What is MPD?
Ministry Partnership Development (MPD) is the biblical and relational process of building a team of committed partners who actively engage in God’s mission through prayer, encouragement, and generosity.
MPD isn’t just about raising funds—it’s about inviting God’s people into a deeper involvement in mission. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul describes the relationship with the Philippian church as a “Partnership in the Gospel” (Phil. 1:5).
The whole book of Philippians makes clear that Paul sees the Philippian church as active participants in the work. This partnership involves:
- Spiritual Partnership – Engaging partners in prayer, seeking God’s provision, and depending on His guidance.
- Relational Connection – Building mutual encouragement, accountability, and shared vision between missionaries and partners.
- Generosity & Stewardship – Providing opportunities for partners to give joyfully as an act of worship, recognizing that all resources come from God.
God calls all His people to be active in His mission, and partnership—especially through prayer—ensures that His work is done in full dependence on Him and in interdependence with the body of Christ. By inviting others into partnership, we give them the opportunity to obey God’s call, join in eternal kingdom work, and experience the joy of gospel impact together
We use the following definition of MPD:
Ministry Partnership Development (MPD) is a Spirit-led process where God’s children work together to steward our Father’s resources to spread the knowledge of His glory.
MPD involves intentional investment into relationships between Christian ministry workers and committed partners, where both are growing in understanding their individual callings & respective vital roles in God’s mission.
When done well, MPD results in Kingdom-focused, financially healthy, and prayer-dependent ministries. Christian workers and their partners become interdependent; giving, praying, encouraging and being strengthened through ongoing reciprocal contact & mutual prayer and growing in their relationship with God as a result.