What is BaM
What do we mean by
Business as Mission?
There are a number of ideas about the terms "Business as Mission" or the closely related term "Mission through Business", for example:
One view is that business is reduced to being a vehicle that enables mission to be carried out in places where it is not accepted in its own right. In its extreme form, this idea lacks integrity since the business is merely being used as a "front" for the real purpose and intent of the organisation.
Another view is that business profitability is the most important aspect and the mission component is brought in to lend credibility, from which the business is able to benefit and so become more profitable. This is close to the secular business concept of Corporate Social Responsibility.
More positively, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) have published an excellent definition:
"Business as mission is a strategy for the specific purpose of the transformation of people and communities: spiritually, economically and socially – for the glory of God, through a viable and sustainable business which has Kingdom of God values, purpose, perspective and impact."
Put simply, we understand "Business as Mission" as recapturing business from its secular influences and instead using it primarily as a means of "building a better world" – which is an all-embracing goal.
From our Christian roots we understand "building a better world" as including that part of Jesus' prayer which reads, "Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven".
In other words, mission and business become intimately intertwined as the two work together towards a better world for everyone.
