Lords Work Trust

The Lord's Work Trust, founded over a century ago by John Ritchie in Kilmarnock, Scotland, with roots in 1890s missionary reports, serves as a dedicated conduit for financial and spiritual support to Christian missionaries, evangelists, and assembly-based workers, primarily those commended by Brethren assemblies. Rooted in evangelical principles, it upholds worker autonomy through non-interference, forwarding donor gifts in full—without administrative deductions—while providing prayer updates, newsletters like Look on the Fields, trustee visits, and literature via its subsidiary John Ritchie Limited, which distributes Bibles, tracts, and supports translations in underserved regions. Last year, it channeled over £10 million to more than 1,200 recipients across nearly 90 countries.

It prioritizes donor-directed funding for personal living costs of commended missionaries, assembly-linked projects, disaster relief through a dedicated Relief Fund (e.g., Covid aid in Sri Lanka), and Christian outreach initiatives strengthening faith communities globally, including the UK. Support targets evangelical activities like evangelism, relief logistics in challenging locations, and literature ministry, excluding secular or generalist causes.

Unsolicited applications are not accepted; funding occurs only at donors' or assemblies' request, naming specific recipients—no open process, forms, deadlines, or income/size restrictions apply, with rolling monthly remittances. Eligible beneficiaries are individual Christian workers or small assembly projects worldwide, linked to Brethren networks, regardless of entity status.

Distinctively, the Trust avoids institutional overheads, maximizes impact via Gift Aid and legacies, and emphasizes holistic material-spiritual aid with personal knowledge of recipients, differentiating it as a reliable, discreet facilitator for biblically aligned, directed giving rather than competitive grants.