EMQ » January–March 2018 » Vol. 54 Issue 1
Book Review
Faith-Based Development: How Christian Organizations Can Make a Difference
Bob Mitchell
Orbis Books, 2017, 256 pages, $26.00
Reviewed by Jerry M. Ireland, Director of Compassionate Missions for the Africa Region of Assemblies of God World Missions (USA) and Vice Provost of Pan Africa Theological Seminary (Lomé, Togo).
The work of cross-cultural missionaries frequently intersects with that of Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) engaged in humanitarian service. For this reason, Bible colleges and seminaries are adding development tracks to their curriculum. Bob Mitchell’s book Faith-Based Development, provides a helpful apologetic for the unique value of FBOs in the NGO marketplace.
Based on “internally produced research reports” from World Vision Australia and representing nine countries mostly from the Balkans and Africa, along with Lebanon from the Middle East, Mitchell draws out the benefits and challenges associated with FBOs. In particular, his focus is to accentuate “faith” itself as an indispensable development resource.
Mitchell, an Anglican priest and CEO of Anglican Overseas Aid, provides a resource that will especially benefit two groups—those wishing to start or join an FBO, and those desiring to better understand FBOs to foster more effective cooperation. Especially valuable to both groups will be Mitchell’s discussion of some of the complexities and unique qualities that define FBOs over against their NGO counterparts. One example is Mitchell’s discussion of how devotional practices shape the community life and ethos of FBOs (chapter 8). Specifically, he argues that devotional practices have the power to shape and maintain organizational values by locating those values externally, for example, in the life of Christ (77).
If a critical word is to be said about this work, it would be that it tends to use broad generalizations, and as such does not offer much groundbreaking material. For example, in chapter 12, “A Special Relationship with the Church,” Mitchell does a very good job of identifying the challenges that each side will likely face when churches partner with FBOs, including issues related to the need for theological training at the church level and problems related to funding. His ensuing proposal (112) that biblical training might be part of the work of FBOs seems unlikely given that most FBOs lack the capacity to do this (as Mitchell acknowledges). Thus, the issue of funding and church relationships represents one the the thorniest areas of partnership and thoughtful readers are likely to be left wanting more in the way of concrete solutions. This holds true for much of the application side of the text and is somewhat surprising given the book’s subtitle. In Mitchell’s defense, though, he recognizes that generalizations are inherent to his methodology and therefore expects the reader to contextualize his findings (xix).
These minor criticisms, though, bring me back to the book’s overall value and the need to recognize that Mitchell has provided a great service to the church. He has effectively captured the unique value that FBOs bring to the development table and argued cogently that they constitute a vital and healthy dimension of development around the world as the church serves the poor and needy. I hope that Mitchell’s excellent contribution inspires others to take up the task of exploring the role and interface between FBOs and local churches, as there exists a need for more research and reflection on this topic.
For further reading:
Myers, Bryant L. 2014. Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Ireland, Jerry M. 2017. For the Love of God: Principles and Practice of Compassion in Missions. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
Corbett, Steve, and Brian Fikkert. 2012. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor … and Yourself. Chicago, IL: Moody.
