Reformation Ministries International Corp

BAM & societal transformation

Let's briefly mention one example, from Norway 200 years ago. Hans Nielsen Hauge was born in the late 1700's in a poor, underdeveloped agricultural society. There was no democracy and limited religious freedom. When Hauge was 25 years old he had an encounter with God. Hauge's life motto became: Love God and fellow men. He travelled extensively throughout Norway and did—what we in modern day terminology would call—church planting and business as mission.

He started 30 businesses, including fishing industries, brickyard, spinning mills, shipping yards, salt & mineral mines, paper mills, and printing plants. He was an entrepreneur and a catalyst. Many others were inspired to read the Bible, to meet with other believers for prayer and fellowship, and various businesses were started and developed.

Even secular historians today acknowledge Hauge's legacy and contribution to the development of modern Norway. He is sometimes called "the Father of democracy in Norway". He facilitated equality between men & women, his work lead to a spiritual awakening and an entrepreneurship movement. Hauge's legacy is thus one of spiritual, economical and social transformation. He did not use the term business as mission, but his life and work illustrates some of the BAM goals, principles and outcomes.

Other expressions often used in the BAM movement today include 'transformational business, 'great commission companies' and 'kingdom business.

God creates and works

Honest business is rooted in God.  Consider God's character, activities and the objects of God's actions.  God is the Creator.  God creates for himself and for others (Genesis 1.1-).  We are created in God's image so the stamp of God's character is in us. When God created he evaluated his work each day and concluded, "It is good."  Two aspects of it proved 'good': the things that God created (the sea, land, fishes, birds, trees, fruit, etc) and the process of creation.  The outcome and the process itself are good.  So it's good to be creative and to create. Note that God created for Adam & Eve and for himself, creation was to be enjoyed together, in community.

A few believe that only 'spiritual' things are good.  However, God created a birch tree, for example, and saw it as 'good' even though it may not be deemed a particularly 'spiritual' end product. We can - and are to - create good things (products and services) in the 'secular' realm.  God created us in his image so we might create good things for ourselves and for others.  So Business as Mission begins in Genesis chapter 1.

A problem arises in Genesis 3, the fall, when sin affected man's creativity, resulting in corruption having the potential to muddy the creative process.  Due to our capacity to sin we can produce things that we put to bad purposes as well as good.  We can also choose to be selfish and create things that we want to possess exclusively.

However, in Genesis 3, God declares that he will redeem the fallen creation (Genesis 3.15).  Jesus restores our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and the creative process.  To be a business person is often to be a creative entrepreneur, to help to sustain a family, support local enterprise and contribute to the creation of a better society.  Business men and women can thus be part of the restoration process in Christ. 

Unemployment is a consequence of the fall, but it is not a sin to be unemployed. But it denies a person to be what God has intended for all of us to be: creative, able to add value to products and services, able to support ourselves and others.  Giving people employment for the individual and common good is righteous action ? helping people to grow in the image of God.

God prepared for a restoration of creation, including work and creativity, through Jesus Christ. We are called to play a role in God's restoration process by helping to restore the inherent dignity and value of work. We are to be ambassadors of God's kingdom in the market place, to be salt and light in and through business. As salt and light we are to bless peoples from every culture, through God-honoring business enterprise.

Work is something that is simultaneously both deeply divine and deeply human.  Work, is not to be understood as a curse or consequence of the fall.  Rather it was a blessing and commandment given to Adam and Eve before the fall. God took pleasure in the physical aspect of His creation. We too can delight in creating useful and excellent products and services.  — Mats Tunehag

Each of you who have goals and dreams that include some kind of gift of ministry, such as we have just described-in this expanded version-are greatly appreciated and we welcome you to consider being a part of RMIC.