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Business is more than making money, at least it should be. According to the “father of capitalism” Adam Smith, businesses exist to serve the general welfare.

The computer pioneer Dave Packard said:”Many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our being. People get together and exist as a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately - they make a contribution to society.”

In the last 12 – 18 months we have been able to witness the effects of a global economic crisis. Mahatma Gandhi’s list of seven deadly social sins seems to be an accurate diagnosis for some of the causes of this crisis. It has been too much…

1. politics without principle
2. wealth without work
3. commerce without morality
4. pleasure without conscience
5. education without character
6. science without humanity
7. worship without sacrifice

The Christian social activist Jim Wallis wrote about the economic crisis: “How will this crisis change us? How will it change the way we think, act, and decide things - how we live, and how we do business? Yes, this is a structural crisis, and one that clearly calls for new social regulation. But it is also a spiritual crisis, and one that calls for new self-regulation. We seem to have lost some things and forgotten some things — such as our values.”

We cannot, and must not, go on assuming and practicing business as usual; neither the extreme Wall Street way, nor the centrally planned socially engineered way.

Business is multi-faceted. It is about profit and values, about wealth creation and social concern, about value added products and services and creation care, about markets and caring for people. But Business as Mission, BAM, is more than just Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it is more than job creation and entrepreneurship. BAM, is about being a follower of Jesus in the market place. BAM businesses also want to see Christ revealed and God glorified among all peoples and nations.

For Business as Mission rests on three distinct Biblical mandates:

1.    The creation mandate is to “till, care for, exercise stewardship, multiply, work, prosper”. This is about being creative; create good things for ourselves and others – also in and through business.  This also means being good stewards of our talents, resources and callings, but also caring for creation and people. It is also acknowledging and affirming the gifts and calling of entrepreneurs.

2.    The great commandment mandate is to “love your neighbor as yourself”. We know that business can and should serve people and meet various needs. For example: Unemployment is a major underlying cause to malnourishment and starvation, homelessness, disease and limited access to medical treatment, as well as to debt and crime. Providing people with jobs is alleviating and preventing these dire conditions.

3.    The great commission mandate is to “make disciples of all nations”. As followers of Jesus we have a global mission – to all peoples.  BAM has a missional and global intent. BAM takes B and M seriously: real business and intentional mission, especially to areas with dire spiritual, economical and social needs. BAM businesses want to see Christ revealed and God glorified, in and through business, among all peoples and nations.

These three mandates must be at the forefront when we plan and run BAM businesses. It is equally important that these three serve as a context as we continuously evaluate our practical BAM mission. We must be aware of the risk of mission drift. One may start out with high hopes and ambitions regarding all three mandates, but eventually end up just operating a CSR business, only fulfilling the creation mandate and the great commandment mandate. As good as that may be for various stakeholders, it is nevertheless a shortcoming. Our unique contribution and responsibility as BAMers rests on the threefold mandate.

Just doing business for maximization of profit is also a mission drift. That limited understanding and praxis of business contributed towards the global recession. Mahatma Gandhi’s observations are important as we seek the general welfare of society. Finally, as Christians in the market place we strive to do business as unto the Lord, being accountable to Him and to fellow followers of Jesus.

© Mats Tunehag               
Lausanne Senior Associate - Business as Mission
World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission Associate - Business as Mission

PS. This blog entry is also being posted by Tentmaking Briefs: www.globalopps.org/tmbriefs

On Sunday, it was Valentine's Day! It is a big deal in the U.S., while we celebrate more moderately in this country. It is in memory of a Christian saint, St. Valentine. The day has Christian roots, and then all sorts of commercial initiatives have been added.

But whatever you do don’t try to celebrate it in Saudi Arabia. Valentine's Day is banned, big time prohibition. The religious police make sure – weeks in advance – that there is nothing in any store which can be interpreted as Valentine's Day gifts. In this Islamic country, silence prevails on everything that might indicate Christian faith, tradition or activity. It is illegal to mark or celebrate Christian holidays.

On Valentine's Day in 1989 came a decree of silence and a death sentence against author Salman Rushdie in Britain. The Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini issued a death sentence against Rushdie accusing him of blasphemy against Islam in his book “The Satanic Verses”. And he called on Muslims worldwide to execute the death sentence. Rushdie had to go underground. Islam must not be criticized or questioned - silence must prevail.

Freedom of speech is to give room for the uncomfortable, for the politically incorrect, for minority views, for the odd, and for the ordinary. This is the basis for political debate and activity. Freedom of speech must be used - otherwise it dies. The very foundation of democracy is freedom of speech. This is well known in Sweden and in Western democracies, or is it? Two frightening examples to the contrary.

Geert Wilder, an MP in Holland, has been taken to court, accused of having stepped on Muslims toes and to having hurt their feelings. Geert Wilder has used freedom of expression and participated in a political debate saying that he believes that Islam is incompatible with democracy. His words and methods can of course be discussed: was it appropriate or nice? But that is question of etiquette. Etiquette should not be confused with the law, the legal space that must exist in a democracy, to express opinions that others may disagree with, and even may consider offensive.

But silence is spreading. Authorities are trying to silence Wilder. The media establishment and politicians in Sweden and Europe are silent. It is a frightening silence. A politician in Europe prosecuted for his opinions! Hello?! The silence is dangerous!

In November last year Nadil Milak Hasan killed 13 people in Fort Hood, Texas. It is beyond doubt that he was a Muslim, he justified the mass murder on the basis of Islam and he saw himself as a jihadist who fought for Islam. But President Obama quickly said there were no links with Islam. Hello?! Swedish press in general failed to tell us about Hasan’s Islamic motives. Silence!

The Pentagon recently released an 80-page report on the massacre and Nidal Hasan. The words Islam and Muslim are not included. Silence!

I refuse to be quiet, I will say two things: Congratulations, albeit late, to all - including Saudis - on Valentine's Day. And there are great difficulties in reconciling Islam and freedom of expression.

PS. I leave for India very early tomorrow morning, will visit Kolkata and Hyderabad

“For Haitians, just about every conceivable aid scheme beyond immediate humanitarian relief will lead to more poverty, more corruption and less institutional capacity”.

Bret Stephens of Wall Street Journal wrote this in a column “To Help Haiti, End Foreign Aid“ on January 19. Provoking - yes, but not without rationale. Yes, emergency relief is needed now. But then what?

We know that good property laws and laws which create a conducive environment for business development are essential to lift countries out of poverty. But this has been lacking in Haiti.

Stephens writes: “Haiti has some of the weakest property protections in the world, as well as some of the most burdensome business regulations. In 2007, it received 10 times as much in aid ($701 million) as it did in foreign investment.”

Haiti has proportionately more NGO’s than any other country and that has not helped the country out of poverty.

In 2006 a report was issued from the National Academy of Public Administration, usefully titled ‘Why Foreign Aid to Haiti Failed’. The report describes aid agencies “lengthy records of non-accomplishment in the country.”

Other reports have shown that there is no positive correlation between aid and long term economic development.

"The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape," James Shikwati, a Kenyan economist, told Der Spiegel in 2005. "For God's sake, please just stop."

Dambisa Moyo from Zambia, PhD in Economics from Oxford University and author of Dead Aid, writes: “In the past fifty years, more than $1 trillion in development-related aid has been transferred from rich countries to Africa. Has this assistance improved the lives of Africans? No. In fact, across the continent, the recipients of this aid are not better off as a result of it, but worse—much worse.”

A growing number of people, including those in aid receiving countries, are saying: Aid – no; trade - yes.

Paul Collier, professor of economics at Oxford University, writes in Foreign Policy on January 19, that Haiti holds “real economic potential in areas as diverse as tourism, light manufacturing, biodiesel, and agriculture. Strategic investments in these sectors will ensure that Haitians can better help themselves once the humanitarian relief has moved on.”

As stated in a previous blog there will be a vote on the Equality bill in House of Lords in the UK on Monday 25th January. A major problem with the bill is that it “will not even allow many churches to ensure that key members of their staff are living a lifestyle in accordance with the Bible’s teaching on sexual morality.“

As Christians we support equality but what does it mean and what is not a matter of equality?

The Lawyer’s Christian Fellowship’s gives a Biblical rationale for equality. Excerpts:

“Equality is an easy topic for Christians to talk about. The Bible teaches that every person is created in God’s image and God loves us all.

Against the cultural norms of the day, the nation of Israel was told by God that “the foreigner living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself”, a sentiment echoed in Paul’s words that “there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all”.

And the most demanding of all calls to equality was that made by Jesus when he explained the second half of the greatest commandment was to love your neighbour as yourself.

Christians should thank and support the Government for much of what they have done and are continuing to do to tackle inequality. In doing so they are following the example set by Jesus who was radical in paying no heed to social status, race, sex or disability. He looks at people’s hearts. It was Jesus who broke social taboos by speaking alone with a woman, and indeed a woman from a marginalised racial background.

It was Jesus who spent more time with the socially and economically deprived than the great and the good and Jesus who again and again had compassion on those suffering from physical and mental afflictions who lived on the outskirts of society.

But equality does not apply to all things. In particular, God has made it clear that He does not view as equal all the choices we make about how to live our lives. Some choices are better than others.

The Old Testament law explains that it is wrong to worship anything or anyone other than the Lord God and that sexual immorality such as adultery, incestuous relationships and homosexual practices are also wrong. Jesus confirmed these laws apply to us today.

But as clear as the Bible’s teaching on immorality and false beliefs, is the Bible’s instruction that we should love people who follow false beliefs or practise immorality and welcome them into the Church to help them find the forgiveness and freedom that all Christians know.”

Read more at: LCF Briefing: The Equality Bill 2009

The Labour government in the UK is pushing a bill through the Parliament which will be a major backlash for religious freedom. It is a state intervention in what churches should believe and how they should be organized.

“Legal experts have confirmed that, under the proposed law, churches would no longer be able to insist that employees, including priests, pastors and church leaders, live according the churches teaching about marriage and sexual conduct. It also seems certain that the Catholic Church will not be able to insist that successful priestly candidates are male and celibate.” *

The Lawyer’s Christian Fellowship, LCF, established 1852, write in a briefing on the bill:

“As Christians we support equality and support many elements of the Equality Bill. However, equality does not extend to all the choices we make about how to live our lives, and that includes the choices we make about religion or belief and sexual practices.

The Bible teaches Christians to love everyone, whatever their religion or belief or sexual behaviour, but also teaches us not to follow or be part of any false religion or sexual immorality. The problem with the Equality Bill is that it takes away churches’ freedom to act with integrity according to that teaching.

The Equality Bill will not even allow many churches to ensure that key members of their staff are living a lifestyle in accordance with the Bible’s teaching on sexual morality.“ **

“If a Church employed someone who later fell away from the Faith, for example by divorcing his wife and entering into a homosexual relationship, the Church would almost certainly be sued for unlawful discrimination if they terminated the employment on that basis.” ***

It will be a vote in House of Lords 25th January 2010. Please pray and act for UK and for religious freedom.

* Equality law to prevent churches appointing pastors living the faith

** LCF Briefing: The Equality Bill 2009

*** Urgent Action Call on Equality Bill

It may come as a surprise to some, but it should be welcome and encouraging news to pastors and priests: Sermons are appreciated!

A survey from Durham University reveals that almost all of Britain’s 3.6 million regular churchgoers feel a sense of expectation for the Sunday sermon. “Fully 96.6 per cent of those surveyed “look forward” to the sermon, with 60 per cent saying it gave them a sense of God’s love.”

But it is interesting to note what kind of sermon people hoped for and preferred:

• Roman Catholics were most keen on sermons that educated rather than challenged them.
• Baptists wanted sermons to convert them.
• Anglicans wanted to be entertained.
• Members of the new, independent evangelical churches wanted to be challenged and encouraged.

Baptists and Catholics were also more enthusiastic about the Bible being mentioned in sermons than were Anglicans and Methodists.

There were also different expectations as to the length of the sermon: Many Anglicans wanted less than ten minutes, some Baptists wanted to sit through at least an hour and a quarter. Catholics, by contrast, wanted their homilies to be completed within ten minutes.

From The Times, 19 January 2010

Serah Wambua has written a good and timely paper which deals with the role of Business as Mission, BAM, in Africa.

It is an important paper for many reasons and here are a few:
•    It addresses past failures and future possibilities in Africa
•    It highlights how crucial worldviews are as we work for transformation
•    It illustrates the intentional Islamic missionary efforts in Africa
•    It portrays the enormous riches Africa has in minerals, oil, and agricultural production, but also in its people
•    It is a concrete example of the growing African BAM movement
•    It links church, missions and business

Excerpts:
"BAM is calling on the African church to release entrepreneurs and business professional within the church to transform the world through their business activities.

The BAM seed is now planted in several countries in the region including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Ghana with growing and passionate teams championing the movement.

We see BAM as the entry point for poverty reduction in Africa as gifted entrepreneurs within churches resonate with this new mission thinking and begin to address community transformation in and from the market place.

BAM is empowering and inspiring businessmen in Africa to create jobs and make wealth strategically dealing with the poverty challenge.

We see BAM as a timely mission strategy given the trends in the world economy as well as the trends in Islam.

New opportunities are emerging as businessmen find unique and more dignifying avenues of doing God’s mission."

Please read more and download the paper: Mission Spirituality and Authentic Discipleship: An African Reflection

PS. The Lausanne BAM process and content has seemingly been instrumental to catalyze and steer Africans in BAM action.