Since the 1970s, the Rev. Judy Ganz has served the Moravian Church as a missionary, nurse, pastor and director of the Board of World Mission in North America. Drawing on this extensive experience in mission work in the field and administration, and on her deep reflection on mission practices and justice, Judy shares insights about helping engender self-reliance in Compassionate Giving: Promoting Dignity and Self-Reliance in Our Mission.
Compassionate Giving is a helpful new resource for mission board members and donors, granting organizations, congregations, mission trip preparation and theological and mission education. This informative, instructive and accessible book explores the church’s past and present approaches to funding missions, and the ways in which the use of wealth and power have impacted people and relationships both positively and negatively.
Grounded in Biblical texts and including the voices of those seeking a more just and equitable world, Judy is willing to name past failings and current challenges and provide insightful, thought-provoking questions for the possibility of transformative conversations. She presents a hopeful way forward, giving local and global examples of sharing the gospel, wealth and power that reveal that “another world is possible.” “This book comes at a critical time as the church in the global north is coming to terms with how its mission movement created the injustices of both colonialism and racism through the ownership of slaves and plantations in support of the missionary enterprise,” wrote the Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller in her foreword to the book. “It will be of deep interest to Moravians, whose lifeblood is God’s mission to the world, and to any who want to explore how wealth and faith impact human dignity and worth.”
Answering questions
“Compassionate Giving attempts to answer the question: How can we best fulfill God’s mandate to share our wealth in compassionate giving?” writes Judy. “It is a question posed to those of us in North America who share in the mission of God’s church. It is not meant to be a directive to those we serve, even as it is an attempt to better understand and value them. We have been skilled at defining “their” problems; the intent of this book is to address our own.”
Throughout the brief 60-page book, Judy describes the mandate in scripture to share our wealth, along with how that sharing may have potential negative impacts that have been seen in both local and global mission, particularly in the development of dependency of mission churches on outside funding for basic operations.
She also discusses how cultural differences and our own biases can impact our goals of empowering others in their own contexts to use their gifts and resources toward self-reliance.
To provide context for how the Moravian Church has worked in missions through the years, Compassionate Giving also provides a history of Moravian missions from its early days through the 21st century, and shares principles of self-reliance that guide the Board of World Mission in its efforts today to promote sustainable and healthy congregations in our global churches.
Throughout Compassionate Giving, Judy references theologians, missionaries, experts in justice and poverty and others to add to her personal insights. The book includes an extensive list of outside readings and resources to enlighten those looking to dig deeper into the subject of mission.
“This is the kind of book that could only be written by a person of faith who narrates her own experiences then courageously interrogates both her actions and motives throughout the journey,” continues Betsy. “Judy Ganz offers us a tremendous gift and models a way for all of us to join her in this brave exploration toward making a better world possible.”
Compassionate Giving will serve well as a book study; there are discussion questions at the end of each chapter that invite readers to dig deeper into the material. It serves equally well as an opportunity for personal reflection for anyone who seeks to be a generous giver and a gracious recipient of the rich gifts of those among whom their wealth is shared.
Compassionate Giving (paperback, 72 pages) was produced in partnership with the Interprovincial Board of Communication and is available through the IBOC at store.moravian.org.
