Where are the Christian Philanthopists?

There has been a great shift in this generation where people of significant wealth have determined to give away their wealth (or a major part of it) while they are still alive. The greatest example is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. However it is much wider than this for bequests to medicine, education, science and the arts.

But where are the entrepreneurs in the Christian sphere? Where are those who are prepared to put their wealth to work in the service of the Kingdom of God?

I am not talking about the building of church buildings or other things which are of only occasional use. However there are projects which need large amounts of capital for their fulfilment.

Much of the money raised for the promotion of the Kingdom of God comes from those with least ability to give. This money goes by and large to the support of people on the ground, and this is very good. However there are large projects that can never be funded in this way.

To give just two examples from my own experience:

• 1.       Bendigo, the largest inland city in Australia, has contributed to the life of Australia way above its size. Politically it had a major contribution to the foundation of the Commonwealth of Australia. Economically, the gold extracted here exceeded, until recent times, every other goldfield in Australia and was the source of the capital for the building of Melbourne. Even more importantly, Bendigo saw one of the largest revivals in Australian Christian History at the turn of the 20^th Century.

At the moment Bendigo is becoming known as the site of the largest Buddhist Stupa in the Southern Hemisphere. Why can’t we celebrate Bendigo’s Christian History by the building of a major interpretive centre at the edge of the city as you drive up from Melbourne. There are already conceptual plans in place for this, but where are the funds to come from? There are many very wealthy Christian people who could fund this easily. Where are they?

• 2.       In North East India there is the largest tribal community in India, estimated at up to 12,000,000 people. They are known as the Santals, or “the people of the land” . They are ethnically related to the Australian Indigenous people, as shown by DNA analysis. They are an oral people whose history is passed on orally, like our indigenous people. They have a very large Christian component and are easy to bring into the Kingdom of God when they come into contact with more urbanised people.

The Santals are mainly subsistence farmers, or in the cities, day labourers, which is more correctly described as slave-like labour. There is a very active work among these people based in Madhupur in the State of Jharkhand. I have the great privilege of being involved with them. All work there is carried out within THEIR culture with their elders determining the forms of meeting, worship, etc. Several schools have been built to enable them to avoid the exploitation that has been their experience so far. Santal language and culture is maintained wherever possible.

Their culture, and their Christian culture, needs to be preserved in an interpretive centre there. Land is already available, but again there are no funds for the interpretive centre.All monies raised so far has gone into evangelism, social uplift, and the preservation of life of mothers and babies. This emphasis must not change but this does not take away the need for an entrepreneur to fund an interpretive centre. The alternative is the gradual erosion of an ancient and beautiful culture, much of which preserves the creation narratives found in the Bible.

They have 12 tribes in their culture and many of the tribal laws and living values echo the life of the Israelites. There is much to be done in investigating and preserving this culture. Where is the money for this?

More information on these projects and on the beginning of a Kingdom of God Foundation for the funding of capital works in the Kingdom of God and not just the building of more church edifices, can be obtained from John Steele at john@bendimar.com.au, or at www.bendimar.blogspot.com.au

 

Please share this with your followers and see if we can send this viral and enthuse the Christian wealthy who will join a coalition to fund these, and other, activities, without diverting funds going to living transmitters of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.