Global Missions and Faith Promise
“Go and make disciples of all nations.”
Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
Briarwood’s annual Global Ministries Conference, a highlight of our church’s calendar, began yesterday. Sunday morning’s opening ceremony included the Flag of Nations procession, and I was literally moved to tears as I watched our young people bring in the flags of the countries where we have 274 Briarwood supported missionaries.
Our first mission conference was held in in 1965. Dr. Frank Barker, Briarwood’s founding pastor, had a passionate heart for evangelism. He realized that his young congregation didn’t really know anything about global missions. Briarwood leaders invited a missionary couple to come and encourage their congregation. A special mission offering was taken, but only $300 was collected. Dr. Barker later said, “Now Briarwood was a small church at the time, but not that small!”
In 1966 our leaders began praying and changed strategies. They decided to find a missionary couple who needed to raise 100% of their financial support to get them to the mission field. Briarwood’s congregation was challenged to provide $6000 for Raworth and Beth Williamson, Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico.
“My faith in God was small,” Dr. Barker recalled. “All I could think of was …we’re asking the congregation to pledge $6000 this year and all they gave last year was $300.”
The 1966 missions conference immediately encountered several major obstacles. The Williamsons had a car wreck in Mexico that required extensive repairs. They used their personal savings and bought airline tickets so they would arrive on time. By then, someone realized that the missions conference coincided with spring break and the church would probably be half-empty. Discouraged Frank and his wife Barbara hit their knees on Saturday night. “Lord, I could use a word of encouragement,” he prayed. He opened his Bible and turned to Psalm 92.
“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises in your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, for you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work: at the works of your hands, I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:1-2, 4
Reading those words Frank’s heart grew calm. The following day $2000 was pledged at the 8:30 AM service, $3000 was pledged at 11:00 AM, and more pledges came during the evening service. Briarwood’s 1966 Faith Promise pledges totaled $6357. Elated, but perplexed that God had actually brought in an extra amount, the Missions Committee Chairman asked Raworth Williamson, “How much were your airline tickets?”
$357,” Raworth replied.
“We didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry!” the leaders remembered.
Faith Promise became Briarwood’s regular practice for supporting Global Missions. It is the mechanism by which our church funds its annual $2,600,000 Global Missions ministry. A Faith Promise Pledge is just that- by faith, we promise to give a certain amount over and above our regular tithe. We do that using a systematic, sacrificial, supernatural giving strategy. Systematically and sacrificially, we pray and give as though it all depends on us, but supernaturally, we realize it ultimately all depends on God.
Through the years, it's been exciting to see God provide our family’s Faith Promise commitments in various ways. Some years Bruce and I have gotten to December and withdrawn savings to fulfill our faith promise commitment. One year, however, we submitted a pledge that as far as I could tell, we'd never reach- especially with one child in graduate school and another in college- and the funds were miraculously supplied in less than six hours! Nobody died, and we didn't receive an inheritance- the money just came with a check in our mailbox on a Sunday afternoon! God provided and allowed us to fulfill our commitment both years- just in two very different ways.
Faith Promise isn't the “prosperity gospel" that we often see - that "name it and claim it, blab it and grab it" mentality. Rather it's summed up with this statement, "God will only give to you what He can give through you." It’s also not just a way to fund global missions. It’s a way to stretch our faith.
One of my favorite hymns is Keith and Kristyn Getty's By Faith.
We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We'll walk by faith and not by sight
Today wherever we are, let’s make a choice to walk by faith and not by sight- with our time, talent, and treasure. What has God given to you that you can give so that others can hear the Good News of the Gospel?
“The Great Commission is a Great Commandment that requires a Great Commitment.” (Dr. Harry Reeder)