Why We Work Through the Church
Why the Local Church?
Since its inception, the Chalmers Center has focused on equipping the local church and its missionaries to minister to the physical, social, and spiritual needs of people who are poor. At a fundamental level, the Chalmers Center is a church equipping organization, not a poverty alleviation organization.
At a time when even many Christians are disillusioned with the local church, why would the Chalmers Center bind itself to this institution?
The answer lies in the mission of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was sent to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Luke: 4:43), the good news that He is making all things new! Jesus accomplished His mission both by preaching good news to the poor and by meeting their physical needs (Luke 7:18-23). Indeed, the Bible teaches that Jesus’ deeds authenticated his message, giving tangible evidence that He really is the King of Kings who is making all things new (Acts 2:22). As His body, bride, and fullness, the local church is called to continue Jesus’ mission, preaching and demonstrating the good news of the Kingdom of God by ministering to people who are poor (Matthew 25 40).
The Chalmers Center is committed to helping the local church to fulfill its mission. We do not want people who are poor to ever hear of the Chalmers Center. Rather, we want them to see the local church in their community as the embodiment of Jesus Christ. And we want the whole world to see this happening as well, so that all will know that Jesus Christ and His Kingdom are truly making all things new!
In addition, if one wants to help people who are poor, there are some practical reasons to work through the local church. Because we believe that poverty is fundamentally rooted in broken relationships and because Jesus Christ is the only one who can heal those broken relationships, poor people—like all of us—need a profound encounter with Jesus Christ. And the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is embodied in the here and now in the local church.
The Center is not opposed to para-church ministries. They too play a vital role in the fight against poverty. But poverty alleviation must be holistic to truly work, addressing people spiritually, physically, and socially. And one cannot do this in a sustained way without the local church, THE community in which holistic healing is present in the here and now.
Unfortunately, most poverty alleviation efforts ignore or even undermine the ministry of the local church. This is a huge mistake, for the church is God’s primary agent for transforming individuals, communities, and nations through its proclamation—in both word and deed—that Jesus Christ is bringing healing to every square inch of the cosmos.
In reality, churches are often the most trusted and stable institutions in low-income communities around the world. Long after donor funds have dried up and outside programs have disappeared, local churches will still be there, representing Jesus Christ to the blind, the lame, and the poor.
In a world that is full of uncertainty and instability, there is simply not a lower-risk, higher-return investment than the only institution about which Jesus Christ said,
“ …I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” Matthew 16:18
Practical Benefits of Working with the Local Church in Economic Development
- 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. 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.
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 and community 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).
