EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK: The Barnabas Group is a kinder, gentler “Shark Tank” for Christian Ministries

In 1972 Albert Hammond had a top ten hit singing, “It never rains in California. It pours.”

That song precisely described the weather in San Diego on Thursday when I attended the quarterly meeting of The Barnabas Group. The weather was so bad, in fact, that I was tempted to stay in my hotel room, but I’m glad I didn’t.

Why? Because I learned about a model for collaboration and funding ministries that is slowing growing across the country.

That model is the brainchild of The Barnabas Group. That’s a group of Christian businesspeople and philanthropists – called “partners” who pay $2100 a year to be a part of the group. Those dues pay for quarterly meetings where the partners gather to hear Christian ministries tell their story.

On this rainy day at the Hilton Del Mar, about 170 gathered to hear from three ministries.

The first ministry was Su Refugio Ministries. It has a mission to “proclaim the gospel of Christ and make disciples as we rescue, feed, and equip vulnerable women and children in South America who suffer from cycles of poverty and abuse.” The budget of this ministry is just under $1 million per year, but it “punches above its weight” as the saying goes. It has work in Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina. Last year alone, the ministry says, 300 women received vocational training in Paraguay and Peru. The ministry has 60 children in a Christian school in Argentina. The driving force behind this ministry is Michelle Kvandal, who – in a short TED talk format – shared key accomplishments of the ministry. Each partner and guest also had written information about the ministry, including a summary of financials, a short list of strategic goals, and suggestions for ways Barnabas Group partners can help – not just financially, but in other ways, such as participation as a volunteer.

Next up was Men of Purpose Encounter Ministry. It started out running “Encounter Weekends” for men, expanded to women, and ultimately to families. In 2024, the group purchased a building and established a biblical counseling center and school. Since 2014, the organization has served more than 8600 people. What was a bit unusual about this group is its location. It was not headquartered in San Diego, but in Reno, Nevada.

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The Freedom Initiative was the smallest of the groups to present, with 2024 revenue of about $214 thousand. This group “creates a comprehensive and holistic strategy to equip prisoners, starting within prison and continuing as they are released.” Its long-term goal is ambitious: “We want to start disciple making movements among the 10 million people affected by incarceration in the United States that reduces the local crime rate, local recidivism rate, and instances of generational incarceration.

Andy Oberst, who runs the San Diego Barnabas Group with a team of partner volunteers, says the ministries are not allowed to specifically ask for money. There was no moment in the morning when they passed the plate, or asked people to fill out a pledge card. But connections are made, and ministries do get funded. Periodically, in fact, ministries will do follow-up presentations to talk about what has happened with the ministry since their initial contact with The Barnabas Group. Those follow-up presentations often highlight how Barnabas Group Partners were helpful.

I attended the San Diego group because I happened to be in town when their quarterly meeting took place. However, Barnabas Group got its start just up the coast in Orange County, in 2000. Bob Shank, who ran a three-year Christian leadership program call The Master’s Program, saw the opportunity, and because of The Master’s Program, he had access to and credibility with thousands of Christian leaders, Master’s Program graduates, around the country. (Full disclosure: I’m a graduate and enthusiastic advocate.) Today, The Barnabas Group has chapters in San Francisco, Kansas City, and Sacramento – in addition to the three Southern California chapters. Many of the founders of Barnabas Program chapters are graduates of The Master’s Program.

Rita McIntosh is a partner in the San Francisco chapter. She said, “My favorite thing about The Barnabas Group is the power of a good match. When partners offer what they are naturally good at (strategy, clarifying focus, planning to stay on goal) and the ministry folks offer what they are good at (context, passion for the cause, established relational network) the result is an exponential increase in effectiveness. Neither can be as effective without the other as their partner.”

That’s what the Body of Christ is all about.