STEWARDSHIP emerges from the Garden of Eden, an oasis of abundance on the newly created earth.
Before the General Assembly ever gave an instruction to engage with stewardship the Creator gave the command to: “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” This was the command to all humanity, to be good stewards over all that we have been given.
This was reflected in the General Assembly review of Stewardship in 2018 when it affirmed that: “Christian Stewardship focuses on the gifts of God towards humanity and the ways in which we use those gifts. Its fundamental concern is with God’s love and commitment to the world and its people and our response to that love. While many immediately think of stewardship in relation to our handling of money, it is more holistic. It is about all of God’s gifts to us and therefore about the way we respond with our whole lives. Ultimately, stewardship is about being the people that God wants us to be and about allowing God to live and work in our lives.”