CC - funding missionaries

[Seasider]

{This is a thread about funding Christian missionaries. The question might also apply to a person wanting to go into full time humanitarian aid service. It is not meant to be a thread about whether or not you think missionary work is the right thing to do (i.e. proselytizing). I don't doubt that's a worthy discussion, however, if you feel the need to discuss that question rather than the one I'm asking here, I'd appreciate it if you would please start a different thread for that. Thanks, now on to my question.}

 

So a young person came to us with a presentation about the missions team she would like to join this fall, and we spoke about the possibility of being part of her financial support team. She is a qualified, sincere young woman and would be working in an area where she would most definitely be providing substantial humanitarian relief services in addition to sharing her faith. By this I mean that what she's proposing is not a week long teen missions-exploration sort of thing, it's serious full time work through a well known and respected organization. We told her we would consider the request and let her know. We are not opposed to providing some support, would actually like to, but just need to prayerfully consider an amount and let the info "simmer" in our spirits for a couple of days.

 

So yesterday I thought of something that I really want to know the answer to, and wish I thought to ask about it when she was here. I will think of a tactful yet direct way to ask, but I feel the need to know, as a recent college graduate, whether or not she is carrying student loan debt and if so, what her plan is for repayment of that debt, considering that the mission "job" is not wage-earning employment.

 

That leads me to the general question - for those new graduates who feel called into full time missions or ministry for which they are responsible for raising support, what do they do with student loan debt? What's the opinion/attitude about maybe committing to pay that off before asking others to support their future efforts?

 

Am I thinking about this too hard? What is your experience with this sort of situation? If you or your children are full time missionaries, is/was this an issue? How did you handle it?

 

I think this weighs on me because I know my own kids are going to have to deal with some student loan debt and I wonder how that will affect some of their future decisions. At least one is interested in short term (several months long) projects and I can't picture him asking people for money to support him on a job where he won't be earning money, yet he owes money to education loans. I believe whatever decision we make for the young woman asking for sponsorship must use the same standards by which we would be willing to support/advise one of our own children who may wish to do similar work. Am I making sense? What do you think?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't think that is any of your business. What you have to decide is whether you want to support her mission work or not.

 

-said as someone who grew up on the mission field and who was strongly considering doing the same. I had no student debt but would not have appreciated anyone asking.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited June 19, 2017 by Jean in Newcastle

[Farrar]

I agree with Jean - I think it's just a totally separate issue. Mission work can often be really personal in a way that NGO work isn't typically - as in, the fundraising and so forth can be done in a really personal connections kind of way like what you're describing. But the reality is that you're supporting the work if you give money, not her as an individual person and all her life choices and so forth. The way the fundraising is done is maybe encouraging donors not to see that line, but I would think it's really still there.

[J-rap]

I guess I'd assume that if she has student loan debt, her sponsorship support would cover that, as well as housing costs, food costs, health insurance, and anything else -- just like a regular job wage would.   So my decision to sponsor them financially would assume that things like that could very well be part of the deal.

 

I don't think I'd ask her, but, I do think it's an interesting question.

[poppy]

She's asking for a salary to do a job. If you were hiring someone to do a job - their personal finances would be none of your business . Same applies , with the added caveat that here you do want assurance that she will be reasonably frugal. If you trust her to do so - that's enough .

[Hyacinth]

It is an interesting question. Does she set the salary or does the sending organization determine it?

[DawnM]

That wouldn't even cross my mind.  Do you also want to ask if she plans to use your money to buy a $5 starbucks latte in the airport on the way?

 

Her mission agency has determined an amount she needs to get each month to support her work.  I am sure there is some designated as "personal needs."  That may be enough to cover her student loans, or a latte at the airport, or even a beach trip with other missionaries for R&R.  I don't have a problem with any of that.

 

You either support the work she does or you don't.  

 

There is a missionary couple I wouldn't support even if I had loads of money to spare.  I have some personal reasons.  

 

And then there is a missionary couple I would trust with supporting and wouldn't care if part of that money were used to pay off student loans.

 

I will tell you what our mission decided:

 

Student loans CAN be covered by supporters.  Our mission has a hospital and they were having a hard time getting doctors to come out due to student loans.  Some of them were taking 10 years to pay them off.  That put them on the mission field at age 35 or later.  The mission decided that paying back student loans would be part of the support needed.   

 

I don't see the problem.  

[Tenaj]

My son and Dil are at the beginning of the process to become missionaries. Debt load is something that is a factor that their mission board takes very seriously. I do think that student debt would be viewed differently than consumer debt.

 

In my son's case, he does not have student debt but his wife has some. Fortunately, that is their only debt. They had talked about purchasing a house as a rental investment and a "landing place" for furloughs but decided against it because if the debt issue.

 

As someone previously mentioned, I'm assuming that the student debt repayment would be factored into their level of required support.

[FaithManor]

It really isn't the business of supporters. The mission board will oversee that as they pick and choose whom to hire, and how to help them set up their budget. I do know of NGO's that have rejected applicants for having too much debt because the payments were so high that it would be difficult for the person to have enough funds to live expat.

 

You need to only figure out if you want to use your income to support the stated goals of this person and the organization or not.

[Chris in VA]

I have a friend who raises support (well, her husband does) for their work with Campus Crusade for Christ. They are paid a salary out of that support and how they use it is their business. It is not a lot, compared to people who do the same job in the secular world, but the organization takes into consideration things like how many children they have, the COL in their area, etc. 

 

I guess my question is, do you see student loans as something negative? I get a vibe from your post that you don't think of them as a positive thing. Maybe I'm reading something that isn't there. I can't for the life of me figure out why someone would see them that way. Not to be contentious, I'm just puzzled. 

 

ETA: Ah--in rereading your post, I think you are saying it isn't wage earning work--but I think you are mistaken. It is wage earning--the organizations do provide a wage, not just food and shelter. Sorry to have misread. 

Edited June 19, 2017 by Chris in VA

[bolt.]

The missionaries that raise support for themselves (through reputable organizations) that I am familiar with are required to have a ministry budget and a salary portion. Think of it like an employee that 'runs a department' -- the department budget includes 'staff salary' and also many other items. If they had debt of any kind, they would pay it from the 'personal salary' part of their raised-earnings. The organizations collaborate/ oversee the ministry budget, and sets the salary amount, but don't oversee what the employee does with their salary.

 

They usually set a minimum salary-and-ministry monthly total that the missionary must raise support towards. If they don't have committed support at that level, they don't go. Many young adult missionaries object that they 'don't need' whatever the organization calls a reasonable salary, and ask if they can raise less (and live on less). Reputable organizations do not allow this.

 

Therefore, I would think that the ability to pay off a student loan on a reasonable salary in missions is completely attainable.

[Caroline]

I have a friend who is doing humanitarian work, and has been since we graduated college 25 years ago. She borrowed her way through Williams, so she had a substantial debt load. She has paid it all back while feeding people in Georgia. (The country, not the state) I don't know how her organization works. She has never asked me for money. And it isn't a religious organization. But I do remember her celebrating that Williams was all paid for so she could afford to have kids, which was a goal she set herself, I assume.

[Word Nerd]

I'm in the MYOB camp on this one.

[Calm37]

My daughter just left for the mission field in May. Her sending agency had her draw up a very detailed budget. They actually set the amount she needed to raise. Although she did not have student debt, the monthly payment amount for that would have been a line item in her budget. 

 

I want to thank you so much for considering supporting this young woman. I was humbled by the participation of so many believers in getting dd into the field. Any amount is such an encouragement! I have already seen that the work that dd and future sil planned to do has become just a small part of all that is happening. They have also been a great help and encouragement to all who are already working there.

[bethben]

As a former missionary who had to raise support, I would ask if the sending agency requires her to raise a budget.  They will have counted for student debt load in that budget.  Some organizations don't require their missionaries to raise a "salary".  They will let anyone with a call and a desire to become a missionary. It works and it doesn't work.  If this person is zealous, they may have debt and a faith that says "God will provide".  Yes, He does, but I've also seen the fall out from that.  Married couples with kids living on less than $500 a month in support is not a pretty thing to see.  Lack of proper funding stresses families to the point that they have to put such emphasis on raising support or figuring out how to make a dollar stretch that the mission they are trying to accomplish suffers.  So, if the organization does not require her to raise a certain level of support, I would ask the question.  

[MommyLiberty5013]

No advice. Just wanted to say I think you're kind and faithful for considering all this.

[Seasider]

Oh, I am not trying to be a Nosy Nellie! And I am not averse to student debt - I understand that it's near impossible to get a college education these days without incurring at least some measure of it.

 

I totally understand the point many make about how an employer pays a salary, and as long as the employee provides work as agreed, the employer pays and the employee spends with no need to report how the earnings are spent. That's a true and fair observation.

 

Consider, however, that I'm not looking at this as someone I'm hiring to do a job. It could be viewed as an investment I am making, and it's prudent to invest wisely - for example, if three students approached me and asked for the same amount of support, and they had varying amounts of debt, wouldn't it be wise to choose to support the person with the least debt? Wouldn't that ensure that (all other things being equal) the highest amount of my investment dollars possible goes to actual work in the field, rather than paying debt instead of buying medical supplies (or whatever. And yes, I'm guessing if they carried different levels of debt, they make ask for different levels of support)?

 

If I view it as charitable giving, haven't we all been taught to examine an agency's policies and spending practices, to be sure an unreasonable portion of the funds we donate aren't going to unnecessary admissions administrative costs and not to the actual project?

 

I don't make these observations to argue my point, I'm not mad or indignant or anything, I just have to consider what's popped into my mind as a I pray over this; ttruly these thoughts have occurred randomly to me as we consider an amount to give. I suppose in my own personal situation, a complicating factor is my own child(ten) and his (their) debt. Is it fair/wise for me to give this other student a monthly allotment which in part will be used to pay down student loan debt, while not providing the same amount each month in payment to each of my own kids who are accruing/working off debts? I think, for me personally, that's the crux of the issue.

 

I wish I were rich, solely for the purpose of being able to give without these sort of thoughts popping into my mind. I'd pay off all the debt, to liberate those kids for service! The Lord has not put me in a position to be a go-er, so I want to delight in being a sender. I just want to send wisely.

 

Thanks for all your replies. It's good to have other perspectives to mull over. I probably will not ask her about it directly, but I am considering corresponding with the missions organization to inquire about their policies for this - I will certainly NOT mention this young person's name, but I am seriously curious. I always think that there's a reason God puts a check in my spirit about certain things, and it's always good to listen and think through matters when such checks arise.

[Bambam]

I'd sorta want to know too.

 

I have limited resources, so I have to be careful and seriously investigate and consider where my money goes. 

 

Before I give to any charity, I research it to see if it makes good use of the funding. I look to see if there is an organization that does a better job with the funding they get. Why is this different? Is it just because of the personal connection? If so, would you give money to an organization your friend worked for when you knew it wasn't being used as efficiently as another? People can do whatever with their own money, but I think the question is worth considering.

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

If they are going with an organization instead of going as an indepenent, then there is no reason why you can't check out the organization's policies.  Their policy should be the same for anyone (with adjustments for the COL in different countries).  But as someone else said (and I'm too lazy to go look up who), there should be a portion that is personal that can be used for anything including any debts they may have.  BTW - there is at least one non-profit that is specifically for loan forgiveness for missionaries. 

[FaithManor]

As to your second post, not really. The money used to support the missionary in general does not provide support for other supplies for others. Whether or not they have debt has no bearing on how hard they will work at their mission. That is a matter of character not debt. It is entirely possible that the hardest working person in your scenario is the one with the most debt. You cannot predict that. The budget the person raises or the salary they take out is to support them! You are not feeding starving children, or running a hospital off "support" money. All of that had to be separately fundraiser in addition to support.

 

Support money is the survival money, the healthcare money, the roof over the head and food money of the worker you are supporting.

 

Sometimes a missionary will raise more than their budget. Occasionally that may mean they donate some of that into the building fund, the medical supplies, the food for the orphanage, etc. Often it means they can have an emergency fund so if some crisis in their family pops up, they can afford to pay for expensive plane tickets, or medical expenses or something.

 

General giving to an organization often is the way to support specific things like medical clinics or orphanages. These organizations usually have opportunities to designate funds for the operational costs. They may also take a small percent of support money from each "employee" to pay for organizational costs.

 

But nothing about the debt of the missionary has any impact on the amount of work that gets done. In my experience, less debt simply meant smaller budget, less fundraising. It has not correlated with more money for the mission unless donors felt the need to designate funds to specific projects.

 

In our case we support a medical couple from DWB as well as give to a medical equipment fund which helps buy heart monitors and such.

 

Think of it this way. There is a national video gaming group that does an annual fundraiser where expert gamers meet at an event center, podcast video gaming, and players all over the world can find out how to beat difficult levels of hundreds of games. It is broadcast on cable - can't remember the channel - and gamers make donations to the gaming telethon. They raiseem around a million per event. That goes to the organization DWB. So that money is paying for operational expenses, medical supplies, etc. It isn't supporting a specific doctor, nurse, or other medical pro.

 

As a general rule, support of an individual is different from money directly on a physical project. That has its own fundraising.

 

Tourist missions is a separate animal. As a general rule, since these are not professional trips and mostly NOT about service but about exposing teens to a different culture, the support the kids raise does include money for a project while there like building a small building or painting a school or whatever.

 

Short term things tend to be inclusive, long term not.

 

And of course some of this can vary by organization, but as a general rule how much "mission" happens is not tied to salary or budget of the long term, professional on the field.

[Alice]

I look at supporting a missionary as providing the salary of the worker. What the worker does with that salary is then their business.

 

If I am looking to support an organization in other ways I would give directly to the organization and not to the missionary.

[Annie G]

Maybe she has no student loan debt, or maybe she is planning to do income based repayment.   If she has to put her stuff in storage while she is gone, would you be against her using support money to pay the storage fees?  What about if she takes a break from the mission field to spend a long weekend at a beach?  Somewhere is a line that will bother you and maybe it's student loan payments.  

 

If I chose to support a missionary I would have to give and then let go.  Let the person determine how best to spend the money.  

 

Hope it works out well. 

 

 

 

 

[Seasider]

Ok, from the missions organization I've learned a couple of interesting things.

 

- Yes, the individual missionary creates a budget, which determines the goal for how much support must be raised.

 

- 12% of support raised goes to the organization (10% to "home office" administrative costs + 2% to international leadership teams)

 

- No consumer debt or debt other than that related to student loans is allowed prior to the candidate going to the field.

 

- A maximum of $250 per month is allowed to be included in the budget for the candidate to use to pay towards student loan debt.

 

It was a good idea to look directly and more closely at the sending agency. I will have to share this info with my dh and we will make decisions from there.

 

FWIW, I've actually found some good articles this afternoon related to this topic. Apparently it is a big area of concern for missionaries these days.

 

Thanks again for all your input, it's been very helpful.

[Little Nyssa]

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Edited June 20, 2017 by Little Nyssa