Enabling or Empowering?

Yesterday I read an article by Glenn Schwartz entitled Dependency. This article has really challenged my thinking. As a Christian, and as a cross cultural witness, am I helping or hurting the nationals that I work with in other countries when I give the ministry a monetary gift? This article stressed that as we teach new believers to obey Biblical commands, we can't forget the command to give. Even if in my eyes they are "too poor to give," Scripture teaches that we are to give out of what we have. The amount doesn't matter...it's the obediance that does. So, if a person has little, they give little, if a person has much, they give much. All of this is for God's glory, not personal glory.

When people in a village give to build their own church, their own school, to provide whatever they have identified as a need to be filled, they take ownership of it; they take pride in it. They take care of its needs as they arise. Plus, if a building is made with local money, local labor, local supplies, many people benefit from it. They avoid depending on outside help.

This has caused me to wonder..."What about the hospitals that have been built in villages? What about the schools? What about the libraries?" Do we enable the nationals or do we empower them with such things? It's a tough question. Is there a plan for leadership, ownership, money to sustain this type of building/ministy to be transferred or given to the nationals? Or is money always going to be "pumped in?" How much is enough? How much is too much? Is seed money a good thing as people get started on their project? There are so many things to consider.

I have had Ghanaians tell me that Europeans and Americans have given their country so much that now they expect it. "The funds have always come from outsiders so why should I work and worry about it?" is a common belief. If they wait long enough, people will come and do it for them.

Then I wonder, "What about matching funds at the beginning to start the project?" The nationals will have worked for and provided for part of the expenses. And, some have been donated by others. What would you do?

I know, I want to empower people, not enable them. I pray God will lead me as I prepare to move to and while I am living in Ghana. I pray that He will show me what to do.