Christian Businessmen in Ministry

 

All businessmen and women are in full-time ministry.  If you know Christ your first calling is to walk with Him.  The only way to be in part time ministry, is to be a part time Christian. Perhaps we need to redefine ministry.  Ephesians 4:11 does designate the 5-fold ministry gifts of  "apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists".  But their ministry is to equip the saints (that's business people) "to do the work of the ministry"! (Ephesians 4:12) We have let religion dictate to us what ministry calling is.  As a child, I always heard about going into full-time ministry which meant being a pastor, evangelist or missionary.  This distinction never seemed right to me.  My uncle's Ray, Harry and my dad were all farmers, but every one of them preached at the German brotherhood meetings on an almost weekly basis. This German brotherhood came out of our family history from settling as farmers along the Russian Vulga river basin during the German depression in the 1800's. When they migrated to America, they brought with them the brotherhood which they called a lay movement. But to me, they seemed just as called as pastor Sauer of our German Congregational Church.  Now I understand that I was right as a child.  It is important that we teach farmers, sales people, lawyers, or any other profession, that they have an anointed calling on their lives. As business people they have the opportunity to fully support their own ministry!  In fact, they are more in the marketplace of opportunity to reach the world than most pastors. We need to teach the business people about their calling, gifts and power to change the world.  Tony Dungy ministered in our church a couple of weeks ago.  His influence for Christ is felt all through the NFL.  His platform is as strong as any pastor of any size church in America.  Thank God for people of influence that take their calling seriously.  But really every business person has the same calling.

                                                 Anointing for Ministry in Business