Jeremy Marshall comments on Jonas and Nina Kurlberg’s research Trends in Christian Philanthropy in the UK
The topic of Christian philanthropy is vital and biblical, yet is little understood, let alone researched. However, a comprehensive research report1 by Jonas and Nina Kurlberg (published for the Bible Society) has recently been produced.
This report is based on systematic interviewing and analysis across a wide range of predominantly evangelical donors in the UK.
Moving away from gospel giving?
One of the most burning issues covered is whether there has been a shift away from evangelistic giving towards more social causes. The report notes a wide range of views on this including quite a few from those who said that they had shifted in precisely this direction. Others said they had come to see their giving more holistically and didn’t see a particular distinction between spiritual and social causes. For example, two evangelical philanthropists commented: ‘Looking after the economic and social needs of others is a more effective means of achieving spiritual transformation’ and ‘when Jesus gave water to the Samaritan women it wasn’t just a physical or humanitarian act, it was a spiritual act also’.
On the other hand some individuals have reacted to this shift by altering their giving in precisely the other direction, thus trying to make up for the overall picture.
A number also noted the lack of good evangelistic projects that they could support. Several people said they could think of many (new) successful Christian charities tackling societal issues, but not a single scripture-based teaching organisation started in the same period. One noted that ‘church leaders do not speak enough about evangelism’. Others commented on the pressure from society to support social causes rather than evangelism.
That last comment is spot on. The overall picture is a definite shift over the last 20 years within the evangelical community towards social projects from evangelistic ones. This is magnified when you consider that this is a report looking at individuals not trusts, which tend to be even more reluctant to fund proselytism. Church leaders and donors tend to care more about what people think of them than what God thinks about them. Of course God calls us to be generous in different ways, we all have different callings, but it is worrying when there is such a noticeable shift away from the financial support of evangelism.
Professionalisation of the church?
The report also notes that ‘for many Christians evangelism is seen to be the task of the church and less so the responsibility of individual lay persons’. This theme of the ‘professionalisation’ of the church runs through the report. Many philanthropists are from an entrepreneurial background and the comments in the report tend to suggest that they feel excluded by a church that ‘just wants their money’. It is also noted that donors feel that many larger churches focus on hiring more staff – something that entrepreneurs don’t tend to relate to. Additionally, the report highlights the lack of innovation and limited use of technology in many Christian charities. Some recipients commented that donors have a lot of power and that this can lead to interference at times.
Obviously, there needs to be balance here. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 is particularly helpful on how a partnership can work. Donors should let churches and charities decide what to do with their money and not micro manage. Recipients, on the other hand, should seek to engage donors and utilise their entrepreneurial skills. Conservative evangelicals can be highly risk averse – much more so than their charismatic brothers and sisters. It is also true that, with a few noticeable exceptions (e.g. Prayer Mate), they seem to be weak at using technology.
Relationship-driven giving?
The single most important finding in the report is that ‘relationships emerged as by far the most significant factor influencing where Christian philanthropists choose to direct their giving’. This can either be the relationship with the cause or with the individuals involved. However, the importance of the relationship with the individual can often override the cause. Donors will give to people they trust even if the cause does not fall within their own area of interest. In turn this tends to leave, so the report argues, to larger donations to fewer organisations or churches. It can also lead to supporting smaller charities where it is a lot easier to have that relationship with an individual.
This is really important for recipients to understand. Philanthropists get a huge number of cold-contact requests. An approach from someone you don’t know is unlikely to lead to results. Networking and building relationships is key. This is especially challenging for churches in deprived areas, who don’t have access to such networks. Hence, initiatives such as ‘20 Schemes’, ‘Medhurst Ministries,’ and ‘The Gospel and Class Conference’, sponsored by Acts 29, are important.
Difference in generations?
Finally the report describes the motivation behind giving. Here it notes a difference between baby boomers (born up to 1964), who have strong biblical grounding in giving, and subsequent generations, who view things quite differently. The latter are apparently are much less biblically driven.
However, one concept that is gaining traction with younger generations is that of stewardship. One millennial quoted in the report said: ‘For me it’s stewardship...and money is only part of that...for me it’s about your whole life – what do you do with it.’
This holistic approach is where the aptly-named Christian charity ‘Stewardship’2 focuses its efforts. It offers practical support for all Christians interested in giving and it’s been around for over a 100 years.
Four take-aways
As a result of this report, Christians need to:
1. Talk more about money. The Bible has a huge amount to say about this but we rarely hear it taught. The issues around millennials show what happens if Christians drop this biblical ball.
2. Build closer relationships between givers and recipients. The report suggests that both desire this, although it is often a challenge.
3. Think about how to help ‘non networked’ churches in deprived areas.
4. Work collaboratively. It is clear that many donors consider the importance of the local church. Perhaps local churches need to work together to avoid the problem, mentioned in the report, that their evangelistic endeavours are too risk averse. Again, it is worth reflecting on 2 Corinthians, which shows how a group of churches collaborating together can help one another in gospel proclamation.
This is an edited version of an article on Jeremy Marshall’s blog and can be accessed here: https:// jsjmarshall.blogspot.com/2018/11/research-review-trends-in-christian.html
