You are supporting 2 missionaries and you want to support 20 missionaries?
Or you're supporting 100 missionaries and want to double it?

Here is a way you can achieve that goal without placing stress on the church.
The 21 ways listed below settles the church on its maximum potential without duress.

If you have heard of The Peter Principle, then you will also appreciate The Peter and Paul Principle of this message. About twenty years ago an educator by the name of Dr. Laurance J. Peter authored a book entitled The Peter Principle. Since then the Peter Principle has become standard jargon in the business world. His book revealed why there was so much incompetence and inefficiency in the American system when good workers are promoted beyond their place of highest competence. In this treatment we are dealing with the same problems. Only we call our treatment of this subject The Peter And Paul Principle.

Some of us will never leave our home towns - but we can have a vital part in winning the world for Jesus! In these pages we deal with the problems of global evangelism and especially the solution, how we who man the churches back at the home base of operations can win the world from where we are!

The Last Great Challenge of the End Time Churches

We must meet this challenge with the only thing equal to it in power - prayer! The humanists have a vision for global government while many of us are forsaking Christ's vision of global evangelism.

As the world gets more wicked there tends to be developing in some holiness circles an attitude of withdrawal from sinners when just the opposite should be the case. It's not pleasant and it's not easy but as the world becomes more wicked it also comes nearer to the brink of God's judgment! The nearer the world comes to damnation the more urgent is our order from the King of Kings to "preach the gospel to every creature" and to "warn the wicked."

This is the hour of global evangelism - May God send that anointing that will thrust us out into the darkness, discovering the strength to survive and the power to conquer - strengths we never knew we had in Christ.

This task will not be accomplished with mediocrity, business psychology, slogans and full color graphics promotions! It will only penetrate the darkness and turn our churches into flaming centers of New Testament evangelism as men of God pray down an anointing that will make us equal to this humanly impossible task! We've tried all of these other things and the church keeps digressing morally - now it is time to seek again the yoke smashing anointing.

As the world grows and the lost souls number in the billions the local pastor must enlarge his vision and broaden his missions base of operation!

It seems we have the men on call and ready to go!

It is obvious that the Holy Spirit would step up His activities calling more ministries to reach the world's billions! Are we in step with the Holy Ghost?

Now, oh Lord, we want to hear the roar of your outpouring upon the churches; a baptism of wisdom, of compassion and power within the four walls of our sanctuaries!

We are living in a volatile and historically significant time. This world could blow up overnight . . .it is no time to think little! These new ministries need supported. The holiness churches need a fresh outpouring of God's Spirit. We must start thinking expansion and growth in terms of the lost instead of real estate. We must pray down from the heavens a new spirit of aggressive faith!

We must grow in our thinking, shake any old and stagnate ideas that have not brought the results we want to see. Stagnant methods that are not working or not equal to or meeting the need of the increasing number of ministries must be dumped, changed or stepped up if we are going to keep up with the work of the holy spirit. He is the administrator of the church, as pastors and missionaries we are God's peons under orders from Him! Avoid the prayerless rut! The world is heading for eternal flames - and nobody is yelling, FIRE!

The Challenge of the Apostasy

Holiness men with holiness churches should not allow the spirit of apostasy to influence them away from this commitment to reach the lost with the authentic gospel, not the fleshpot gospel liberalism is proclaiming to the world.

The Challenge of New Holiness Ministries Being Born

A Vision to Teach Traditional Values

For twenty years two Holiness Bible Institutes have been pouring out graduates into the ministry. Both schools were started with a strong emphasis on holiness and missions.

A Refreshing New Wave

Needed in our Bible school curriculum is a Practical Theology course the last semester of each senior year to plant the pioneer spirit deep in the heart of every graduate who leaves the school for the ministry. The twofold purpose of such a course would be to (1) impart the vision to pioneer a holiness church as an alternative to other ministries upon leaving Bible College and (2) to give a knowledge to all young preachers what practical steps can be taken in starting a church in a community where there is no truly traditional Pentecostal church existing.

The Sound of a Mighty Rushing Wind

If every established church had a list of these pioneer workers and would send one to five dollars a month to each of them (depending on the size your church), we could easily support every pioneer pastor who has taken this step of sacrifice. Contact PIONEER MINISTRIES, P.O. Box 409, Watts, OK for a list of our pioneer preachers.

The Developing Dilemma

The Peter and Paul Principle is the answer.

In contrast to the new ministries you have many older ministries that have been out there in the harvest fields for years. Not trying to name them all I must name a few; Sister Gayle Myers is one of our very best senior missionaries to Mexico. Brother Kraft, doing the work of an apostle in the Guatemala jungles, has had his life and the lives of his family threatened but keeps on raising up churches by the scores over that land! Brother Eddie Smith carries on the work of K.A. Smith training nationals to carry the gospel to their own people and has established a Bible school training young people for the ministry and a center of evangelism in Mexico City to evangelize that "nation city.". . .and there are many others.

As a senior missionary with close to thirty years in missionary evangelism, (besides eighteen years pastoring) I can say that we have not seen such an increase in overseas ministries by so many capable men as we have seen in recent years. Most of these men have come from the Bible Schools mentioned above. In the past years of ministry we established contacts in over 30 countries with national pastors. The ministry has covered jungle evangelism, capitol city evangelistic crusades, teaching at national conferences and supporting national workers and providing equipment and practical assistance in Brazil, India, four nations of Africa, The soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Italy, France, Jamaica, Japan and other countries as well as Isles of the sea. Then came the burden for The HAGIOS Letter now being mailed to subscribers in 23 countries.

Calls from abroad

Calls from the brethren seeking direction and some word of encouragement. There are many older brethren reading these lines who know well the feeling of being looked to for help and sometimes wishing you had the power to erase men's mistakes and help them start over with a clean slate.

The Senior Ministries

The Three Ingredients of Dilemma

Every one of the disciples were martyred in different parts of the world. They seemed to know what their orders were.

Today Muslims are gaining ten Muslims to every one Christian gained. Many of them right here in America!

Secondly you have many new ministries merging that must be sent out without crowding out ministries that already exist.

Thirdly, what seems to be very limited resources to take care of all of these ministries. Some young men are still terribly under supported though they stay on laboring. Craig Benner and John Martin being two of them now working with Eddie Smith in Mexico and Guatemala. Others would be going and more would be accomplished if only there was support for them.

Two Significant Developments

First, the good thing that's happening: The Spirit of God has stirred a great number of our preachers to launch out into overseas evangelism.

Secondly, This increase of ministries to be supported by the same number of holiness churches has put a burden of added missionary support on those same churches. The result has been that many of these pastors have cut the support of the senior ministries in order to help the new ministries with a fresh vision. and experienced ministries to support those starting out. The result is that the experienced ministries find their support being cut by some churches just when they have reached the most effective point in their ministry and committed to large projects important to world evangelism and the holiness message.

Two things need to happen within our holiness fellowship of churches across the land - from campmeeting to campmeeting - we must first have those churches doing little or nothing grasp the vision of winning souls in this world wherever they are! More churches must be enlisted into the army of front line evangelism.

Secondly, launch out into an aggressive pioneering effort to establish churches where there are none and seize every opportunity to start new church cells where there are a group of people wanting to preserve a holiness witness in their communities. In short, to launch a maximum effort to pioneer new works. Established churches can be of great help in this area by evaluating their area and helping young men start new works where needed. The established churches can also offer financial support and send teams of preachers and singers to assist the new work. This is already being done by many of our pastors and God will bless them for it.

Getting back to the Peter And Paul Principle

We Can Support Both Ministries!

A pastor (and some have) can tap the secret of The Peter And Paul Principle trigger a lasting revival in the church! We must thrust these new ministries into the harvest, but at the same time we MUST remain faithful and supportive to the missionaries who have pioneered a mission work that has over the years has become influential and effective. The longer a ministry has been on the field the more effective it can be. These older ministries must remain strong. They have earned their office by trodding unbeaten paths and establishing themselves with brethren of many nations. We CAN win thousands for the Lord! But we cannot to this by ROBBING PETER (the older more experienced brother) TO PAY PAUL (that younger and dynamic ministry reaching the gentiles).

What Are We Saying?

1. I am not speaking to those who are hopelessly without compassion for the lost - Are there such people in our ranks? If there is one, there are too many of them! These think that "full gospel" mean "four walls." This is the gospel of four walls! They contain all of their blessings and evangelism with the four walls of their church meetings. It is sad but there are those so absorbed in themselves and their own churches, their own little "bless me" clubs, that they resent any obligation beyond their local churches. They don't invite missionaries and they don't want to be letting their money go out of their sight. After all, "There have been so many crooked missionaries and so many times our money didn't go for what they said, that you can't trust missionaries any more, anyway." They will tell you, We believe in missions, but . . ." If they really believed in missions and didn't trust missionaries then they would go themselves.

   The church that is not going or sending missionaries to the world's billions of hell bent heathen are derelict, they have abandoned the great commission, they are a shame to the blood of Christ that was shed for the "nations." They excuse themselves from supporting missionaries with such silly sayings as, "Who can you trust any more with God's money?" Or, We shouldn't be helping or sending money overseas until we get our own people saved right here in our own home town." Thank God there aren't many of these compassionless Pentecostals around - there would be hundreds and thousands who would never see inside of heaven if all of God's people were bound by such mistrust and narrow-minded human holiness. I'm not addressing these.

2. I am not speaking to pastors who have found the secret of The Peter And Paul Principle and are using it.

3. I am speaking to those pastors who would like to see God bless them with a whole new vision and power to reach the world's billions from right where you are! I am speaking to pastors who want to know about the Biblical Peter and Paul Principle and will start praying about using it.

   Pastors have a much more stable financial situation than do the evangelist and the missionary. Pastors have a bunch of people coming into the church and sit down in front of them in meetings about three times a week with offerings taken in each service. We missionaries wish we had that! Most all pastors pretty well know what their weekly or monthly income will be. Missionaries and evangelists do wish they had that. Missionary ministries depend a lot on the love and support of the pastors. It is such a great help to faith ministries when the pastors are thoughtful and generous toward them.

Pastors Hold the Key this Problem

Shattering the Walls That Block Our Vision

There Is a Way

There are ways of doing this that brings God's greatest blessings to the church. But first let me tell you how it cannot be done. It can't be done by robbing Peter to pay Paul. This is The Peter And Paul Principle in reverse.

The Peter and Paul Principle.

The Peter Factor

The Paul Factor

Robbing Peter To Pay Paul

Suddenly Peter starts getting offerings from you through the mail and he is delighted!

But Peter's offering has been cut in half and he is wondering what has happened.

"Have I lost favor with these brethren?"

"Maybe they had a split and the church is struggling financially."

"Maybe they think I'm not doing the job."

"I wonder if this means they plan to stop all of my support?"

"Maybe they think I haven't been to see them enough."

"Could it be they have heard some bad thing about me . . .what rumor now is going around?"

"Should I give the pastor a call? No, he might think I was only concerned about is the offerings I get from him."

One afternoon at a fellowship gathering a group of pastors were discussing their church missions budgets. One of them said, "Well, I cut Peter's support in half and gave half of his support to brother Paul . . . Peter's getting plenty of support anyway."

But at the very time he was saying this, Peter was sending a message to a distant country canceling a crusade because he did not have the funds to make the trip. Later he had to turn down another urgent invitation. In fact he had promised support to some brethren in Africa and India and had to write and put them off. Peter is borrowing money on notes taken at the bank in order to give promised help.

Such remarks that, "Peter has plenty of support anyway," is the irresponsible. The danger of such thoughtless statements is that others who hear such remarks made by a man who has no idea of what he talking about, may just believe it as being a fact when in reality it is opposite of the impression made by the foolish remark.

No, the answer is not in robbing Peter to pay Paul and then drop a remark that could hurt Peter's ministry. No! No! Let's help both of them without robbing or hurting either of them.

Do we adopt the "Robbing Peter To Pay Paul" philosophy as a cover-up for our own failing. This kind of thinking is not only very human, it is unethical and unkind. As those who profess holiness, we should demonstrate the highest kind of respect and consideration of each others.

Before we reveal The Peter And Paul Principle, let's consider another serious condition that is robbery as well. . .

Many Good Conservative Churches Are Supporting

Missionaries with Bad Theology.

Brethren, we will be accountable to God for supporting people who do not carry a pure message of holiness to the foreign fields. Romans 16:17-18; 1 Timothy 6:3-5

We would be quick to say that it is never right to stop support of a missionary while they are on the field, no matter who they are. But "as possible" channel your support to those ministries that carry the Biblical emphasis of godliness.

Why should we support men financially that we do not support doctrinally? The missionaries your church supports should carry the same message you preach to your church.

However, it is understandable that there are certain sensitive situations that we as pastors did not create and that must be handled with much patience and kindness.

Situation No. 1

Situation No. 2

Solution: 1

An Ethical Procedure

• (a) Notify the missionary whose support will be cut with a letter of explanation. Just simply tell him what has been decided.
• (b) Make the change in his support to start at a future date giving him several months or till the first of the year to begin the change.
• (c) Tell him how much the reduction will be and what amount he will be receiving after the date of the change.

A missionary operation counts heavily on regular offerings - We all know that when hard times hit then nothing is for sure, but so long as we are blessed with jobs and income then we should do all we can for the missionary ministries.

It is the pastors of our land, collectively, that determine the missionary vision of the holiness movement and the effect our missionary ministries will have on the world.

Now that we have considered the careless approach to the Peter and Paul problem, let get to The Peter And Paul Principle and see how it works.

When Paul is finished speaking the pastor steps to the pulpit and asks for a show of hands of those who feel the church should start supporting brother Paul. Hands go up all over the church. The pastor expresses his approval of the church helping. "I feel we should help brother Paul with fifty dollars a month. Let us pray."

The pastor asks the Lord to speak to each one as they become a part of this Paul's ministry. "Now," the pastor says to his people, "I am asking 25 people to raise your their hands saying they will support this ministry with two dollars a month." He no sooner gets the words out of his mouth and the hands all go up together. As they count the hands from the platform there are actually 31 individuals pledging to help brother Paul!

The pastor says, "Fine, we have counted 62 hands and will be able to pledge 62 dollars a month to brother Paul, our new missionary to the gentiles, for an indefinite period of time. Those of you who raised your hand in pledge of support take an offering envelope from the pew in front of you, place your name and address on it, check 'missionary pledge' on the back of the envelope and the ushers will now come and collect the envelopes so we have a record to give to our missions secretary."

Let us now examine the Peter and Paul Principle a little closer:

Make the pledges small (for many good reasons).

1. So the church could add more missionaries that may come along later. In a smaller church it could be one dollar pledges.

2. So that each family or individual can take on another pledge of support again and handle it easily.

3. Enabling the missionary support to be distributed evenly throughout the body avoiding dependence on just a few sources with large amounts of support.

4. It gives the body the feeling of direct involvement and spreads the blessing and sense of fulfilment over the entire congregation.

5. Even the poorer and younger people can pledge such amounts, becoming involved in the missionary vision of the church.

6. When any person should move away from the church or decease, the amount lacking can be easily picked up by a new pledger. If there are several pledges that stop coming in over a length of time, they can be presented to the body and picked up again without any strain.

7. It gives a sense of direct contact with the nissionaries they are supporting.

8. If a family wanted to support another missionary after making a small pledge to a previous missionary they can take on a small second pledge and thus be able to support both missionaries.

9. The missionary budget is determined by the people making direct contact with the missionary and not a mechanical missionary offering taken with little missionary inspiration.

10. The missions secretary keeps a record of those who have pledged and monitors the amounts received with the pledges.

11. No other missionary is effected by another missionary being added. The people are personally committed to their own missionaries.

12. In the announcements of the church or in the church bulletin reminders are placed gently reminding pledgers of their responsibility.

13. Small amounts per pledge are intentionally taken so that anyone can afford to take part and support more than one missionary. It starts becoming fun after about the third missionary.

14. Education the church with special missions manuals explaining to the church how to handle their pledges and to report any pledges that have to be dropped; that if they must drop a pledge to put their pledge up to someone to take it over for them if they lose work or move away from the local church.

15. This mission program taps the resources of the entire church that would not otherwise be attracted to support. It increases the giving of the people by total involvement rather than cutting up a pie of a set amount of money that "just happens to come in that month" for missions.

16. Giving to the world's salvation brings a special joy and life to the giver and God's blessings on the church.

17. Taking the need to the body, allows body participation.

18. It will greatly extend the number of missionaries you can support. As you increase your giving, your numbers will increase, increasing your potential to give more.

19. It gives the Christian at the home church the feeling he or she is directly linked to the mission field thus making it necessary to increase their prayers for the missionaries they are supporting. If rightly taught, this principle should increase the prayer life of the supporter.

20. There are some variations to The Peter And Paul Principle: Ask for any amount between one and two dollars per person, asking those who are pledging three dollars to hold up their hands first. Then take the two's and finally the ones. In large churches the hands method is not practical and envelopes only would be used.

Benefits Of The Personal Connection

Important DOs and DON'Ts in Creating the Missions Spirit of the Church

1. Do Take on New Missionaries as the Church Grows.

   Take each new worthy missionary ministry to the people. Teach your people to broaden and increase their direct involvement in supporting the missionary's needs. The spirit of giving brings God's blessings and God's blessing on the church brings more to give and more giving!

2. Don't Ever, Ever, Take a Missionary Offering for a Missionary until You Have Asked Him to Give a Mission Report of His Work.

   Especially if that missionary speaker is new to the people. We tell our people never give to a ministry they do not know and then ask them to give to a missionary they have not heard from. This is a matter of courtesy and good sense to always let a ministry speak to the church and relate what he is doing *before you receive an offering.* The offering will always be bigger if the people *know who* they are giving to. This applies to ministries the church is familiar with as well. If we want to do our best by a missionary then let him or her inspire the people and inform them what is going on that they can take part in. Information brings inspiration.

3. Do Have Special Missionary Rally Each Year

   Have one good emphasis on missions once a year. Have one or more missionaries with missions, have a missionary project for a goal of the missions conference.

4. Do Take Missionaries Projects

   A church went from monthly support to project type missions program. I wrote to him expressing my appreciation for telling me that my support had been discontinued on the regular basis and for his support through the years. He answered my letter by building a church and digging a well Igedeland. His was the first church to respond! His church gave more through the projects than they were giving on the regular basis.

5. Do Have a Missions Board

   If your church is over a hundred your missions activities should be such that several people will be helpful in generating the missionary activities of the church. Example: The missions secretary taking care of the bookkeeping and finance record; another person to keep the missions board updated and make announcements; another to assist these two in their work and assist when there are special missionary services. Relegate! relegate! relegate! *Get everybody involved evangelizing the world!*

6. Do Have an Active Missions Display Board

   We send out the ACTSion Report as a poster - many pastors never have it posted. Three people from the body who would volunteer to be creative, promote and keep the missions display updated keeps interest high.

7. Don't Be Demanding on Your Missionaries

   One pastor told missionaries that if they did not send reports once a month his support would stop. A busy missionary may not have the time or money to be able to do that. Missionaries should keep their supporters updated, and especially those faithful with regular monthly support. A note in with the monthly receipt is a good way to do this and appreciated by the supporter.

8. Do Include the Pioneer Preacher in Your Missions Vision

9. Do, as a Pioneer Church, Support a Missionary Immediately

Potential and Resources.

1. Take it to the Body of Christ

   When a new and worthy missionary comes to your church and you feel the people have received him, in the final service simply share how you feel about this ministry and that you are asking how many others share your burden to help.

2. Take it from the Body of Christ

   Ask those who feel the same burden to make a monthly investment in this missionaries ministry with a small amount of two to five dollars a month. Have the missions secretary standing by to note those who offer to help the missionary. By calling for smaller pledges from a larger number of helpers has some good points:

   • (a) anyone including young people can become part of the support effort.

   • (b) No one is being put under an burden they may have to discontinue if it were a larger amount.

   • (c) Ten people giving only three dollars a month provides thirty dollars a month support, a big help to that missionary if every church should do the same.

   • (d) If a supporter become unemployed and unable to keep up his monthly support, encourage them to contact the missions secretary. In the next missionary meeting ask someone else to pick it up. Don't let it become the responsibility of the missions fund.

   • (e) By distributing the support over the body, the blessing of God is also ,ore widespread.

   • (f) God's blessings will become evident to all and the missions spirit will grow in the church.

   • (g) As new people come into the church it will give them a part in the church and in the missionary outreach. It is a body ministry for the good of the body.

3. Missions Listed On Offering Envelopes

   One thing pastors can do to make the missions giving easier for those pledging to missions is to have a special missions line printed on the offering envelope designated for their missionary giving. This will also aid as a reminder each time they look at their offering envelope.

4. Take it for the Body of Christ

   We must tap into the body where missionary resources lie waiting to be used. Take it from the body who gladly wants to give it, not from poor Peter who doesn't even know he's been taken! The outcome is God's blessing upon the the church, the body. So when we take from the body we are taking for the good of the body. It stimulates the body of Christ to give and make sacrifices to carry the gospel to the lost! It makes them commissionaires with those on the front lines of evangelism!

God's Blessings Start Falling on the Church!

A spirit of praise and victory settles over the people; church becomes an experience that gives God's presence all through their day! There is healing at the altar, baptisms and victory over habits and sin! What's happening to us? God is giving you a kiss for being so good and helping Him make the cross known to those languishing in the darkness.

The Cycle of God's Love

End