Business as Mission (BAM) is a global initiative that recognizes and responds to God’s call to take the gospel to the ends of the world ministering to people’s spiritual, economic and social needs. The BAM concept is holistic in nature and content. It is the gospel in action transforming people and communities.
One example of such BAM entrepreneur is Ken Crowell, an American who developed a passion for blessing the nation of Israel. An engineer by training, Ken pursued an offer from Motorola in 1968 to conduct research and development in Israel. During this three-year stint, God gave Ken a vision for Kingdom business. Upon returning to the US and with the agreement of his employer, Motorola, he proceeded to launch Galtronics, a company that produced UHF-VHF antennas. His first employees were Christians who shared his desire to bless Israel. These antennas were sold to major phone manufacturers.
Ken set up his company in Tiberias, Israel. The city needed industry and the government was eager to help- despite Ken’s openness about his Christian motivations. “I am not so concerned about your Christian involvement as I am about your need to strengthen our economy by establishing new businesses within Israel”. At its founding in 1978, Galtronics stated its purposes including establishing a witness, supporting the building of the local church, providing work for believers, blessing the nation of Israel, and strengthening the local economy. To Ken, the business must be self-supporting and profitable in order to achieve all these objectives.
Galtronics grew to become the largest employer in its city. It received the nation’s highest industrial award, the Praz Kaplan. By 1999, Galtronics was worth US$70million.
Alongside the company, a local church called Peniel Fellowship sprouted. Initially comprised of seven people, Peniel Fellowship is now a thriving church of more than 250 believers. (extracted from the book “God at Work”) Such is a shining example of BAM in action. Ken Crowell demonstrated that God is able to bless his business as he pursued a “triple-bottom line” of
a) Profitability and sustainability
b) Local job and wealth creation
c) Advancement of the local church
BAM is a mission strategy that our church is seriously considering and implementing in various small initial ways to reach out in our mission fields. It may well be the future method of mission outreach for our home-grown “mission-preneur”.
by Mark Cheong, former President of the board of elders and currently serving as leader of the BAM team in wrpf missions.
God is so good. HE took this idea and planted it in Ken’s head in order to bless others. Praise the Lord.
I am learning more and more it is about his plan and not mine.
I really like your term, “mission-preneur”.
Can I use that?
Hi Lowell
A pleasure to network with fellow mission-preneurs. Feel free to use the term and may the good Lord bless the work of your hands.