Working in a Christian organisation is vastly different from working anywhere else. In a normal corporation there are so many more variations to the way you can play your cards. You could be the tyrant or the dragon lady, play it sneaky or nice. There’s so much to watch out for. Is that a knife handle sticking out of my back?
One of the things that struck me most these few days of working was that though the people weren’t perfect, they openly admitted to the fact. I saw a heated argument dissipate because one party stopped arguing for a moment, then apologised to the other. At that time I was convinced that God’s love had done some amazing work in the lives of some of the people working here.
It is not all easy peasy though. In a normal corporation everything was strictly business. The company existed to make profits and line the pockets of its shareholders. In a Christian organisation, the company is accountable to God and man. The line between business and ministry is vague. On one hand, profits are needed to keep the operation afloat. On the other hand, the making of profit isn’t our one and only goal.
I found good companionship in Audrey, my sister-in-law who works for a Christian music education company in Los Angeles and Minli, who just started work for another Christian organisation in Singapore. We all face conflicts between spiritual principles and business practices.
How does one be in the world but of of the world?
Hi Zhai,
Which church are you working for now? How can I contact you?
Hi Zhai,
Which church are you working for now? How can I contact you?
Why does there have to be a line, however vague, between ministry and business? Can business be a vehicle from which we can interact with people who would never think to step inside a "Christian" Organization, no matter how cleverly packaged.
People may never have a better opportunity to see another way if some of us don't go out there in all our vulnerable humanity and consider living in of it self ministry. "We" may never truly understand how fallible our efforts our or how cliché our faith has become, without a healthy dose of being challenged and questioned.
Thanks for letting me share.
A line exists because God and the love of money do not mix. You will either love one or hate the other. If you're in business, do it with all the diligence God gives you.
You will be forced to make hard decisions - decisions that may be the "business" thing to do but not the right thing to do. You may be made to sell products you do not believe in, and not have a say in the matter. The dilemma lies here.
I can understand that some may wish to avoid making a "Hard Choice" but the level of difficulty in any choice is subject to our desire/ability to do "the right thing". It's our choice of action that is the real ministry in this world. Yes, that means the business world too - in fact, any means by which one contributes to society out side the "Christian Bubble".
Second, I disagree with the comment made "A line exists because God and the love of money do not mix." The "love of money" is not a pre-requisite to being in business. Business is amoral. It can just as easily be about the love of people as it is the love of money. For example: Providing people with the means to support their families, in a self-respecting, law abiding fashion. Why not use business as a means of redistributing wealth. No (wo)man is forced to hoard wealth. Acquiring great wealth is not a sin, but you will be held accountable for your stewardship.
Thanks