I’m going to ask him at our meeting today where he got this figure, but one of the statements from last night’s Compassion International get together that drilled into me the farthest was this one made by Compassion’s president, Wess Stafford (paraphrased here): Only 80% of pastors in America have ever preached a sermon on poverty though there are 2000 verses of scripture about poverty and the poor in the bible.
Another powerfully simple bit of Wess’ talk last night was his commentary on the story of the Good Samaritan. (Again, I’m paraphrasing) He said when Jesus was asked what we’re to do to follow Him, He told the story of a man beaten and robbed and stripped naked and left beside a stretch of road. The man wasn’t helped by the professional ministers who passed by but he was helped by an everyday person, the Samaritan. The Samaritan took the wounded man to the caretakers where he could get the help he needed and the Samaritan footed the bill.
This, Wess said, is how Compassion International works. Ordinary people let the expert caretakers at Compassion projects around the world tend to the needs of the poor and they foot the bill of $32 a month. And it does work.
860,000 children are currently being rescued from poverty by Compassion International he said. That’s double the number in their care four years ago. 102,000 children “gave their lives to Christ in this past year at the knee of their pastor.” Wes said. Now some of the largest churches in Korea (tens of thousands of members) where Compassion International began just fifty something years ago, are pastored by children raised by Compassion International and alums from Compassion projects around the world are being organized to encourage one another, help one another, and change their communities and nations. They yare doing what governments are incapable of. They are moving into society with the love of Christ in them, adults now, teachers, doctors, mechanics, mothers, fathers, and transforming nations one personal interaction at a time. They are loving as they have been loved. The ripple effect of what Compassion International does all over the world is being felt throughout its societies, at every level.
It was a very inspiring night full of Good News and great stories from around the world.
I can’t wait to spend some time with Wess this afternoon. If you could ask him one question about Compassion International or anything else, or tell him one thing, what would it be?
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Questions for him: I don’t know, offhand. I would tell him that what he and Compassion are doing is awesome.
I read a few years ago about Jesus teaching on the Good Samaritan. This was, apparently, a common rabbinical parable; except Jesus put a twist, really a barb, in the parable. As commonly told, after the priest and Levite, a pious Jew would come along and tend to the beaten man. Can you imagine the crowd as they heard Jesus begin this story to answer “Who is my neighbor”? I’m sure it was like hearing a comforting old story: of course, Jesus, I’m the little man and I can be more righteous than the professional if I care for my hurt brother. But then Jesus hits them with this hated, outcast Samaritan. Sure, we’ve all talked about how this was a hard teaching about loving everyone; but to see how Jesus lured them down the path and then sprang a trap on their egos and self-centeredness, that makes the parable even more meaningful to me. It makes me wonder if we’ve become a little too comfortable in hearing this story of the Good Samaritan and we need Jesus to upend our complacency, as well.
I would like to know what specific things we can pray for for those who work in the Compassion centers around the world. How many children are still waiting for sponsors? What’s the average wait time for a child to get a sponsor? OK, I know that’s more than one question, but I’d still like to know.
We got a letter from our little boy, Wedner, in Haiti the other day. He was thanking us for the Christmas gift we sent. He used the money to buy himself a chicken to raise. My kids thought that was so cool and wanted to know if we could get one too!
Beth
1. Could Compassion handle it if someone donated, say, $200 million dollars?
2. What would Compassion do C.I. was suddenly funded with an extra $200 million a year? What would happen?
3. What does he think of campaigns to help, say, Africa, that ask for no sacrifice?
4. What does he think of current ideas/projects to help Africa that rely on largely statist solutions, through the IMF, the U.N., etc.?
5. His recommendation: Should Christians give to UNICEF?
6. How many children does he sponsor?
Please let him know Compassion is making those sermons happen, just not in pulpits…but pulpits are becoming less important.
For my family: American pulpits haven’t changed how we view Compassion International and poverty—Compassion and poverty has changed how we view American pulpits.
How many children are still waiting for sponsors?
out of the 860,000 kids being cared for by Compassion International, I believe the number that HAVE sponsors was around 720,000. If I’m correct about that, then that would mean about 140,000 kids need sponsors and are currently having their care paid for by the unsponsored children’s fund. That fund is what I suggest any one-time gift folks put on the memo line of their checks. We recently were handed a check for $10,000 and had them make it out to Compassion International but designate it to that fund.
. Could Compassion handle it if someone donated, say, $200 million dollars?
What do you mean by “handle it” Brant? Do mean could they use it? Or how would they use it? What exactly do you mean…and do you have a donation to make? ; )
American pulpits haven’t changed how we view Compassion International and poverty—Compassion and poverty has changed how we view American pulpits.
Yes. Me too.
Compassion is developing what I can only describe as sermon aids to help pastors teach about poverty and the Christian’s role in combatting it. Wes has spoken to large numbers of pastors and asked why they don’t teach on poverty. The answer he gets most often, he said, is that they don’t know anything about it. Seminary didn’t prepare them for it. So he’s asked them if they’d teach about it if they were prepared. They say yes. So he’s preparing them.
I’ve just wondered before about these gigantic endowments made to universities, and how Compassion might appropriate that same sort of largesse.
There are organizations that simply *couldn’t* handle it. I don’t know anyone with $200 mil to give, but I do know some wealthy people, and I kinda wonder how Compassion deals with major donors, if they just use that money to plug into existing programs, or launch entirely new areas. Just curious what Wes would say, if he’d have an immediate, “Yes, here’s what we’d do…”
And American churches could drop $200 million a year on Compassion in a heartbeat, if we so chose.
Brant, I accompanied Wes to a major donor event where I played couple songs and talked briefly about why I’m behind Compassion International. Then Wes spoke briefly. Then checks were written for large amounts of money. That night the money was earmarked for the launching of the LDP (Leadership Development Program, which takes graduates on to higher education, leadership training, mentoring etc). It was new then. I wonder where that money would go if it were given today. I’ll ask.
AS one of the pastors who has preached on the subject…
I would guess that the same percentages are true with regard to the Gospel as well…
Isaiah 58
peace
i think america needs to be rescued from it’s chronic wealth. i believe Compassion International serves as a valuable tool for believers to help their neighbors in a distant land.
i was surprised to see that on the Better Business Bureau’s Website Wess Stafford makes about $205,939 each year. i wonder what he does with all of these treasures here on earth?
http://charityreports.bbb.org/Public/Report.aspx?CharityID=3017
disseminating a good organization to get involved with is an interesting journey. in some ways i guess it just takes faith…
I’m actually relieved to see the $205k figure—that’s not high at all.
That’s his TOTAL package, not salary. Includes all benefits, health insurance, retirement plans, etc.—PLUS his expense account.
I can imagine his expense account is way up there, given his job.
At any rate, for a guy that leads a $270 million operation, and has been doing it for decades, a salary of $150k or so is very, very low, and he’s in a high cost-of-living area, to boot.
I’m a skeptic about ministry use of money, but this sounds no alarms whatsoever. Like I say, I’m actually relieved.