2. âThose two pioneers of
civilization â Christianity and
commerce â should ever be
inseparable.â
â David Livingstone
3. Meet Ken Eldred
CEO of Living Stones Foundation
CEO of Inmac for over 20 years
Assisted in the founding of several other
successful companies
Involved in business in the US, China, Europe,
India, & other locations where he does short-term
advising
4. A Quick History of Missions
God has always communicated his gospel in
relevant ways
âDespite an increase in the overall missionary
effort, the last century has seen Christianity
achieve no net gain.â
5. Missions Today
6% of money given to Christian causes goes to foreign
missions
$15.6 billion to 317,000 missionaries in âChristian Worldâ
$2.1 billion to 106,000 missionaries in âEvangelized Non-
Christian Worldâ
1 missionary per 14,000 people and $3.00 per person
$0.3 billion to 10,500 missionaries in âUnevangelized Worldâ
1 missionary per 38,000 people and $0.50 per person
The average missionary budget has not changed in 30 years,
despite inflation
6. Barriers to Missions
It is difficult to enter as a traditional missionary
It is difficult to conduct evangelism as a traditional
missionary
There is a growing distrust for Westerners
Full-support missionaries in poor nations are
frequently accused of being everything from CIA
agents to drug dealers
Militant & political opposition
Potential for lifestyle gap
7. Business is a solution that compliments preexisting
medical, educational, linguistic, & evangelistic
workers while overcoming many of the barriers of
traditional missions.
8. Why Business People are
Effective
Kingdom business is a model for fully self-sustainable business
Kingdom business brings much needed expertise, technology, & capital
Kingdom business creates jobs
Kingdom business builds the local economy & blesses the nation
Kingdom business provides access to many locations
Kingdom business presents the gospel by word
Kingdom business presents the gospel by deed
Kingdom business enables local funding of the church
Kingdom business can be a valuable partner for other missions efforts
Kingdom business taps into an underutilized yet highly capable resource in
the church
9. Business for Missions
Supports functions for
missions
Front for missions
Fundraising source for
missions
10. Business and Missions
Engagement in business and missions as
separate entities
âTentmakingâ
Numerous pitfalls
12. What is Business as
Missions?
Kingdom business is for-profit business ventures
designed to facilitate Godâs transformation of people
and nations spiritually, socially, & economically.
13. Whoâs Involved?
⢠Authentic & skilled business
professionals who use their
talents to further the
worldwide mission of the
Church through Kingdom
business
⢠âThe businesspersonâs
ministry is to serve others
through useful goods &
helpful services and to
infuse each personal
interaction with the
fragrance of Christ. That is
his high calling from God.â
14. Business Missions in
History
Business as Mission & Scripture
Business as Mission has been a constant theme throughout
the course of history
âThose engaged in Kingdom business must consider
themselves agents of transformation rather than agents of
individual salvation or business development. The difference
might seem subtle, but I believe it is significant. As agents of
economic & spiritual transformation, we should seek to
develop spiritual capital in a nation.â
16. Characteristics of Kingdom
Companies
Presence of a Christian(s) with a sphere of influence
A product or service in harmony with Godâs creational purpose
A purpose that is larger and deeper than mere financial profit
Product and service that is offered with such excellence that it invites
the opportunity to witness
Customers are treated with dignity & respect
Employees are equipped to achieve greater potential in their life and work
wholeheartedly with faith, hope, and love
All aspects of business are considered outlets for ministry & subject
of prayer
Culture of organizations line up with Godâs word & Kingdom purposes
The business runs on grace
Servant-leaders
17. 3 Pillars of Kingdom
Business
1) Profitability & Sustainability
2) Local Job & Wealth Creation
3) Advancement of the Local Church
18. How to Transform a Nation
Addressing the interconnectedness of
Economic, Political, & Moral-Cultural
systems
Working with individuals
Meeting people where they are
19. Three Segments of
Kingdom Business
Microenterprise Development
Small & Medium Enterprises ($5000 -
$100,000)
Overseas Private Equity ($100,000 +)
20. Capitalism & Democracy
On the macro level, Kingdom business should be
striving toward capitalism & democracy
The overwhelming advantage to capitalism is the
notion of inalienable property rights
Historically, democracies have been more
profitable in every sphere
21. Rewards of Kingdom
Business
âBusinesses that subjected themselves to biblical principles
were rewarded by the trust, loyalty, & satisfaction of their
customers.â
âKingdom business professionals are uniquely qualified to
speak about integrity in business and would be remiss to
repeat the mistake of focusing on transforming economic
systems without paying attention to the requisite underlying
moral and spiritual transformation that is needed.â
22. Arguments
Obvious bias
Misinterpretation of Scripture & historical events
Using Christ as a poster-child for capitalism &
democracy
Diminutive Language
Theology of Retribution
23. Getting Involved
Integra Ventures
World Partners
Business Professional Network
Mission India
International Microenterprise
Development
Pura Vida
24. âGod is in the business of doing the outrageous âŚ
Jesus also compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed.
Though originally the smallest of seeds, it grows to become a tree
larger than all other herbs, such that birds can rest in it. Godâs
Kingdom will grow beyond our expectations. God will do the
outrageous. We can achieve only the ordinary; only God can do
the extraordinary. Not even the sky is the limit.â
25. Are there repercussions of eliminating the environmental
(âplanetâ) element? If so, what are they?
Do we have to change culture to bring about spiritual
transformation?
In regards to Eldredâs statement about microenterprise
being an initial step, but not a long-term solution â do you
think that certain tactics are more effective for certain
groups? Should all cultures be pursuing business
development like the West?
Editor's Notes
STATEMENT OF MISSION: These two are inseparable. They are needed together & as individual entities working together.
Inmac was a public company he founded in India
Why is this? I think itâs lack of resources, lack of reception, & lack of relevancy.
There are few natural venues for meeting and befriending locals
Access: There are only 10,500 missionaries in the unevangelized world, but there are more than 50,000 Christians residing in closed countries doing business there
Pitfalls: difficult to deal with the tension between their secular employment & their real purpose; âoperating in a framework that ascribes little eternal value to their jobs, tentmakers often view their 9-5 work as a hindrance to ministryâ
âHigh callingsâ are not limited to pastoral roles
Sometimes it doesnât look like preaching at all. Sometimes it means putting on some rice bags & harvesting honey from a bee hive.
Paul is the most obvious example of a disciple who used business as mission. He ministered to those in the marketplace. He talked to vendors like Aquila & Priscilla and Lydia, a seller of purple. He also confronts poor business practices like Demetrius the silversmith and slave owners who were making money by manipulating a demon-possessed girl.
Job & wealth creation: âWe cannot justify support for poor â or illegal â business plans and inexperienced personnel under the guise of some ministry benefit.â (Volunteerism)
Economic & Political systems will not change until the moral-cultural system changes
Change rarely takes place from the top down. It starts with individuals. (This is Kibonge. Heâs learning how to do sustainable beekeeping while learning about the gospel)
Though capitalism is most successful in an environment of political freedom, we must begin to bless a nation through Kingdom business just as it is.
This tomato farm is a result of Christian microfinance
Christian microenterprise development is an initial step, but it is not a long term solution
Bias: Eldred is very obviously biased toward business as mission methods of evangelism. He has a tendency to cheapen traditional ministry roles, presenting them as inadequate, and goes so far as to call tentmaking missions âan entry feeâ with âlittle eternal valueâ and a âdistracting hindrance to ministry.â
Misinterpretation: âpulling Scripture out of the airâ at various times (I Cor 7.20); random parabolic conclusions; Jubilee laws---calls the American Revolution something that had âa passion for personal righteousness & subjection to the authority of Godâ as opposed to the French Revolution which was built on selfishness, which is why modern France is a secular state (& the only thing worse than the secularization of France is the âaggressive march of Islamâ; refers to the Constitution as âa reflection of the law of God written on the hearts of men and womenâ â the same is the given reason for industrial prosperity in America; Praises the proposed unity of Protestant sects in colonial America and goes on to say that Protestants by nature would be more spiritual and economically successful than Catholics
Christ as poster-child: He vaguely points to Scripture & claims Jesus as a capitalist & a democrat; calls capitalism the economic reflection of Judeo-Christian values
Diminutive: refers to developing societies as primitive; says developing countries by nature have little to no spiritual capital; communicates that the West is going to be absolutely necessary for any progression in developing nations; ââŚeffective capitalism requires a moral system that nourishes certain values & virtues, & often these are lacking in the cultures of the developing world.â; he seems to have little respect for other cultures (feeding the Muslim pork) & desires to move more toward Western culture than a godly culture; focuses almost entirely on the developing world & pays no attention to the secular West
Retribution: It seems a bit much to dedicate so much thought to accumulating spiritual capital in the same way that you accumulate money; âA nation that demonstrates a long pattern of being truthful, of following the rule of law, & of treating others with fairness builds up a huge reserve of spiritual capital.â
There are countless churches, educational institutions, & missions organizations getting heavily involved in Business as Missions
Integra: raises investment capital & deploys & supports seasoned business professions in Eastern Europe through advising, discipling, and finance promising
World Partners: supports local Christian entrepreneurial initiatives in developing nations through financial investment & industry-specific assistance
BPN: connects Western Christian professionals with Christian business people in the developing world
Mission India: developing a business and ministry matrix that is designed to evaluate Kingdom business
IMED: helps impoverished Christians launch & operate microenterprises to the glory of God through a combination of training, consulting, & funding
Pura Vida: company that imports, roasts, & distributes coffee from Central America & reinvests the profits in a ministry to at-risk children in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Most of the time it would be outrageous to put profit lower on your priority list. It would be outrageous to do business with the poor. It would be outrageous to spend more hours in prayer than in planning. But thatâs what business as mission is. Itâs a relevant idea with outrageous expectations that are met by an extraordinary God.