Sacrificial Unity for Kingdom Work
Jonathan Huguenin, VP of Language Recordings & Global Partnerships at Faith Comes By Hearing, shares his thoughts, hopes, and wisdom on the importance of partnership—not just among different ministries but between the various members of the Body of Christ.
We are in an incredible season—a season of unprecedented unity in which organizations around the world are serving each other at great cost to themselves for the sake of the Kingdom.
I fully believe that this is how God intended His Body to work. This isn’t a new concept; it’s a biblical model. Beyond all the talk, there is rampant, widespread fruit—abounding evidence of a bond that is not just business partnership but true kinship in Christ.
For example: Faith Comes By Hearing’s Gospel Film of the book of Mark, in English, is about two hours; whereas the average recording length of Mark in other languages is two hours and forty-five minutes—too long to be used in the film. How could this be overcome? We eventually made an audacious request to our partner LUMO: Would they remaster their films to account for these longer languages?
In the business world, no one would’ve done this. But LUMO sacrificially invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to extend not only the Mark film, but the other three Gospels as well, so our other language recordings could be accommodated. What a testimony to the power and necessity of kindred relationships!
I believe that God has given each organization particular strengths, giftings, passions, and competencies. Here’s another example: Our partner Biblica recently asked us to join their technology council because they had a perceived need, and we could assist them. But Faith Comes By Hearing also had a key need: Half of all our oral Bible translation projects reference Biblica’s own recordings, and they have blessed us through their immense generosity by giving us permission to use them. This greatly supports the future of oral Bible translation.
The root of all this is trust. I could give numerous other examples, but my point is this: Trust helps partnerships not just survive, but thrive when inevitable challenges come; and pursuing relationship over progress will, in the long run, speed up progress as we journey together. This is a bit different from the typical Western thought; the typical Western model. But the evidence is clear: Serving each other in Kingdom work gets the job done.
The thing about seasons is that they end. So rather than this being a season, I pray that this is a new norm. As 2033 edges closer and closer, I pray that this trajectory of mutual trust and service with our partners would continue upward so we can finish the work God has set before us.
