Great Commission CEOs

by Tan Sin Guan

Jesus' explicit command in Matthew 28:18-20, that is to "go and make disciples of all the nations," also known as the Great Commission, was for many years associated with student movements in schools and campuses and missionary endeavors around the globe. In recent decades however, business people are beginning to realize that this command applies to them in the workplace as well. Laura Nash, a senior research fellow at Harvard Business School who did a research among evangelical CEOs and businessmen in the United States, found in her studies that Christian business leaders are aware that their roles and positions in the workplace are a God-given platform to influence life. These business leaders, who among others include the influential Max De Pree and Pat Morley, recognize that their position in the workplace is an advantage that when applied wisely, can do much for the Great Commission.

A similar trend is observed in Malaysia as well. The mushrooming of Christian and marketplace related seminars in recent years is an indication that Malaysian Christian CEOs and businessmen are increasingly aware of their calling in the marketplace. While writing this article, this writer had the opportunity to conduct a simple interview with several Christian business leaders on how they perceive their roles and positions. Almost all of them recognize that God wants them to do their part in fulfilling the Great Commission through their God-given platform in the workplace. The question is of course how to really go about it-how to obey the Great Commission in the workplace.

Admittedly for CEOs, being aware that they are called and actually obeying the Great Commission in the workplace are two different things. It is one thing to recognize that God has called every CEO and businessman to fulfill the Great Commission in the workplace. It is quite another to actually obey the mandate. The difficulties are two fold. First, it is challenging to always be thinking about the Great Commission in the workplace, especially in the midst of daily operations and decision-making. Secondly, even if one is able to be constantly reminded of the Great Commission, to actually carry out the mandate can be frustrating, especially in a multi-cultural and religion-sensitive Malaysia.

This article seeks to provide some insights on how CEOs and businessmen can seek to integrate the Great Commission in their daily life at the workplace. To do this, it is important to have another look at the command of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18-20.

An important aspect of the Great Commission is that it must be understood together with the Great Commandment (Matt 22:37-40). The command to love God with one's heart, soul, mind and strength and to love neighbor gives meaning to the Great Commission. In fact, the Great Commission assumes that one already loves God and his neighbor. Thus as Christian CEOs and businessmen seek to obey the Great Commission in their workplace, they must also desire to grow in their love for God and man. As they do that, they are already obeying the Great Commission in the workplace. A respected business leader once said, "If every Christian CEO and businessman truly loves God and man, fulfilling the Great Commission would become a reality naturally."

In addition to the Great Commandment, the Great Commission also assumes a simultaneous obedience to the Cultural Commission (Gen 1:26-28). The Cultural Commission refers to God's commission to Adam and Eve (and their progeny) to Community-building and Co-creativity with God (R. Paul Stevens, 2006). With this, obeying the Great Commission must be in tandem with one's effort to community-building within the company or industry. Several Christian leaders have come to realize that in order for Christ to have an impact on a nation, Christians have to affect the seven spheres, or mountains, of society that are the pillars of any society. These seven mountains are business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion. Thus, the Great Commission is not only about sharing Christ with someone else, it is also to network with fellow Christian CEOs and businessmen to introduce biblical changes in the industries or society. Indeed, to do so is already doing one's part in the Great Commission.

Finally, the key verb in the Great Commission is to make disciples. It is a process of actively helping people to become mature in Christ. Thus, we can say that the heart of the Great Commission is to make disciples through going, baptizing and teaching new believers to obey everything Jesus has commanded. It is a call to be involved in an ongoing process of making disciples for the Kingdom of God. But disciples are won, not born. As such, with regard to the Great Commission, there are two more key activities CEOs and businessmen themselves can be involved in: Evangelism and Mentoring.

Evangelism refers to the intentional effort to bring people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Nash's research can be helpful in this area. Her research shows that CEOs and businessmen can consider applying one or two of these approaches:

1. Institutionalized Witnessing. It is a method best used for business leaders who have full control over their companies. This is an approach where witnessing becomes institutionalized through the use of language, rituals and symbols of Christianity. Business leaders who prefer this approach intentionally assimilate Christian language, symbols and rituals into their company's Vision Statement and daily operations. These include sponsoring Morning Prayer, providing a seminar room as on-site chapel and even publicly acknowledging Jesus as the "real" Chief Executive Officer. Employees working in these companies would have no problem recognizing that they are working in a Christian organization. Some companies go to the extent of having pastors as regular visitors to pray for board members and daily operations of the company. Some employ Christian Human Resource personnel to provide pastoral care or counseling for employees.

2. Personalized Witnessing: Christian CEOs and businessmen who want to avoid ethical issues that come with institutionalized witnessing, or whose companies are too large to avoid notice, opt for personalized witnessing. This is an approach where witnessing is relegated to the personal arena. To this group of CEOs and businessmen, witnessing best happens when the opportunity arises either in a conversation, business trip or in the course of counseling an employee.

3. Passive Witnessing: Finally, another approach that can be considered is the passive witnessing approach. It is an approach where the Gospel is not shared with words but with action, that is through one's life. Many employ this approach where action speaks louder than words. The whole point, to these CEOs, is being a moral person and demonstrating Christ rather than talking about it.

Evangelism may not necessarily be limited to a "top-down" influence. Christian CEOs and businessmen can consider investing their time to win and nurture others to maturity in Christ. Christian CEOs and businessmen are the best people to reach, nurture and build fellow CEOs and businessmen. Just as it takes a tax collector to win their fellow tax collectors, it takes a business leader who understands how their peers think and struggle to win them for Christ.

In conclusion, it is possible for Christian CEOs and businessmen to integrate the Great Commission into their lives. They can do this by growing in their love for God and neighbors; working with fellow CEOs and businessmen to introduce biblical changes in their industry or society; and be Christ's witnesses in their companies and among their peers.

Tan Sin Guan is director of Malaysia Campus Crusade for Christ’s Impact! ministry. He is also an associate pastor of Klang Chinese Methodist Church.