Pastor Bulawa opened the message by directing attention to 1 Corinthians 4:2, a familiar verse that applies to every area of ministry: “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” The word “steward” points to someone entrusted with a responsibility on behalf of another. In the context of missions, that other person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Churches are not owners of missionaries or managers who control them. They are stewards who must prove faithful in the trust they have received.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words to a church that had begun to elevate personalities. Some said, “I am of Paul,” and others, “I am of Apollos.” Paul corrected that thinking by reminding them that he and Apollos were simply stewards of what God had entrusted to them. The same principle governs the relationship between local churches and the missionaries they support. The question is not merely how much money is given, but whether the church is found faithful in its stewardship of the Great Commission.
Contrasting Approaches in 3 John
Scripture provides a clear contrast between two mindsets. In 3 John, the Apostle John writes about missionaries who were carrying the gospel forward. He commends one man and rebukes another. Diotrephes “loveth to have the preeminence among them” and “receiveth us not” (3 John 9). He spoke against the brethren with malicious words and refused to receive them (3 John 10). His desire for control hindered the advance of the gospel. He treated the work as something he could manage according to his own terms.
Gaius, by contrast, received the brethren and the strangers who bore witness of his charity before the church (3 John 5–6). He helped them forward on their journey in a godly manner. The relationship was more than a financial transaction. Missionaries spoke of his love, not simply of the size of any offering. One posture dictated how things must be done. The other facilitated the gospel going further through hospitality, care, and genuine partnership.
From Transactional Support to Relational Partnership
A stewardship mentality shifts the relationship from transactional to truly relational. Many churches support a large number of missionaries and give faithfully. They may read prayer letters and maintain giving. Yet personal knowledge and interaction remain limited. A transactional approach asks how many people were saved this week or whether the missionary is doing the work the way the supporting church prefers. A stewardship approach recognises that the church and the missionary are co-labourers together for the advancement of the gospel.
Missionaries rarely write every struggle in their prayer letters. Family trials, language difficulties, or opposition within a local church can threaten long-term service. Consistent personal contact, notes of encouragement, and specific prayer strengthen missionaries in ways that money alone cannot. When churches treat missionaries as partners rather than subcontractors, the relationship changes. The church becomes more than an ATM. It becomes a place where burdens can be shared.
The Mutual Need in Acts 1:8
Jesus designed the furtherance of the gospel so that churches need missionaries and missionaries need churches. Acts 1:8 records the promise: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The word “both” indicates that these spheres of witness occur simultaneously. No local church can be present in every place at once. Therefore, the church cannot obey the Great Commission without missionaries who go on its behalf.
When a missionary walks through the door, the proper perspective is not simply that the missionary needs the church. The church also needs the missionary in order to fulfil the commission the Lord has given. Writing a cheque is an important component of support. It is not the whole of the partnership. Churches and missionaries are interdependent by divine design.
The Philippians Model of Fellowship
The church at Philippi supplies a New Testament pattern. Paul wrote, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:3–5). The word “fellowship” speaks of shared participation in the advancement of the gospel. Later he notes that they “have done well, that ye did communicate with my affliction” (Philippians 4:14). This communication was joint participation, not merely the transfer of funds. In the beginning of the gospel, no other church communicated with him concerning giving and receiving as the Philippians did (Philippians 4:15–16).
When Epaphroditus arrived with their gift, he did not simply deliver the support and leave. He stayed, engaged with Paul, and shared in the burdens of ministry (Philippians 4:18). The relationship involved finances, but it also involved personal investment through a representative of the church. The Philippians were not content with a transactional arrangement. They practised fellowship in the gospel.
Living Out Stewardship
A stewardship approach leads to practical involvement. One helpful pattern is for individuals or families within the church to adopt a missionary family for a season. Birthdays, anniversaries, and specific prayer needs become known. Regular texts, emails, or notes replace silence between prayer letters. Ladies’ prayer groups can receive direct requests from missionary wives and intercede for real, current burdens. Such contact has proven encouraging to missionaries who often feel isolated on the field.
Increased financial giving remains important and should continue. Yet an increase in giving must not become a substitute for increased interaction. The cheque must not serve as something that numbs the heart to the actual needs of those who serve. As stewards, believers will give an account to the Master. That account will include more than the amount written each week. It will include how the church helped missionaries remain faithful where God had placed them.
