My Business is My Mission

An interview with Andrew Babyak on viewing community development through the lens of business.

February 6th, 2024 | Rebekah Teuscher

“Give us some background about yourself. How did you initially get involved in the business world?”

“Starting in high school, I got involved in various entrepreneurial projects, and found it very life-giving. At the same time, I felt a definite call to ministry. But growing up, I always heard it was one or the other - you choose business, or you choose ministry. I remember people telling me that full-time ministry meant getting a ministry degree, yet my passions and my giftings were tied to both entrepreneurial business activities and ministry. I didn’t view them as different things - for me, they were part of the same call and passion.

A few years after college, my wife and I moved to Senegal, where I got involved in university ministry as well as business and entrepreneurial consulting work for local business owners. While there, it became clear to me that the combination of business and ministry is, in my opinion, the most effective way to actually reach people in most communities. I found it provided a natural way to connect and provided legitimacy in the eyes of local community members for why we were there, along with building trust.”

Andrew Babyak

Andrew Babyak is a professor at Messiah University, and serves as the assistant Dean of Business, overseeing graduate and undergraduate programs.

“How have your experiences shaped how you view and teach business within ministry contexts today?”

“From my experience, conversation surrounding business as ministry needs to start by taking one or two steps back and reorienting how we view it. One of the concepts I often hear people discuss in Christian circles - especially in higher education - is ‘faith integration’, or making sure you integrate your faith into everything you do. I always push back on that idea. I don’t think it is a helpful starting point, because it assumes that the two - business and ministry - are separate and distinct. Instead of ‘faith integration,’ what we do in our lives should be about ‘faith emanation.’

Faith integration is more focused on answering the question ‘how do we integrate faith into this activity?’, which can lead to faith feeling like an afterthought. Faith emanation, however, means everything you do - whether it’s work, time with your family, starting a business, watching a game on TV, or church on Sunday morning - is changed as a result of your relationship with Jesus. Faith emanation inherently changes how you go about your life in every aspect. Everything you do is for God and through his power. That changes everything.

With faith emanation, there is no longer a dichotomy between ‘business’ and ‘mission’ - business becomes my mission. And this is especially relevant to cross-cultural ministry, because it centers around utilizing the skills and abilities we have to serve God and others - whether through business or something else - in a way that shows our faith and builds trust with community members. I also believe BAM is so important because business is a central part of every community anywhere in the world - it contributes to the local economy, provides jobs, and offers helpful services.”

“What are some of the challenges you’ve seen and faced surrounding the idea of business as ministry?”

"There is truly a danger of doing too many ‘good things’ in any ministry context - including cross-culturally. One of the big challenges is losing sight of Jesus and our purpose. If I’m serving overseas, I am not exempt from mission drift - getting so wrapped up in my day-to-day that the task becomes more important than the larger vision and purpose. When I was in Senegal, I found that when I spent time in Scripture and prayer daily, and then went through the day trying to let the Holy Spirit guide me, everything was so much more productive, and the conversations I had with others were more in-depth.

Business as ministry specifically, and ministry in general, doesn’t just happen because you’re a Christian in a specific context. It’s a daily commitment to follow Jesus. The same thing is true in the States - whether you’re a business professional or a pastor. We can get so caught up in doing the good things we’re doing that we lose sight of God.”

“What approaches don’t work well in relation to business as ministry? What approaches do work well?”

“The biggest misconception I see is the idea of ‘if you’re doing business as ministry or business as missions, being profitable isn’t important.’ I think profit is important for any business venture, in part because we are called to do everything with excellence as followers of Jesus.

There’s one model of BAM where you set up a company, but it mostly functions as a visa platform - it’s not meant to ever make money. There’s a second model where you run a business, but it’s a half-hearted effort - if it breaks even, great. But in both of these models, locals begin to wonder - ‘how are you still here? Your business isn’t very busy. You’re not there that often. How are you making money to support this lifestyle?’ I’ve seen both of these models lead to a loss of trust and perceived integrity towards the cross-cultural worker.

The third model, which I think is the most God-honoring, is to really give the business a go. Now, this is a lot easier said than done because a lot of startups don’t work. But practicing good business principles, and continuing to try and make what you’re doing successful, adds legitimacy in the country where you’re serving, and with the people you’re serving. This model also encourages co-creation with locals and for locals, and when profits are generated, provides local job and livelihood opportunities.

It all comes down to integrity and transparency. It’s important to do what we say we’re doing, and be clear about the purpose of why we’re doing it. If you’re there to start a business, ideally that means you’re there, at least in part, to help boost the economic activity of the area, region, etc.

The other approaches I’ve seen work well in BAM are the ones where national partners are put on payroll when the business itself makes money. I’ve seen what happens when national partners are supported through fundraising with outside dollars - it works for a while, but it’s not sustainable long-term, and it doesn’t foster ownership of the local business and community.

Because of this, it’s important to be strategic and contribute towards sustainable projects, especially when dealing with finances and national workers and national believers. When a business is sustainable, it gives locals who are involved in it a growing sense of ownership, and amazing things happen as a result of that ownership.”

“What encouragement or challenge would you offer to people who are involved or interested in business as ministry?”

“My biggest encouragement would be to connect with an existing cross-cultural ministry organization that is currently involved in these types of efforts. I’m not just saying this for the interview - it’s my firm belief that you should really find an organization that you’re aligned with, and work in their structure. You’ll learn a lot through them. Often, people who want to go overseas are so independent and entrepreneurial that they always want to start something on their own. But working with an organization that has been doing it, and doing it well, provides much needed support and guidance. So my advice is to find an organization that’s aligned with what you want to do. The extra hoops to jump through are there to help you.

I personally have a definite “Maverick” spirit, and I still think the lone ranger mentality is one of the greatest dangers for someone who wants to be effective in business and/or ministry.

I’ve ultimately come to this conclusion because of my value for sustainability and effectiveness. If you serve with an established organization, it’s easier to navigate challenges as they come up, and to find others to take over the work you’re doing if/when you decide to transition out. We never know what’s going to happen in the world, or in the geographic location you may be in. The support as you go - spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically - is a huge benefit of going with an organization.

If you’re a student, it’s a great time to spend a summer, a semester, or a year abroad. If you’re looking to serve longer-term, consider a vision trip with the organization you’re exploring. If you’re looking to make a career transition, find an organization you align with and work under their umbrella. And again, I’m not just saying this for the article. I 100% believe it.

At the end of the day, I think we all struggle with putting ourselves first and having an inward focus. It doesn’t come naturally to look for the needs of others, in our local community or globally. But I also think as God opens our eyes and gives us more passion for our daily lives, he will also give us opportunities to serve like we would never expect. My challenge for myself and for everyone else is to never settle with what you’re currently doing, but always ask God for next steps and how you fit in this whole picture of cross-cultural ministry and community development.”

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