Weakening Dollar Hurts Missionaries
The weakening U.S. dollar is having a profound effect on missionaries scattered all over the world, including those affiliated with the PCA’s Mission to the World (MTW).
“It makes things more expensive in their local currency and increases their cost of living,” said Bill Goodman, MTW’s director of field operations. “This problem is widespread throughout the world—it’s not just Europe that is being affected.”
While previous economic changes have caused support shortages for missionaries in the past, the breadth of this problem is unprecedented.
Christianity Today recently reported that “according to the U.S. Center for World Mission, many missionaries are finding their dollars worth 8 to 12 percent less than they expected this year. In Europe, dollars have lost 45 percent of their buying power since 2002.”
“It makes things more expensive in their local currency and increases their cost of living,” said Bill Goodman, MTW’s director of field operations. “This problem is widespread throughout the world—it’s not just Europe that is being affected.”
While previous economic changes have caused support shortages for missionaries in the past, the breadth of this problem is unprecedented.
Christianity Today recently reported that “according to the U.S. Center for World Mission, many missionaries are finding their dollars worth 8 to 12 percent less than they expected this year. In Europe, dollars have lost 45 percent of their buying power since 2002.”
MTW recently lowered the amount of support missionaries must raise by decreasing the administrative fee for long-term missionaries and reducing health costs. But those gains are quickly being eroded by the falling value of the dollar. To combat the problem, many missionaries are seeking to raise additional support while still on the field—a difficult task.
“We need to ask for prayer for this situation, that God would supply additional funding,” says Goodman. “And we need to communicate with churches, so that they can be aware of the pressure on our missionaries right now.”
“We need to ask for prayer for this situation, that God would supply additional funding,” says Goodman. “And we need to communicate with churches, so that they can be aware of the pressure on our missionaries right now.”
Comments
Rev. Allen Smith
Trujillo Peru
Thank you for bring this to the attention of the PCA. I'm a missionary in north Perú and just this past year the exchange rate has dropped from 3.2 to 2.85. If you are part of a missions committee, please consider before bringing on new missionaries to ask your current missionaries how they are doing with their present financial situation.
¡Bendiciones!
¡Bendiciones!
Scot Redpath
Georgia
God has raised communities, nations, and civilizations with economic prosperity throughout history for the purpose of carrying the gospel on its coattails as it were to the rest of the world. It is not money that carries the gospel, at least initially. If the economy in this country wanes it is not the gospel that is affected it is only our ability to send missionaries. Pray that God would send workers out from everywhere.
As a missionary with MTW I actually was able to have a budget surplus of over $42,000.00 in the years that we were on the field. It is also about spending, or rather not spending wisely.
As a missionary with MTW I actually was able to have a budget surplus of over $42,000.00 in the years that we were on the field. It is also about spending, or rather not spending wisely.
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Glen Miller
Greencastle, PA
Glen Miller