From: Mike McLoughlin
Email1: mailto:%20scruples@csi.com
Date: 4/9/99
Time: 12:29:05 PM
Remote Name: 24.65.9.174
Here are my top fourteen reasons why Christian missionaries should NOT be in business. This list was compiled with the help of the students at a recent course I taught on Business & Missions.
1 Business will corrupt the Mission and the witness. · The American Bible society lost its vision for Evangelism and became a book-selling business in the 1800's. · Second Generation missionaries in various countries including the Hawaiian Islands turned from the faith to exploit the land for monetary gain. ¨ Response: There is a need for a Spiritual covering for Business and Missions initiatives that calls into account questionable business activity. Pastors or Mature Christian Missionaries can provide Spiritual Covering.
2 Business demands will take priority. · For a business to succeed it must receive a person's full attention. · Missionaries who attempt to operate a business successfully will find little time for the missionary activity. · Resources for mission work - time and money get invested instead into the business. ¨ Response: Proper Planning and the recruitment of the right personnel will help allocate time to Christian Service Work. Partnership Agreements that specify a balance between working hours and Christian Ministry will also help.
3 Business efforts become a false economy · When I and my family spent two years in Africa with YWAM we had friends, who supported us, wondering why we could not live more cheaply since Zambians seem to survive on a lot less income then we needed. Most Zambians spend most of their time doing just that -- surviving. It is a real grind for them just to put food on the table. The average bank clerk makes the equivalent of $160 a month. So they also moonlight with small business and small farming. They work very hard to just feed their family, which does not leave them a lot of time to do anything else. If we had to concern our selves with income generating activity we would not have much time to do the ministry. ¨ Response: It is unrealistic to expect business to be a source of resources for the mission effort in some contexts (e.g. Africa). Missionaries need to properly budget for their ministry and make a good case to their supporters rather than try and support themselves through self employment. Business is NOT the easy way out when support raising gets tough.
4 Business activity requires specialized skills. · Many missionaries do not have the analytical skills to successfully operate a business. ¨ Response: Additional resources and time need to be allocated to properly training Missionaries in business Skills
5 Business is one Domain. Christian Service Work is in another Domain. · Each domain comes with its own anointing. Some say "Missionaries are simply not anointed for business! " · Where Missionaries see a need to be met; Business sees an opportunity to be exploited. · Where Missions serve clients; Companies serve customers. · Missions people are into Top Line thinking (i.e. missions budget spending focused on meeting a need) verses Business people who are into Bottom Line thinking. (i.e. business budget focused on generating profit). ¨ Response: Roles and Responsibilities need to be properly defined so that business functions are carried out according to business principles. Business People who are "anointed" for Business are partnered with Missionaries who are "anointed" for Christian Service Work. Businesses are set up under Business Structures that are different than the structure that governs the Christian Service Work. Watch out for Dualistic thinking, though, that spiritualizes Christian Service Work while relegating business activity to a lower sphere. Remember that Business is as much a Calling as Christian Service Work.
6 Business activity involves the ownership of assets - Who owns the assets? · Business involvement brings confusion as to who owns the assets of the business, the entrepreneur or the mission agency. ¨ Response: it is very important that the mission agency have control of ministry property. It is equally important that income generating activity that requires substantial use of assets be under the control of a Business Board. Mixing the use of the assets can invite problems with tax authorities. It can also cause problems when the assets are sold. Who gets the profit? It is important that asset ownership be properly structured so that everyone's interest is protected and the laws of the land are obeyed.
7 Business activity confuses the donor base. · Donors expect Missionaries to be doing Christian service work not income generating activity. · Donors will not support tent making professionals who are seeing to support themselves on the mission field. ¨ Response: Keep monies separate and clearly communicate the different uses of the monies. E.g. Business income provides for the upkeep of the Missionary while Donor monies go directly to funding Christian Service Work. Use two bank accounts and keep a separate set of books for each initiative. BE sure to pay your fair share of taxes on your business income!
8 Business as a Front for Missions Activity is a form of Deception. · It has the potential to bring shame on the Gospel and close the door to legitimate Christian business activity in closed Nations. · Job Faking is not a Strategy Christian Missionaries should employ in trying to gain entrance to Closed Access Nations. ¨ Response: Don't operate a "fake" business! The Business has to be a real business that exists in the originating country prior to its establishment in the Creative Access nation.
9 Business values are different from Mission Values. · These values require attention be paid to organizational and monetary concerns sometimes at the expense of people concerns. · Missionaries are too soft to operate a business in a tough competitive way. ¨ Response: Clearly establish what the business values and the mission values are going to be and resolve conflicts ahead of time.
10 Business is too risky. · Some estimates on Business Failure state that on average Four out of Five businesses fail in the first five years. · The results are worse for Missionaries who are trying to make a go of mission activity at the same time as doing business. · There is little easy money to be made, smart business people get to it first before mission does. · A lot of time and effort goes into generating small profits ¨ Response: Do your homework! Be sure you are establishing a business that has good revenue potential.
11 Business confuses witness. · Locals expect Christian Missionaries to be doing Christian service work, donating their time not trying to do business. · They will think the primary concern of the business Missionary is money. · Also, if you are doing business people think you have lots of money and they will come looking for it in the way of loans and grants. ¨ Response: Live a life of Integrity and demonstrate how the business is a means of blessing to others through your generosity and through your building of key relationships.
12 Business requires expert advice. · Most Church Mission boards are not equipped to properly evaluate and monitor the business activity of Missionaries. ¨ Response: Get some expert advice from active business people who can properly evaluate business proposals.
13 Business fosters an independent spirit. · Missionaries need to have proper covering of their activities. · Who watches over them while they are doing the business? ¨ Response: It is better for Business and Missions to function in a team effort so there is peer accountability.
14 Businesses function under a different regulatory environment. · Missionaries may find themselves in legal trouble if they mix money from business activity with money from donors supporting the mission work. ¨ Response: Know the laws of the land and obey them!
Now can you think of ten good reasons why Christian Missionaries SHOULD be in business?
Check out <http://www.missiology.org/ems/bulletins/reapsome.htm> for a look at Paul - the Non Professional Missionary.
Your comments are welcome!
[_private/Bizetmiz_Forum_aftr.htm]