advancement of his kingdom’s work around the world”
Mission Handbook, 113
Let me return to the topic of missionary allowances. I hesitate to do so because I do not want to give that subject undue attention. I must also say, however, that allowance payments last month were truly remarkable and I think should be reported in a little detail.
Two days before we closed the books for July, we did a projection. it did not look good. We projected paying as low as 20 percent of target allowances to more than half of our missionaries. We would be forced to use the entire General Fund and the entire Estate Fund and still pay many of our missionaries 20 cents on the dollar. The next day I advised our staff to expect allowances at about that level.
Two days later we closed the books. After the final entries were in, however, the minimum allowance payments camt to the suprisingly high level of 64.6 percent of the target. We did use the entire General Fund and Estate Fund balances as expected, but the funds stretched father than we thought. Twenty-eight of our missionary units received the minimum amounts, fourteen units received full support, and five units fell in between. It was an astounding turn-around, one that made a significant material difference for many of our missionaries and brought a spiritual benefit, too.
So the numbers at the close of July caused some alarm. We paid the lowest allowance levels in more than six years and the Estate Fund was empty for the first time in my memory. But the alarm did not remain. God filled me instead with joyful anticipation: I was eager to see how he might provide for us in August just as he did in July.
I did not have to wait long to see God at work again. Just three days into the month, I received a call from Thrivent Financial. One of our dear members willed more than $31,000 to our Estate Fund! Three days after standing empty, God restored the fund to a sizable balance. What a blessing to have some reserve again – and what a blessing to have a God who continually provides. Thank you for being a part of this ministry.