A7 Understanding stewardship

A basis for Christian teaching

First published on this website in August 2004, restructured in 2012 and last updated in June 2024

Synopsis

This article seeks to trace the recent history of stewardship thinking within the Church and to consider some biblical principles and issues to help us understand the subject today. It is designed as background material for any church considering the mobilisation of their resources and for any Christian leader wishing to teach on possessions and on giving.

The story of stewardship

• The 1960s and 1970s
• The 1980s
• Into the 1990s
• Lay ministry
• Developing thinking on giving
• From 2000 to today
• Four new initiatives
• Summary of the changes

Some underlying principles

• The biblical terms for steward and their implications
• Principles of giving and spending
• Creation or redemption?
• Personal income or capital?

Footnotes on sources.

This article dates as time moves on so was extensively edited in 2012 and again in 2020 to bring it up-to-date, and has in June 2024 been checked and updated with minor amendments.