Healthy Partnerships Part 1

Healthy partnerships are long term and slow

Transformation that starts with beliefs and works its way out to every area of life is a slow process. We must enter into partnership prepared to:

Invest time – Don’t plan for huge results early in a partnership. In the first two years, most local churches just get some small projects done. Their resources are usually limited (and their ability to see their own resources is even more limited). Beyond that, they may have little to no experience in planning and implementing projects and likely aren’t at all sure that their efforts will bring any result. So it is really necessary to start small. But by the end of year two, after completing a few small projects, most churches start to realize that they can bring change with their own resources and actions. They’re ready to do more. 

It’s true that more and bigger projects could be accomplished in the first two years if the outside partner charges in with ideas and resources. But we won’t see the same transformation, because speed doesn’t allow for the change of thinking. 

Limit the number of partnerships – It can be tempting to try to juggle 30, 40, or even more relationships with partners from multiple countries. But it is wise to limit the number of partners we commit to for the simple reason that relationships take time. If we are going to have transformational relationships, we must spend time together—at least a couple weeks per year. 

Gain appropriate experience – At least one person on the outside partner’s team ought to have years of experience living in a culture similar to that of the communities we seek to serve. It gives them understanding and discernment that cannot be gained any other way. If no one on our team has this experience, we either need to find a guide who does or someone needs to consider moving overseas. While not everyone can move to a different country, some need to. Relationships that are transformational need to go deep. Depth requires trust and understanding. We need to show that we are sincere and committed for the long term, and that we truly care about that nation and her people. What better way to do that then to live there?

Start small and move at the speed of the local partner’s capacity – If the local partner is a rural church with little experience in planning and implementing projects, they will need to move slowly and build their skills step by step. Throwing too much money or complexity or people into a program too soon can cause it to collapse. It’s better to ask, “What is the smallest possible first step that is unlikely to fail?” Start with that. The results may not be impressive to begin with, but in the end, the impact may be incredible. Even in the example of the Benin hospital network, the churches started small—contributing 50 cents each for a one-room clinic.

Healthy partnerships share decision making

In a successful partnership, both partners recognize that we both have some of the answers and that God holds many more answers than either of us. This recognition leads us to:

Commit to getting the local partner’s perspective – There are many reasons why pastors and leaders in the Majority World hesitate to give their opinion to an outsider. In much of the world it’s almost impossible to disagree with a person in power or offer an opinion other than what we think that person wants to hear. There is a long history of colonization that cannot be ignored. And there is a tendency to think, “You have the money, so you can make the decision.” The sad result is a world full of people executing plans they know won’t work because someone is funding it and hasn’t listened to the opinions of their local partner. The solution, once again, is to invest more time. Lots of tea drinking and seemingly “unimportant” discussions may be required before local partners feel safe enough to challenge an outsider. If someone is hesitant to give input or make decisions, then their partner needs to move more slowly. 

Seek the local partner’s input first – Too often, our broken relationship with money leads us (or our local partner) to see the one who has money as having the power. The result? As soon as the outsider gives their opinion, they stop everyone else from doing so. It’s better for the outside partner to offer guidelines—expressing what decisions are possible within the confines of what is already in place. For example, rather than say, “We have the budget to do x, y, and z,” the outside partner might say, “The total budget is x. How do you think that we should best use that amount?” When a local partner does give input, outsiders need to give it careful consideration, which leads us to the next point…

Be aware of what is immovable and where we can take risks – Shared decision-making means our partner gets to make some of the decisions. Naturally, these aren’t always going to be the same as what we would decide. However, our local partner needs space to follow what they believe God is saying. Two questions to ask when deciding if something is really immovable are: “What’s the worst that can happen?” and “Do I really know that to be true?” If we have taken the time and built sufficient trust, then we can allow one another to take some risks. 

Consider the partnerships you are already part of. Are they long-term and built on trust? Do both partners share in making decisions? These are signposts of healthy partnerships that can have transformational impact. In the next article, we’ll look at the issue of money and the impact it can have on our partnerships.