Last week, I posted an update on Mars Hill Church’s Ethiopian connection, New Covenant Foundation. Even though Mars Hill Church raised millions by featuring their work, church leaders still have not pledged to give some of the seed money from the church dissolution to these pastors.
The other main international outreach was in India via Vision Nationals. Arjuna Chiguluri is the director of the mission and responded to my request for clarification of the current situation at Mars Hill.
Let me just start by saying that we are heartbroken over all that’s transpired, and we pray for all those affected.
As you know, Mars Hill Church has been a faithful supporter of our ministry for more than 15 years, and we are grateful for all they’ve done to help us plant churches in India. It’s been a truly generative partnership. Many have come to know Jesus as a result.
Anytime an organization loses a significant source of funding, it hurts, but we are very optimistic that God will provide. He has done so for more than 22 years, and we have no reason to believe that He will stop now.
As you think of it, Warren, please pray for India. We have more human need and more unreached people groups than any other nation on earth. Believing that Christ is the key to human flourishing, our passion is to proclaim and demonstrate the Gospel for as long as we have breath.
God bless you, brother, and thank you for reaching out to me.
In the ministry that counts,
Arjuna
As far as I can tell, these two mission groups believe in “human flourishing” as they spread the gospel and seek to improve the quality of life in the communities where they plant churches.
The latest information I have is that the seed money is designed to cover the expenses of the spin-off churches for three months. Surely, the church should donate a share of money from dissolution to these pastors and their families, many of whom live in poverty. With the wealth remaining at Mars Hill, there should be enough in a share to support these pastors for years.
Additional information: I should have added to this post the statement made by Mars Hill about Ethiopia and India:
Additionally, in 2015 we expect to make a final donation to Vision Nationals in India, and New Covenant Foundation in Ethiopia, prior to distributing net assets to the new independent churches, and some of the new local churches hope to continue the legacy of supporting these missions.
While this sounds like the missionaries will get funds, it is not clear that this pledge is for anything more than was planned if the church had remained open. However, neither group seemed to be aware of anything beyond the 2015 money already committed for the fiscal year. Mars Hill is closing in the middle of the fiscal year and it appears that they “expect” to complete their donation for until June 2015.
What I am talking about (and I believe I wasn’t as clear as I needed to be) is a substantial distribution more akin with what came in through the Global Fund. I hope Mars Hill leaders surprise the world and publicize where the distribution is going. From the current statements of the church and the missionaries, I don’t expect anything more to be given than what was planned for the remainder of the FY.