The Five Distinctives of Empower Ministries
00:00:00 – Introduction to Empower’s distinctives
00:01:20 – Distinctive #1: We don’t charge for Bibles
00:04:00 – Why national believers should receive freely
00:06:15 – Cultural insight: the offence of selling the Gospel
00:08:10 – Empower’s stance on fundraising
00:10:00 – Distinctive #2: No donor manipulation or pressure
00:12:20 – Letting God lead the giving
00:14:10 – Encouragement for donors and believers
00:16:00 – Final thoughts: trusting God, not gimmicks
JOY: Welcome to Asked & Answered, the podcast that answers all your missions-related questions. With me in the studio today are Ron and Charis Pearce. Welcome, guys!
CHARIS: Hi, Joy.
RON: Hello, Joy.
JOY: OK, so today’s question is: Can you tell our listeners what sets Empower Ministries apart? What are our distinctives?
RON: OK. Well, Charis, you’re going to have to help me with this, but I’ll try. First of all, I’ve started using this little phrase when talking to people: “We do missions differently at Empower.” It’s not that anyone else is right or wrong — it’s not a comparison — but we do emphasize different things in how we approach missions.
We’ve picked five distinctives to talk about today — there are probably more — but these five really reflect how we’ve been led by the Lord to shape Empower Ministries.
First of all, we do not charge for Bibles. We know other organizations sell them around the world — and that’s fine, they can do what they believe is right. But our rationale is simple: many people cannot afford a Bible. They’re looking for answers to eternal life, but this basic tool is often beyond their reach.
And under that whole model of charging, materialism and even greed can creep in. It can become a business. In many cultures, that shifts the focus away from the message and puts it on the product. Instead of being seen as a sacred gift, the Bible becomes a transaction.
We are convinced of its eternal value. We’re talking heaven or hell. We want to give it as a gift — with no barriers — because it’s that important. We’ve already paid for it. We want to give it free of charge. This is the manual for eternal life.
CHARIS: And in so many cultures, people receive it with gratitude. Especially in Asian and Eastern cultures, gift-giving is a deep sign of respect and relationship.
RON: Exactly. I remember our friend John in Vietnam gave me a bracelet — just a simple tribal one. He had one, and I had one. It was a symbol that we were brothers. At the time, my Western mindset didn’t fully grasp it, but later I understood that this was a significant gesture. That’s how gift-giving works in many parts of the world.
It forms a relationship. When we give Bibles, we’re not just giving information — we’re inviting people into relationship: with us and with God.
CHARIS: I loved when you said, “We don’t want any roadblocks.” The idea that a Bible in Ethiopia costing a few dollars could be a roadblock to someone’s eternity — that’s huge.
RON: Exactly. I don’t want to get to heaven and have someone say, “I could’ve accepted Jesus, but I didn’t have $3.50 for a Bible.” That would crush me. Every single thing we can do to give people an opportunity — we need to do it.
And that whole idea that people value things more when they pay for them — that’s a Western concept. That’s not how many of these cultures operate. They value relationship over transaction.
JOY: How are we doing, Charis?
CHARIS: We’re doing great. This is fascinating stuff.
RON: Alright, number two: We don’t advertise. There is not one dollar in Empower’s budget allocated to advertising. We don’t use professional fundraising techniques. We don’t use pressure. We’re not holy salesmen.
CHARIS: I think that would surprise a lot of our listeners — that we don’t pay for advertising. Most ministries do.
RON: And that’s up to them. But we are counting on God to provide. We simply tell people what we’re doing. If they want to help, great. We’re not flush with money, but we’re not going to manipulate people either.
If people are born again, if the Spirit of God lives in them, He will prompt them. We don’t need to push.
CHARIS: I handle the finances, and yeah, what comes in goes out. That’s how it works.
RON: We’re not here to pry $5 out of someone’s back pocket. I’m not going to wrestle them to the ground to get a donation. That kind of behavior is offensive to me as a Christian.
CHARIS: I remember one church leader in India told us to treat the ministry like a checking account, not a savings account. It comes in and goes out — not stored up for a rainy day.
RON: That’s exactly what we’ve done since the beginning.
JOY: OK, what’s next?
RON: Prayer. We’ve built prayer into Empower in a different way. Yes, churches pray, individuals pray, prayer groups exist. But what we’ve tapped into are national churches that are already powerhouses of prayer.
In China, every Friday night, tens of millions gather in groups — mostly small now, because of persecution — and they pray. We’re deeply connected to about 30 major house church networks there. Same in Vietnam. You send a prayer request and the text messages start flying.
In Delhi, India, the church planting group we work with is large and deeply rooted. Near their office, they’ve set up a house where widows live and work as full-time intercessors. They take prayer calls, open letters, and pray. And we support them.
We’ve even got a prayer wall in that house. People send requests, and those ladies pray over them for 90 days. If you want, you can renew after that.
CHARIS: That’s amazing.
RON: And here’s the thing — it’s not just about us giving. They want to give back spiritually. This is how they sow into our lives — through prayer. Just like we sow into theirs with resources.
CHARIS: It’s like we’re holding hands across the ocean.
RON: Exactly. That’s what missions is.
JOY: That’s poetic. I love that.
RON: Now number four: We are evangelistic, and we’re proud of it. We believe people are going to hell without Jesus. The race is on. Everything is focused in that direction.
We also believe evangelism must be tied to church planting. New believers need a body to grow with. It can’t just be one-off salvations. The Bible says don’t neglect meeting together — that’s vital.
CHARIS: A lot of organizations today have drifted from that. They’ve become more humanitarian. And sometimes they lose the evangelistic heart their founders had.
RON: Exactly. In Hebrews, one of the first signs of backsliding is drifting. We’re not drifting. This is at the top of our list.
Last one: We teach on the end times because we believe Jesus is coming back soon. You can’t separate end-times teaching from missions. The Bible says, “In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” That’s what we’re seeing.
We’re seeing prophecy fulfilled. We’ve got no time to waste. There are 8 billion people in the world. Many don’t know Jesus. We must feel that urgency in our souls — not just as an idea, but as a burden.
CHARIS: That’s what drove Paul. That’s what drove the prophets. It was all centered around people being lost. That same urgency fuels Empower today.
RON: Those are the five distinctives for today.
JOY: And did you know that on our website — ronpearce.org — we have podcasts, teachings, devotionals, situation reports, and so much more? For more info, visit ronpierce.org.
