Business as Mission
A Business as Mission (BAM) seminar was recently held at WorldconneX. Following the presentation, The Insider had an opportunity to interview the keynote speaker.
Insider: How do you define BAM (business as mission)?
Bill: This is a complicated issue. The term “business as mission (BAM)” has come to mean different things to different people. To truly understand the term BAM one needs to define “mission(s)” since “business” (in this case) is how mission is accomplished. But wait a minute, the term “mission(s)” itself means different things to different people! So, you have to accept right up front that the term BAM has a broad and varied meaning depending on who you talk to and the context at hand. With this said, I would put forth the definition that BAM is a socially responsible, profit producing, self-sustaining business created and managed by Kingdom professionals for the specific purpose of glorifying God and promoting the growth and multiplication of local, indigenous churches in the least-evangelized and (likely) least-developed parts of the world. To me, this is the pinnacle of the term BAM. However, others may also use this term merely in the context of creative access to closed countries, churches planted inside businesses, or businesses that provide some kind of relief or human services.
Insider: Elaborate on some of the things that BAM is not.
Bill: What I consider as BAM may be more strict and targeted than what some others may say. This does not necessarily mean one is right and the others are wrong. The non-negotiables for me are….a BAM must be 1) socially responsible, 2) for profit, 3) self-sustaining, 4) God glorifying, 5) appropriately evangelistic, and 6) targeted. An entity that lacks one or more of these elements is not a BAM by my strict definition.
Insider: Ralph Winter of the U.S. Center for World Mission recently remarked that BAM is the new frontier in missions. Do you agree? How do you perceive God at work?
Bill: In the November-December 2007 issue of Mission Frontiers magazine, Dr. Winter made the statement, “there is something new in the air….really big and sudden changes in the world of missions don’t come often. But now one (BAM) is upon us.” He was referring to the emergence of “Kingdom business”, Kingdom Professionals”, “Great Commission Companies” and the like, in an editorial he wrote for an issue of the magazine devoted entirely to Business as Mission. I believe his observations are correct, and he is not the only one seeing this across the globe. Hundreds of books, articles and white papers have been written on this subject in recent months. Websites, seminars and training is emerging across the globe. In my own international travels over the last four years I have met scores of men and women who claim the aforementioned titles and who have a passion for using their business skills, connections and resources to advance the Kingdom of God…or more accurately stated, join God in what He is doing through the marketplace. As a former student and now Coordinator of the Perspectives course, I have come to see and better understand how God has been masterfully at work throughout history orchestrating world events for His purposes and His Glory. Clearly He is at work now through globalization, urbanization, technology and communication advances, travel efficiencies and the rapidly expanding global economy. All of these provide extraordinary opportunities for contact and relationships in the marketplace. A recent global poll by the Gallup organization (Global Migration Patterns and Job Creation – 10/11/2007) over the last 10 years reported that the one thing everyone in the world wants is a job. People around the world want a job for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to escape poverty. Most people don’t want a handout, but rather the personal dignity and satisfaction of supporting themselves and their families. With this in mind, and combined with world changes, the question is “what is God up to and how can we join Him?” Business and the general marketplace are moving to center stage for sure.
Insider: What places around the world do you see strategic opportunities for business as mission?
Bill: Nations that desire to enter the emerging global economy and are not artificially constrained from doing so (like N. Korea and certain Islamic governed countries) are prime candidates for BAM. Westerners, particularly Americans, are considered the best entrepreneurs and business people in the world. Some of the most “closed” countries in the world welcome western business people with open arms. Does this mean BAM is a given, or the road is easy….no way! BAM is not for the fainthearted or the risk averse.
Insider: You mentioned “the sacred and secular divide.” What do you mean by that?
Bill: In my experience, and that of many others, business is not considered a noble, let alone God honoring, vocation. Business is often seen as a place where cut-throat, self-serving, greedy people battle it out for survival, self-promotion and personal wealth. Recent examples at Worldcom and Enron have done nothing but perpetuate this image. The work of the “church” is generally considered by clergy and business people alike as very different and disassociated…and dramatically more noble. I witnessed this “divide” first-hand when I taught a BAM seminar recently to some business school graduate students at the University of Texas. Several students told me afterward that they were considering dropping out of their business classes and going to seminary because they thought God could not use them in business. They were wrestling with entering the “secular” world of business verses the “sacred” world of the ministry. This is a tragedy and a lie of the evil one! I agree with how Dallas Willard characterizes this in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines. “There truly is no division between sacred and secular except what we have created. And that is why the division of the legitimate roles and functions of human life into the sacred and secular does incalculable damage to our individual lives and the cause of Christ. Holy people must stop going into church work as their natural course of action and take up holy orders in farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism or to pastor and missionary work.” This not an attempt in any way to discourage people from going into full-time vocational ministry or more “traditional” missions! Clearly these are specific callings from God and He has used, and is using, them. Rather, it is a call to those in business, education and the arts to see their vocations as intended for God’s glory and the advancement of His Kingdom. This is the essence of the emerging BAM “movement”…..the wake-up call from God that wherever He has placed you, whatever resources He has given you, whatever connections He has given you are for His glory and His purposes….not your own!
Insider: You believe that BAM must be cross-cultural, for-profit, and entrepreneurial. Unpack that a bit.
Bill: I think this has already been covered, but a simple phrase may drive the point home. We have all heard the phrase, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” An even higher level is…. “help a man start a fishing business and you feed many families and change a community for life.” BAM goes one level higher…. “start a fishing business, feed a community, share the love of Christ, make disciples and impact a community (perhaps a nation) for eternity.” I prefer a cross-cultural element to “BAM” because business is well suited for crossing cultural barriers. Business, and the marketplace in general, is a relatively natural place for mixing cultures as is evident in the emerging global economy.
Insider: What are some of the challenges of doing business in another country?
Bill: There are many, but to name a few…language, communication, ethical standards (if any), corruption, religious influence, government oversight, legal rights (or lack thereof), banking / currency issues, human resources, management styles, logistics, etc. Not to mention the pure challenge of a start-up business independent of these factors.
Insider: Despite these challenges, are there any prerequisites for successfully doing business in another country?
Bill: Yes, but the length of this interview does not allow this topic to be covered in sufficient depth. Briefly….1) business people are not necessarily entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs are not necessarily good business people, 2) successful BAMs require a team of complementary skills and giftings, 3) partnerships are hard….cross-cultural partnerships (even between Believers) are harder, 4) there is no substitute for extensive market research, a formal business plan, a detailed financial plan (Proforma), proper legal documentation and protections, skilled / experienced management, etc. Also, a formal ministry plan (that will inevitably evolve) with accountability and cooperation clearly defined is absolutely required for a BAM.
Insider: You are pretty emphatic that BAM should be established on business excellence first then mission excellence later. Why?
Bill: A successful, profitable, sustainable business is the enabling foundation for a BAM. I have seen a BAM where the founder took his eye off the business in favor of spending the bulk of his time on the mission only to have the business begin to fail. Of course, the opposite is also true. Neglecting the ministry/mission aspect of BAM in pursuit of business goals makes for an ineffective or at least unhealthy BAM. This is the main challenge of BAM….excellence in both areas simultaneously.
Insider: Name a few of the key BAM resources that you find helpful.
Bill: There are some excellent links to a few articles, websites, books and other resources in a zip folder on the PerspectivesAustin website. Go to http://www.PerspectivesAustin.org, click on the tab on the left side of the main page entitled “Downloads”, look for a folder entitled “BAM_Readings.zip”….follow the instructions at the bottom of the Downloads page for retrieving this folder.
Insider: What is the difference in a GCC (Great Commission Company) and a BAM?
Bill: BAM and GCC are oftentimes used as interchangeable terms. Since the Great Commission includes “all nations” there is not as heavy an emphasis on unreached and least reached peoples as I have suggested for the term BAM. Most authorities on the subject use these interchangeably, for the record.
Insider: What is Business for Mission (BFM)?
Bill: This is a term I sometimes use for companies who aspire to initiate or support BAM, but are not technically doing BAM (see definition). My partner and I established a company two years ago in the pharmaceutical research industry that we labeled a BFM. It was founded in Austin, TX with many of the elements of a BAM or GCC in the purpose and plan, but without the cross-cultural or unreached elements. Our goal (yet unrealized) was to use this model to search out and establish at least one strategic BAM through the resources and connections of the BFM. We also used this platform as a means for supporting and enabling international student ministries and their church planting activities on the nearby U.T. campus. Whether you like the term or not, I believe a BFM company has a great deal of potential and it is much easier to establish than a strict definition BAM.
Insider: Describe some of the successful models of BAM that you’ve seen.
Bill: I have seen early stage training/education models in China, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates and Morocco. I am intimately familiar with several business models in China, Russia and Egypt. I have read stories in prominent BAM books and heard accounts at BAM conferences on several successful projects across the globe. I am personally in the steep learning curve like many others. Success will be measured by the “fruit” produced, with God as the ultimate judge.
It would be easy to conclude from the questions and answers in this article that BAM / BFM / GCC are meant for a select few…..perhaps even those specially “called” or equipped by God for this purpose. It would be a tragedy if this conclusion was drawn. As stated earlier, the essence of BAM / BFM / GCC is the global awakening that God mandates all Christians to participate in His redemptive plan, and each of us has been strategically placed to do his or her part….this is especially true of those in the marketplace. In his book Transformation, Bob Roberts of NorthWood Church in Dallas says, “Today’s information exchange and business climate offer a similar convergence with the early church experience where the people who work at IBM, Mobil Oil, in health professions, (education, arts, etc.) have unprecedented access to lost people throughout the world. In fact, a mobilized laity is the only way – not a nice or creative or appeasing way – but the only way the world will hear about Jesus.”
One of the most exciting things about BAM (and other such marketplace initiatives) is that it is “new” and “really big” (Ralph Winter), and we have the opportunity to get in on it in our generation! Who knows what God will do in the days ahead? I for one don’t want to be on the sidelines. How about you?
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