| The Business as Mission (BAM) movement has become a fast growing flower in God’s garden. But not all rapidly growing seedlings will last for a long time. |
| So what will happen to the Business as Mission companies? Will we still talk about BAM 50 years from now? Of course only God knows what the future will look like and his foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of the humans (1 Cor 1.) Still it is possible to say something about the strengths and weaknesses of the BAM-strategy. BAM strengths Let us look at the strengths first. Here are a number of reasons why Business as Mission is a very relevant strategy for bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth: 1. Business people are welcomed everywhere. Nearly all countries will give visas to clever business people who will contribute to building up their society. In several of the countries where the Gospel is least known, there is a great need for business entrepreneurs who can bring about the creation of new workplaces. According to estimates from the World Bank, 2.6 billion people today have to survive on less than $2 per day. 1.4 billion people have an income lower than $1.25 per day. Within the next 20 years, two billion people will be born in societies where there are few churches and few jobs. It was God’s intention that everyone should work. If we have no job to go to and our skills are not in demand in society, we will very easily lose our dignity. God rejoices when business people use their skills and help people to get their dignity back. 2. Business people are welcomed in all layers of society. A man who served as a missionary in an African country for more than a decade, decided to start an import-export business when he moved to a new place. Now he is testifying how all doors opened for him after he started his business. 3. God has always used business people to bring the gospel forward. The Bible tells us that all but the apostles had to leave Jerusalem due to the persecution after the killing of Stephen (Acts 7). Many of those who left were craftsmen and women. The book of Acts tells us that those who were scattered planted new churches in the places where they settled. Gary Goodhew, a retired Anglican bishop, has concluded that «in the earliest history of the Christian mission the saving news of Christ was often carried to new places by those who were seeking to do business.» 4. Business leaders are people of influence. Some years ago a tentmaker went to Greenland to run a shipping business. The business soon became the biggest tax payer in the local community. Because of his contribution to the society, the tentmaker was able to connect on a personal level with the municipal leaders. BAM challenges There are also some common reasons why some Business as Mission companies fail. 1. The founders/leaders don’t know how to run a company. Some Christians have seen the BAM-model as an entry strategy to countries that do not issue visas to missionaries. Without any business skills, the people involved try to set up a viable company. However, due to lack of knowledge on how to run a company, the business fails. 2. Stigma of business Related to the first problem is the attitude that business work is not real work for God. Some people think that as soon as they’ve managed to register a business they can use as a visa platform, they’ll spend as little time as possible running the business, and as much time as possible on evangelism. Anyone thinking like this will probably not succeed in his or her business. The attitude will also often discredit the name of Jesus. When the authorities see that the persons involved are not doing the job they promised, they conclude that Christians are people who do not keep their word. 3. Hostile authorities are becoming more aware of the BAM model It is not only the Christian business people who know about the BAM way of working. Authorities in countries that are hostile towards the Gospel also have up to date knowledge about BAM. In many places they keep track of what the business managers are doing. This causes problems both to the businesses and to the local believers who are getting involved. Conclusion The BAM companies come in all shapes and sizes. Within the BAM family you find everything from one person companies making very little money to multi-national businesses with profits of millions of dollars. Together the BAM companies form a colorful flower. Let’s pray for God to raise up good BAM leaders and models so this movement now and in the future will have maximum impact for God’s kingdom. |