Doing business as mission: A bittersweet challenge for the church in Africa

Abstract

The Church in Africa is amazingly well endowed and can accomplish integral mission both at home and away on reverse mission to former motherlands that launched missionary initiatives. As the world struggles with religious syncretism, political polarisation, wars, natural disasters, pandemics and economic recession, the Church in Africa is expected to engage in both local and reverse mission and facilitate transformation; however, its activities are limited mainly by socio-economic constraints. Though much has been published about integral mission, reverse mission and faith-based sustainable development, practical and lived models of sustainability are lacking. This study fills that gap by reviewing the feasibility of the business as mission (BAM) concept. It undertakes a qualitative literature review and draws lessons from the Assemblies of God churches. This study finds BAM a bittersweet concept that has actionable, resourceful and transformative benefits and faces hard challenges regarding church ownership, theological differences, volunteerism, negative impressions and divided attention. It concludes that BAM has benefits and drawbacks; hence, it is a necessary challenge that the Church in and beyond Africa should consider adopting.
Interdisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article interfaces Ecclesiology with Missiology and Business for holistic Sustainability.