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Scope
Background
The average North American enjoys a standard of living that has been unimaginable for most of human history. Meanwhile, 40 percent of the earth's inhabitants eke out an existence on less than two dollars per day. And from inner-city ghettos to rural Appalachia, poverty continues to inflict pain, loss, and despair on the North American continent itself. Indeed, the economic and social disparity between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is on the rise both within North America and between North America and much of the Majority World (Africa, Asia, and Latin America).
If you are a North American Christian, the reality of our society's vast wealth presents you with an enormous responsibility, for throughout the Scriptures God's people are commanded to show compassion to the poor. In fact, doing so is simply part of our job description as followers of Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:31–46). While the biblical call to care for the poor transcends time and place, passages such as 1 John 3:17 should weigh particularly heavy on the minds and hearts of North American Christians: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
Of course, there is no "one-size-fits-all" recipe for how each Christian should respond to this biblical mandate. Some are called to pursue poverty alleviation as a career, while others are called to do so as volunteers. Some are called to engage in hands-on, relational ministry, while others are better suited to support frontline workers through financial donations, prayer, and other types of support. Each Christian has a unique set of gifts, callings, and responsibilities that influence the scope and manner in which to fulfill the biblical mandate to help the poor.
Furthermore, the institutional context greatly influences both the type and scale of various poverty alleviation efforts. Some Christians are called to work at a government level, seeking to promote justice for the poor through public policy. Others are called to work in the business world where they can provide job opportunities for the unemployed. Many Christians work with churches or parachurch ministries, allowing them to communicate openly the love of Jesus Christ through both words and deeds. And some Christians simply minister as individuals, walking across the street to help a neighbor in need.
Finally, no single sector can alleviate poverty on its own. Like all human beings, poor people have a range of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Hence, appropriate interventions for poor people include such diverse sectors as economic development, health, education, agriculture, spiritual formation, etc.
In summary, while all Christians have a responsibility to help the poor, there is enormous diversity in the ways that each Christian is to fulfill this biblical mandate.
How Can one Book Deal with All of This Diversity?
All North American Christians have one thing in common: Each one of us is called to participate in the life of a local church. While this participation can be in leadership or membership, each of us is responsible to participate at some level in helping our congregation to be everything Scripture calls it to be, including fulfilling its biblical mandate to care for the poor.
Moreover, we believe the local church has a unique role to play in poverty alleviation, and we are delighted to see the recent resurgence in church-based, holistic ministry to the poor both at home and abroad. At the same time, we are grieved when we see churches using poverty alleviation strategies that are grounded in unbiblical assumptions about the nature of poverty and that violate "best practice" methodologies developed by theorists and practitioners over the course of many decades.
Focus of the Book
For all of these reasons, this book focuses on appropriate ways for a North American congregation—and its missionaries—to participate in poverty alleviation at home and abroad, taking into account the God ordained mission of the church and the typical church's organizational capacity. However, the concepts, principles, and interventions described in this book are applicable for a wide range of settings. In particular, nonprofit organizations and individuals will find that the principles and strategies described in this book transfer very easily to their ministries.
Structure of the Book
Part 1 of this book lays a foundation for all poverty alleviation efforts by discussing the fundamental nature of poverty and then drawing out some initial implications. Part 2 builds on this foundation by discussing three key issues that should be considered in the design and implementation of any poverty alleviation strategy. Part 3 then applies all of these concepts to "economic development," a set of strategies designed to alleviate material poverty through increasing people's income and wealth.
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