There are three basic ways in which Christian identify manifests itself within faith-based microfinance organizations.
Biblical Motivation: Motivated by Biblical calls to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the shelterless, set the oppressed free (as in Isaiah 58:6-10) and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:39), but they do not call attention to their Christian identity among the people they serve.
Non-proselytizing Christian Service: As the title suggests, these organizations clearly state that their intention is to serve in the name of Christ but are clear that their purpose is not to make converts. Such an identity may be important in countries where Christianity is not the majority religion and it can enable organizations to access government funds which often come with restrictions against proselytizing.
Intentional effort to meet physical and spiritual needs: These organizations are guided by the belief that true transformation includes addressing both physical and spiritual poverty, that improvement in one’s physical circumstances alone falls short of God’s intention for all to be reconciled to Him through Christ. Microfinance provides a powerful platform to do both through the frequent interaction between case workers and borrowers (that can include powerful elements of evangelism and discipleship) as well as by strengthening and equipping the local church. Organizations in this category vary considerably in the level of emphasis they place on the spiritual dimensions of their work, including the amount of time they allow case workers to spend on evangelism or discipleship and the level to which they require the organizations they partner with to report on these.
Not every organization fits neatly into one of these three categories, particularly as they often operate across many countries and highly variable environments where their approach needs to be adapted to fit local needs and sensibilities. In addition, regardless of the Christian identity priorities of the parent or funding organization, how this is actually implemented in the field depends largely on the priorities of the leadership in the field and this can vary considerably from location to location.
Microfinance organizations that include a spiritual dimension in their work face a constant tension between the drive for financial sustainability and the added costs of intentional ministry to the spiritual needs of their clients. The danger is that over time the spiritual dimension will be gradually diluted down to token gestures unless the associated costs are built into their model and ministry activities are measured, assessed, valued and regularly encouraged.
Spiritual integration examples in microfinance
In places where the overt proclamation of the gospel message or combining it with the provision of microfinance services would be offensive or frowned on, Christian workers can express their faith through lifestyle evangelism – through their integrity and honesty, their readiness to ask forgiveness and interest in the personal lives and struggles of their clients, and their readiness to give a reason for the hope they have.
In some contexts the materially poor view the rich as corrupt and associate business with corruption and exploitation. Training borrowers in business skills can emphasize a biblical view of business as opportunity to achieve their God-given potential for creativity and productivity as well as giving dignity to their work and serving as a tool for community transformation.
The credit culture and discipline necessary for successful microfinance requires the development and regular application of Biblical principles of trustworthiness, integrity, accountability, stewardship and leadership in their daily lives which can be central elements of pre-evangelism and discipleship. This regular interaction provides a natural and effective opportunity for a Christ-following case worker to develop the relationships with clients from which he/she can earn the chance to share the Gospel message with gentleness and respect.
An MFI can make scripture and other Christian literature and media available to clients.
An MFI can work with borrowers who are Christians to use their business as a means for sharing the gospel or for them to witness to other clients within a borrowing group.
MFIs can reinvest a portion of profits in ministry either by having a separate set of staff dedicated exclusively to ministry or by financially supporting ministries that may be separate from their microfinance work. In this way microfinance can be a means of indigenous support for indigenous ministry.
Loan officers can encourage relationships between clients and local groups of believers, including the local church.
An organization can enable the local church to facilitate the formation of local savings and credit associations owned and operated by their members, expanding the role of the church in community transformation.
In some contexts, MFIs are able to overtly witness to clients and can conduct Bible studies, sing praise songs and have prayer meetings. CCT in the Philippines is often cited as an outstanding example of this type of spiritual integration taken to scale.
The book Christian Enterprise Development: An Introduction by Russell Mask and David Bussau covers this topic in greater depth. An online version can be accessed here.