Glenn J. Schawartz, When Charity Destroys Dignity, 현지 자원 활용이 가장 중요하다

Schwartz, Glenn J. 2007. When Charity Destroys Dignity: Overcoming Unhealthy Dependency in the Christian Movement. Lancaster, PA: World Mission Book Service

This book is about avoiding or overcoming unhealthy dependency in the Christian movement. It contains a description of the dependency syndrome, its historical development and how to overcome it. Though unhealthy dependency is widespread, the basic premise of this book is that it does not need to be considered an incurable illness. The reader will be introduced to churches that were once victims of unhealthy dependency but learned how to overcome it. There are many practical illustrations and suggestions for those in Christian service who face the challenge of avoiding or overcoming unhealthy dependency. Other issues dealt with include medical mission institutions, short-term missions and, most significantly, long-term missionary service. Several chapters are a basic introduction to cross-cultural issues for missionaries and church leaders. The author welcomes interaction with those who want to seriously deal with the mentality of dependency in the Christian movement. (From https://www.whencharitydestroysdignity.com/about)

"When it comes to avoidable dependency there are also two kinds. One I’ll call self-induced dependency. (…) The other kind of avoidable dependency is what one might call other-induced dependency. (…) For the past ten years I have been concentrating on the problem of dependency among mission-established institutions. I have concluded that this most often falls into the category of “other-induced” dependency.”

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From Daniel Rickett | www.danielrickett.com

Schwartz’s fundamental solution to the problem of unhealthy dependency is self-reliance. He defines self-reliance as making use of what God has placed close at hand rather than depending on resources from a distance (Schwartz 2007, 2). He argues that any church or institution that depends on someone else’s resources from a distance is not self-reliant, but is instead trapped in the dependency syndrome.  Schwartz is careful to explain that to be self-reliant is to be God-reliant. Trusting God to make the most of one’s situation is essential to becoming a healthy, mission-minded church. Citing numerous cases, Schwartz shows how Majority World churches are overcoming the dependency syndrome through greater self-reliance. Self-reliance is accomplished, Schwartz says, by keeping the simple rule of “geographical proximity.” “The ideal,” he writes, “is for local needs to be met with resources that are closest at hand. The problem occurs when global resources are used to meet needs that could or should be met with local resources” (Schwartz 2007, 146). The call for global help should come, if at all, only when local and regional resources are too scarce. Mobilizing local resources is integral to the practice of development. It is widely accepted that development best occurs when people recognize their needs, envision their own solutions, and utilize their own resources to improve their lives. For decades, rural-development practitioners have emphasized mobilizing local resources, and it is the cornerstone of asset-based community development (Batchelor 1981; Corbett and Fikkert 2009). Schwartz takes the principle further and applies it to the notion of interdependence. He asks (Schwartz 2007, 271), “Does anyone believe in interdependence?” Schwartz asserts that true interdependence cannot exist between two groups who possess unequal power. “Interdependence,” he says, “works among those who are relatively equal” (Schwartz 2007, 38). By equal, he apparently means “subject to the same economic conditions.” The principle of geographical proximity suggests that interdependence is possible only in situations where people live and work in the same region and within similar economic conditions. Accordingly, Schwartz promotes the idea of “local-local interdependence,” where churches collaborate only with those who are close at hand (Schwartz 2007, 273). The principle of geographical proximity is central to everything Schwartz says about preventing and reversing dependency. Among the several strategies he describes, four appear in a variety of ways throughout his book:

1. Decline to do for the local church what it should do for itself (Schwartz 2007, 83). 2. Teach and model biblical stewardship in the church (Schwartz 2007, 118). 3. Encourage local economic development (Schwartz 2007, 217). 4. Stop the flow of foreign funding for local programs (Schwartz 2007, 233). Schwartz’s position is unequivocal: foreign money for local ministry creates unhealthy dependency. He allows one exception, and that is in the case of absolute poverty. People living in absolute poverty may not survive without outside aid; therefore, outside aid is warranted. Otherwise, foreign subsidy should be avoided at all costs.