My Calling to be Both Leader and Follower

The Holy Spirit's strategic vision comes by inspiration to those leading in their place of calling. In most other places in the Body of Christ, everyone is called to wash feet, in skillful and excellent ways, at the direction of others. It is rare that any believer is called to be the head of  the body in many different places of service.

Watch what happens when a business Shepherd tries to create a strategic vision for a Church Shepard, or a Church Shepard tries to create a strategic vision for a Business Shepherd . Discord  and Chaos.


I Corinthians 12:7 -27: Lays these principles out....

The problem is I see my own calling and gifting as being the main effort that advances the kingdom of God, and that all others are called to support me, as their most spiritual opportunity, now and in the future. I am unintentionally spiritually self-centered.


I am called to lead in one area, and wash feet in another. This myopic view of ministry can be seen, for example in the differences in world views between Church shepeherdhip and Business Sheperdship.
I believe there is a subtle-but-significant difference in worldviews between those believers called to Church Leadership and those called to Business. This has caused division that has been exploited by the enemy . The result is that business leaders don't understand why their Spiritual leadership can't see the business person's calling. It has also resulted in Church leaders who don't understand believing business peoples' resistance to their attempts to enlist them in church service.

For Two generations back, on both sides of my family, and even among my younger cousins, we have been predominantly called to be pastors and missionaries, sometimes both. I am a pastor/missionary kid. Yet I am called to business; and am deeply passionate about church leadership.Threfore, as a beliver firmly planted in both groups, I see this division  arise time and time again, and I believe it is a result of both God-given differences and unintentional human spiritual self-centeredness.

Believers newly called to "the ministry"  those called to or aspire to "full-time Christian service" believe they have set aside any idea of gaining material possessions, and that God will give them unique insitght to advance the Kingdom of God. (I am not talking about those who choose the clergy as a profession, without a calling)Those called believe that they and their families are likeley to pay a high price to do that service.

Believers newly called to business, (I am not talking about those who choose business as a profession, without a calling). They believe that they and their families are likely to pay a high price to develop business, putting their financially futures at risk on a daily basis, and  that they are personally called to advance the Kingdom of God. While they volunteer at church, their purposeful ministry is to the lost and estranged, and support of  other believers in their workplace ministry. Their passion is for the workplace, for creating business as a means of, not a platform for advancing  Gods kingdom.


Anything as a "platform" to share the gospel in difficult places seems to irritate those called to business. This suggests that the church-based leadership who uses this phrase consider the platform itself is just a means of carrying the real workers to their place of ministry.  It is unintentionally spiritually self-centered. I have see church leaders at high levels, in their writings using phrases like "business armor bearers" for mission and church ministry work. They see their ministry  as the main force for moving God's kingdom forward.
Believers called to business love their pastors and church leaders, and volunteer to help support the pastoral staff in their ministry inside the church building, and are often called upon and willing to provide financially over and above the tithe in significant ways. But their passion will always be to create and expand enterprise as a core means of  deliberately spreading gospel..

Those called to business often feel alienated from the work of the ministry inside the church. They see  churches growing larger and larger, and see what they consider inefficiencies in church that would never survive in business. Those called to work as Church staff tolerate the business person's input, but they are carefully to put boundaries on the business person's efforts. As Shepherds of the flock, church leaders see that they must protect the body from what may be a distraction. Business people, who's leadership is valued in the workplace, find their leadership at looked up with wariness by church leaders, at best, and unwelcome or a threat at worst.... And rightfully so.

The business leaders call is to serve and support the work of the Church's shepherds, but their real ministry call is in enterprise. The Holy Spirit's inspiration comes to those leading in their place of calling. In most other places of leadership in the Body of Christ, they are called to wash feet, in skillful and excellent ways



There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.



- Lee Royal

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There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

- I Corinthians 12:7 -27 NIV

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BAM Survey Conclusions Still Relevant

What follows below my comments is an excerpt from a 2007 BAM Study from Kervin Ring's site. The survey sample size was a bit small (497 people in 38 countries), but the conclusions remain useful. It appears that, at the time of the survey, at least among survey participants, 10% may have been involved in "creative access" business ventures, and that the remaining 90% had a significant negative response to those who engage in creative access business.

It is  a personal observation that now, three years later, most "creative aceess" ventures have either failed or become transparent. The premise of these ventures were flawed, and reflected a lack of understanding of kingdom business culture by traditional ministry leaders. In essence, asking God to bless a creative access business is no less a problem than a violation of the James 4:3 warning: "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."  it might read "When you ask (pray) you do not recieve because you ask with the wrong motives, a motive to lie about who you are."  A "watcher" in a "creative access" target country woud say:

• " a goat that pretends to be a sheep may some day be a snake pretending to be a sheep. Once a pretender, always a pretender. Nothing he says can be trusted."

Next, I agree with the following survey premise that Commercial Function, licitness, and management oversight are hallmarks of a genuine business as mission enterprise, or enterpising ministry. Without these key ellements, registering a business in a limited access country becomes a sham, unworthy to be associated with the name of Jesus, destructive of genuine evangalistic activity.

Tom Sudyk stated it more simply and starkly one day while he helped us review some business we were planning.

"If there's no Profit, There's No Business"

I agree.








Lee Royal


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(the Survey Summary)

In order for Business as Mission objectives to drive the strategic management of BAM companies, the structure of a BAM company must align with those objectives.

Different strategies that integrate business activities with ministry efforts hold to different principles on how a business should operate. How each of these principles is manifest within a business is a subject of much debate. Core principles such as operating with integrity and honesty are universally accepted as important to Christians in business. However, research shows that three key considerations regarding [1] structure (commercial function) [2], licitness[3], and management oversight) are not universally accepted as vital elements of Business as Mission (Exhibit 5).

• Nearly 10 percent of respondents do not think that commercial function and legal structure are vital for Business as Mission. (5.1 and 5.2)
• One out of four respondents expressed no opinion about whether an advisory board is a vital element of a BAM business. (5.3)

Management Considerations

• Aspects of corporate structure (licitness and commercial function) are recognized by 77 percent of respondents as important elements of BAM companies.
• Both licitness and commercial function are considered to strongly influence a business’s ability to make a profit. Both also influence evangelism efforts and focus on the developing world.
• A BAM company’s commercial function influences that company’s role in building the local economy.

Implication:
These results highlight the important role that a Business as Mission company plays in its marketplace and host country. Honoring the laws of a host country and offering a valuable product/service create legitimacy, which puts the business in a position of influence allowing it to achieve its goals.

• Commercial function has a negative correlation with providing access to countries.

Implication:
the negative correlation between "Is a commercial enterprise" and "Provides access to many locations" may be a result of skepticism that has been created by missionaries that have taken advantage of countries’ openness to gain access with no intention of pursuing successful business.

• Simply using BAM to gain access is contrary to legitimate market activities and as a result, associating BAM with creative access has a negative connotation.

Management oversight

• Survey respondents heavily favor Management participation in discipling and accountability relationships (87 percent).
•  Additionally, 68 percent agree that BAM companies should have an advisory board.

Results indicate that the primary influence of these two types of management support is on the company’s evangelism efforts and focus on the developing world.

Implication
There is a general belief that support at the management level is valuable; however, this support is focused on the missional aspects of the company.

• The fact that respondents are doubtful of partnering with social service agencies and that management oversight does not have a perceived contribution to a company’s ability to make a profit, points to an inclination with BAM operators to hold back from engaging outsiders.

Whether this is a result of their entrepreneurial nature, a byproduct of the sacred/secular divide, or a reaction to unrealistic demands placed on BAM operators by people with very little at stake, if the BAM movement can find an acceptable way of engaging outside support, it would greatly increase the impact BAM has.

Sustainability

Sustainability is considered a highly important aspect of Business as Mission, with over 85 percent of respondents agreeing that

• Net profitability of the organization,
• Growth in capital base for future development of kingdom businesses,
• Development of a succession plan are valuable elements.

Respondents correlate net profitability with the ability to build the local economy and to bless the nation.
Respondents also believe that developing a succession plan facilitates the ability to evangelize and the focus on the developing world.

Implication:
in order to have a lasting impact, BAM companies must be able to survive.

Additionally, given the dynamic environments in which these companies operate, it is important for BAM operators to plan for the long term. Considering that company leadership largely determines the mission strategy of a BAM company, a key area of concern is planning for transitions in leadership in such a way the preserves the company’s focus on its ministry.
All three aspects of sustainability are negatively correlated with the goal of gaining access through Business as Mission.
Implication: these results also highlight the association with creative access and spurious business efforts, since sustainability is not a key area of concern for illegitimate businesses.

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[1] The survey data is not robust enough to draw inferences about the nature of such links; however, it does point to the possibility of their existence. Further study of such correlations is important for helping to address the complexities of Business as Mission.

[2] Commercial function refers to the role a company plays in the marketplace, specifically the activities of providing goods and services and may involve financial, commercial, and industrial aspects. (Exhibit 5.1)

[3] Licitness refers to conformity to the applicable provisions of the laws of the countries of operation of a company. (Exhibit 5.2)
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The Rest @ Kingdom Strategist

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