In 2015, I had the privilege of taking a short-term mission trip to Cebu, Philippines. On that trip, I invited my friend, Paul, a successful business developer, to join me. We visited a church community that was planted out of Jackie Pullinger’s ministry in Hong Kong—a ministry known for reaching people trapped in drug addiction and crime, and for bringing freedom through the transforming love of Christ.
That Sunday morning in Cebu left a lasting impression. Worship was led by men and women who had been rescued from lives of drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking. Many were living in “men’s houses” and “women’s houses” operated by the church—safe spaces where they could heal, encounter Christ, and rebuild their lives. It is something I will never forget: to be led in worship by people who had once been enslaved but were now free in Jesus, lifting their voices with gratitude and power.
My friend Paul was deeply moved. He is a successful entrepreneur, and he quickly connected with one of the local leaders, Sam, who was helping the church provide retraining and employment for those rescued from trafficking. At that time, Sam was finding small manufacturing work—piece-rate jobs—for the men and women in the houses, helping them take first steps toward stability and dignity.
Moved by the sight of men and women who were now free in Christ yet struggling financially, Paul was inspired to dream with Sam about how they could create sustaining and fulfilling employment opportunities. What began as a Sunday conversation grew into a kingdom partnership, and out of their shared passion, a business was born.
Today, that business employs more than 500 people in Cebu, Philippines; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Nairobi, Kenya. Its workforce is made up of former victims of trafficking who are now professionally trained video editors serving the real estate media market. What started with one short-term trip and one Spirit-led connection has grown into an enterprise that provides dignity, livelihood, and hope for hundreds of families.
Truly, as Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
Rethinking Missions: Beyond the Traditional
Stories like this challenge us to expand our understanding of what missions look like. For decades, we’ve often thought of missions primarily in terms of pastors, preachers, and church planters. These roles are vital, but God is also raising up businesspeople to be missionaries through their skills, networks, and creativity.
When believers in business create jobs, mentor entrepreneurs, or open new opportunities in nations, they are advancing God’s kingdom in ways that pastors and traditional ministries cannot always do alone. Proverbs 11:10 says, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices.” Businesspeople have the God-given ability to bring prosperity that blesses whole communities—and opens doors for the gospel.
Business as Calling, Not Just Contribution
Recently, while visiting Chile, I gathered with a group of business leaders from the local Vineyard church. We expected 10 people to show up, but surprisingly, we had over 40 business leaders come, indicating a hunger in this demographic of the church. I shared stories like the one from Cebu and invited them to consider how God might use their businesses for mission.
What I discovered was eye-opening. Many of them had never been told that their calling to business could itself be missional. Some confessed that they often felt guilty about devoting so much of their lives to profit. I reminded them: if you are called to business, then making a profit is not a distraction—it is essential. A business that doesn’t make a profit closes its doors, and when it closes, it blesses no one.
For too long, many business leaders in our churches have assumed their role in God’s kingdom is mainly to give money—to fund projects, sit on boards, or write checks. All of these are important. But what if God wants more? What if your suppliers, employees, and customers are actually your primary mission field? What if your expertise in negotiating contracts, building teams, or scaling enterprises is meant to advance God’s kingdom in places pastors may never reach?
Colossians 3:23 exhorts us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” That includes the work of building businesses, managing staff, and even making a profit.
Global Opportunities
This vision for businesspeople in missions is not limited to the Philippines or Chile. I have seen the same hunger in the Dominican Republic, and I will soon be meeting with business leaders in Egypt and Turkey. All over the world, God is raising up men and women in the marketplace who can create pathways of freedom, fulfillment, and flourishing for others.
Work is not just about income. Work is about dignity. Work is about identity. Work is about joining God in His creation mandate to “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). For some of us, creating work is the very gift God has entrusted to us for the sake of His kingdom.
An Invitation to Business Leaders
So let me ask you directly: if you are a businessperson, or a pastor who has businesspeople in your congregation, have you considered that your or their skills, experience, and calling may be about more than your or their own success or even the well-being of employees? Could it be that God wants to use you to open doors in nations, to win favor with officials, to partner with pastors, and to create opportunities that advance the gospel?
Imagine the freedom, fulfillment, and flourishing that could result when Christian business leaders see themselves not just as funders of mission, but as partners in mission. Imagine hundreds, even thousands, of men and women—rescued from poverty, addiction, or trafficking—finding dignity through work and hope through Christ because a business leader chose to see their vocation as holy.
If this stirs something in you, I would love to have that conversation. Missions today is not only about pulpits and church buildings. It is also about boardrooms, supply chains, and job sites. Wherever God has placed you, your business is not just business—it can be kingdom work.