3 Characteristics of a Growing BAM Movement: Diverse, Learning, Multiplying

In this new blog series on the BAM Manifesto we are taking the different parts of the Manifesto as inspiration and exploring them in the context of current BAM practice and the still-growing movement, twenty years on.

The BAM Manifesto was conceived twenty years ago this year. To celebrate this milestone, we asked twenty BAM leaders to reflect on what they had seen developing in the last 5 years in the business as mission movement. These included practitioners, capacity builders and network leaders, representing different regions and constituencies.

We asked them:

What have you been most encouraged by, or you have seen accelerating the most, in the last 5 years in BAM in your sphere of influence, region or network?

The responses we got were comprehensive and deeply encouraging. Although there was overlap between different points, we identified 6 main themes, characteristics of a maturing BAM movement, if you like.

In a first post last week, we introduced the first three themes in, 3 Hallmarks of a Maturing BAM Movement.

In this second post, we will cover the second three themes that emerged from the responses:

3 Characteristics of a Growing BAM Movement

These characteristics are:

• Diverse – growing in global depth and breadth

• Learning – growing in understanding of fruitful BAM practice

• Multiplying – growing in numbers

Here are the responses of those we asked:

1. DIVERSE

The business as mission movement is growing in terms of its diversity. BAM is a global, poly-centric movement. It is not a ‘west to the rest’ model, centered on a few places – it is already ‘anywhere to anywhere’ and is becoming ‘everywhere to everywhere’. BAM is innovating, evolving, and diversifying in terms of geographical spread, industry representation, and range of impact.

I’ve been involved in BAM since the early 1990s and, while the early days were pioneering and exciting, the developments of the last 5 years have been beyond encouraging. BAM has become (or perhaps has been revealed to be) a truly international movement of God. The national, ethnic, and strategic diversity – especially that came to light as the pandemic forced us to meet virtually – is astounding and proves this is a heavenly thing not an earthly, religious trend.  – MB, USA

It certainly is to be celebrated that sheer numbers have grown in terms of people involved, countries represented, regions being reached, and the breadth of the global body of Christ embracing the concept and engaging in the practice of BAM on multiple levels. One area of huge encouragement is the range of economic sectors being penetrated by BAM companies. From the early days when it seemed every other BAM company was an internet cafe (nothing against either the internet or coffee!) or a tourism company (nothing against tourism either!) we are now witnessing a hugely diverse, creative and influential range of companies and business models across all kinds of human endeavour. This is a really important development in my opinion, for it shows the gospel has relevance and redemptive power in everything we put our hand to. – PS, Canada, MENA & Asia

We are excited to see that people from historically receiving regions are recognizing the value of BAM and using it as a tool to bring the gospel to their own communities as well as sending out workers themselves. This is a significant milestone, as it shows that those who have received the gospel are now actively sharing it with others, and it’s exciting to see the role BAM is playing in that work. Overall, I believe that these developments in BAM are very promising, and offer great hope for the future of kingdom work in Southeast Asia. By investing in the training of individuals, recognizing the validity of innovative models of evangelism, and supporting local efforts to spread the gospel, we can create a more vibrant, dynamic, and effective mission movement in this region and globally. – CN&SK, Southeast Asia

There has been a greater acceptance of business as mission but more the understanding that it doesn’t have to be just about starting a business. It could be (as in our case) running business training or consulting to a business in an unreached people group. We have seen how the understanding has developed, it is not just one mode of business operation, but it can have different expressions. – BH, Africa, MENA, Europe & Asia

BAM is definitely not limited to missionaries starting businesses. In fact, over the years we have seen that the talents and experiences of people coming from a business background are absolutely necessary. People from different backgrounds are also now partnering with each other. For example, a manager at a renowned cosmetic company went with his family to a country in South Asia and started a manufacturing factory of beauty mask packs six years ago. Due to the different business environment and the Covid pandemic, he failed. However, a CEO of a material manufacturer was connected to him through the IBA Network and now hired him as a sales manager in that country. Local churches are also connecting with mission agencies in Korea, like NOW and Center for BAM. Employees and entrepreneurs in the churches are now able to participate in BAM or marketplace education programs developed by those mission organizations. Many of them have found new meaning in their work as a result, and some are connected and collaborating with missional entrepreneurs in limited access countries. – SC, Korea

2. LEARNING

The business as mission movement is growing in terms of its learning and understanding. There is a growing body of lessons learned and fruitful practices to draw on. Practitioners are able to learn firsthand from other practitioners through networking, mentoring, and case studies shared at events, online, in books, etc.

I think that the BAM materials, networking, dialogue, etc. have been essential for creating a space where interested parties can get information, find a place where they belong, get encouragement, resources, and help for what each is trying to achieve. It has brought us together to have greater unity and purpose. I think without the regular input, gatherings, and online resources shared in the BAM movement then many people would  be operating in a vacuum, not knowing or learning from what others have learnt & experienced. What we now have will help us all be more effective and bring meaningful impact quicker and better. – LH, Africa, MENA, Europe & Asia

We now have start-up companies maturing into established businesses with mission embedded in the ways the business is run. There is also the development of a body of knowledge of “how-to do-good business” in our context, which can be shared with future generations. – DH, South Asia

There are many pieces of wisdom flowing around in the movement, from which readers may browse and learn. There are stories of success, and more stories of failure should also be written. Many young people are being inspired to “go and do something”, knowing that others have done these things before. I am very pleased to know that many consider our company initiatives to be contributing to “best practices”, and have inspired others to follow. I learned many best practices at FCCI, from Kent Humphreys, Horst Schulze and other greats. One of those was to write the company mission, as we did in 1993, and then live by it. A mission should address the fundamental conflicts of values between putting God or wealth creation first. A surprise finding is often that the people in the business are the mission, not just the means to the Mission. – MN, Asia, Europe & USA

3. MULTIPLYING

The business as mission movement is growing in numbers. A growing number of people are being mobilised for business as mission and BAM companies are multiplying in number – and in many cases also growing in terms of functionality and size.

I am most encouraged by the way new and small business ventures are exploding in the past years with the kind of enthusiasm never seen before amongst Christian youth in this region. Young men and women are willing to take risk for God and for the future of their business. They are bold enough to step out into the horizon and attempt to carve out, with great desire, a place for themselves in the marketplace in various fields. This is unprecedented and quite exciting to see. And there are many more who are expressing, willing and ready to take up business in the days ahead as their calling and mission in life. – MT, South Asia

It has been most encouraging for me to see more BAM practitioners. Eight to ten years ago, it seemed like a needle in the haystack to find other practitioners. Now I’ve been able to collaborate with other brands on marketing efforts which is exciting. – EO, USA & Southeast Asia

One area where I have seen acceleration is in the growth of individual businesses that I know personally. One has grown to have thousands of employees. Another is activating a plan to bring a tangible presence of the Kingdom into a region where it used to exist hundreds of years ago but was removed through force. One of my businesses now operates on a kind of ‘autopilot’ because of its outstanding staff. Before, it needed constant attention. We are bumping into other organizations that are doing a fantastic job of identifying entrepreneurs and giving them the tools needed to start and build businesses on an appropriately small scale, build the systems, and then grow as the market asks for more product or service. I am also delighted by some of the thinking and dreaming of people under thirty.  They see opportunities and methods that are not ever going to show up on my radar. But they are hungry for the Lord to be a part of their operations and are trying to learn how to add that component. – BJ, USA & East Asia

We have seen an increase in people seeking to be on the field through BAM opportunities by joining a BAM or starting one. Many come from a ministry background and want to do business, but there are also believing business people who are willing to give up their current jobs to go out. – CN&SK, Southeast Asia

It also seems that people are being moved by a greater calling of God to go and be present in that place and culture, in order to positively impact. There is a greater sense of commitment when times get tough, as they will do, but for something like BAM it requires a clear calling. So now I am also meeting people with a longer-term view of what it takes, it is not just starting a business in another country. I am also seeing more people take their existing skill-set and use that in these places. This makes sense but it is also exciting to see. – LH, Africa, MENA, Europe & Asia

We had a difficult time after we first started in November 2019 with the first BAM Russia conference. It was a very good event and people were inspired by the BAM concept. So I planned to have an annual BAM conference and use this annual event to develop a BAM Russia network. But then COVID-19 came, and later, the war. So it has been impossible to have another big event. Because of this I changed the strategy. I decided to develop media to make BAM known in the church. I also travel a lot with seminars on BAM and workplace ministry. Till now there are 600+ subscribers on the Telegram channel and about 400 on YouTube. Last October the local BAM conference in Krasnodar was held with about 40 attendees. And now I work to organise at least three local BAM conferences this year. – MD, Russia

>> Read the BAM Manifesto in full

>> Read the Lausanne Occasional Paper on Business as Mission.

>> Download the BAM Manifesto in 17 languages here

<< Back to: 3 Hallmarks of a Maturing BAM Movement: Affirmed, Collaborative, Connected

 Jo Plummer is the co-chair of BAM Global and the author and editor of many business as mission papers and articles, including the BAM Global Think Tank Report series. She is a Lausanne Catalyst for Business as Mission and the co-editor of the Lausanne Occasional Paper on Business as Mission. She has been developing resources for BAM since 2001 and currently serves as Editor of this Business as Mission website and blog.

 

>> Watch short videos on the BAM Manifesto series here