Incarnational Ministry…

April 1, 2005 | 7:32 PM

“Second, some missions have made a deliberate strategy to go for the rich, believing in some sort of religious ‘trickle-down’ theory. ‘Trickle-down’ no more works in the kingdom than it does in the economic realm. This strategic mistake lacks both biblical exegesis and sociological analysis and has already been refuted.

“The gospel ‘trickles-up.’ Any man or woman who would follow Jesus to walk among the poor will affect countless among the middle and rich classes. They come because they are curious. They hear of good deeds and, like Nicodemus, they know this is a reality. The converted rich come because, despite the failure of affluent missionaries to preach the Scriptures about repentence for unjust wealth or to live simply themselves, these new believers can read the Bible. They come searching for the person who has chosen the poor because here they know is a true answer to their problems of wealth….”

Viv Grigg, “Sorry! The Frontier Moved,” Planting and Growing Urban Churches (1997).

What are your thoughts on incarnational ministry? Certainly it seems to be Christ’s approach to ministry. But even the college kid working at Starbucks is making more money than 80% of the world. As for “trickle-up” it seems to work no better than “trickle-down.” The rich disassociate themselves with the poor. It seems Grigg’s plan would alienate all the rich and essentially eliminate all ministry to them as well.

I ask this because it seems that urban ministry has been redefined by Grigg and others I’ve come in contact with to poor ministry. But we all know the poor aren’t the only people in the cities. The cities are melting pots for the rich and the poor, all ethnographics and all demographics. How could it be that urban ministry is solely to the poor? Or am I missing the point?