Why do Village Missionaries need to raise monthly support?

Earlier this month, Village Missions shared an article on their Facebook page that had been originally published in April. Called The pastor who drives a school bus: Rural ministry poses financial challenges to clergy, the article discusses a struggle that is shared by so many small (especially rural) churches: Being able to financially support the pastor who serves their congregation so that he can devote his full time and energy to the ministry.

In this article, the writer interviewed a small-town pastor, Kevin Allred (not a VM pastor), who drives a school bus to help supplement his salary from the church which he serves since they cannot fully support him. In fact, Kevin says that most of the pastors he knows have to have a second or third job in order to support themselves and their families.

According to the article:

Although [Kevin] is passionate about his work, balancing everything isn’t easy.

“It’s difficult to make time to spend studying and preparing, and it’s difficult to make time for reaching out to people and helping people who are in trouble and having a family, and then at the end of the day realizing that I need to prepare for Sunday,” Allred said.     

The article goes on to mention Village Missions and their work in not only placing pastors in churches and communities that need them, but also working to support those pastors so that their time doesn't have to be divided between a job or two in addition to their pastoral (and family) responsibilities.

Tim Griffiths, the director of stewardship at Village Missions, said this mission is important because giving pastors that financial security keeps them focused and worry-free.

“You get distracted – I guess that’s the biggest thing,” Griffiths said. “I just feel like sometimes they just get distracted from the ministry and from the work that they’re called to.”

This is the reason Village Missions is committed to having their missionary-pastors serve their communities full-time: So that we can fully devote our time to serving the community; and even more importantly because most VM churches are in communities in which there is no other church, so the missionaries' roles in reaching out in the community, and training and encouraging the flock are all the more pressing.

Taken from VM's website:

The objective [of the Village Missionary] is to reach the entire community; therefore, denominational issues are avoided. The missionary/pastor is to become an integral part of community life, winning the friendship and confidence of the people. He is to be the spiritual leader, providing opportunity for all to hear and respond to the Gospel.

The aim is to provide a Christ-centered community church program capable of involving the entire population of a local community. This is accomplished through worship services, personal contacts in homes, Sunday schools, home and group Bible studies, special youth and adult activities, vacation bible schools, and other activities.

This is why Village Missionaries depend on monthly supporters.
Chris and I came from Fort Wayne, "The City of Churches"- there's practically a church on every corner. In Rural North America, though, there are entire communities that only have one Gospel-preaching church. Often, these churches have been neglected or have simply dwindled over the years, and eventually some become desperate enough to call on Village Missions for help. Most of the time, these new churches cannot on their own support a pastor, so a Village Missionary's monthly supporters are VITAL to his ministry - without them, he would not be able to dedicate himself fully to the community.

According to last year's Annual Report, as of June 2013, 42% (79 out of 186) of Village Missions' US churches needed assistance providing their missionary's salary/health insurance. Without monthly supporters, these missionaries would have had to find another job to supplement their income - thus taking time away from their service to their churches and in their communities.

Once we finish our internship here in Crawfordsville, we will very likely be placed in a new VM field (as opposed to one that has had a Village Missionary couple there before) - so it's doubtful the church will be able to support us much, if at all. We are so thankful for all of you who support us - whether financially, in prayer, or both. We wouldn't be able to be where we are without you (you can find our support update here), and it is a blessing to partner with you in sharing the Gospel in unreached places.

THANK YOU for partnering with us!