Pioneering or Transformational?

“You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me,” the apostle Paul told the crowd of Ephesian elders as he brought his work in that city to a close. For three years he had labored among them, planting a church in a land that had never known one. To that end he subordinated everything, including his entrepreneurship and industry, in so far as they aided the ministry of the Word. “In all things, I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak …” (Acts 20: 34-35a)

At Access Partners, we see Paul’s task as a great example for pioneering churches in regions hostile to Christianity and to unreached people groups. We use business in the same way that Paul did – as a means to enter, and remain, and make way for evangelization and church growth.

In the array of Business-As-Missions techniques now on offer, we at Access Partners seek to follow the apostle Paul’s simple priorities of the apostle Paul, which we call “Pioneering BAM.”

In Ephesus, where Paul’s means to support himself and credibility in the community were in doubt, where both the society and the government had shown themselves hostile to his mission, Paul used his entrepreneurship to clear these obstacles to his ministry. By working hard and supplying his own needs, he was able to remain above reproach and independent of local needs. Thus, he could concentrate on the work of teaching publicly, and from house to house, the “repentance towards God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts. 20:21).

Many advocates of BAM seek to use their business operations for social and community development as well, thus requiring a doubling of efforts for the business organization. We call this type of business “Transformational BAM” since the business side of the mission includes the broader goals of transforming the community in which it is located. For instance, transformational businesses may require a defined environmental plan, seek to employ the marginalized, and plan a transfer of ownership within a fixed window of time. These are all laudable goals, but they add significantly to the work of the missionaries.

As we seek to plant churches in the 10/40 Window, we believe that the Pioneering BAM method is most effective. The region, less than 2% Christian, is marked by hostile governments, uncertain and time-consuming visa processes, and locals that are often suspicious of foreigners. It is similar in these ways to the world in which Paul preached.

A business-mission is the needed tool to overcome these formidable obstacles. Once the obstacles are overcome, any mission’s remaining resources are best used, as Paul used them, solely for the ministry of the Word and for the planting and building of churches.

To that end, Access Partners seeks to establish legitimate businesses that enable church planting. These goals are a sufficient challenge for church planters in and of themselves.

Pioneering BAM streamlines the businesses tasks so as to strengthen the church’s ministry. Access Partners’ businesses will of course positively benefit the community in which they operate. However,those benefits would be more incidental than in a Transformative BAM model. This allows the mission team to focus on the primary reason of their ministry: the spread of the gospel.

Legitimate businesses used for Pioneering BAM in the 10/40 Window require the essential elements of all businesses: a good idea, sufficient capital, and talented personnel to run the business. Access Partners seeks to connect existing resources, such as experienced businessmen and proven business models, with experienced ministers of the word in particular communities. In this way both the business platform and the church-planting ministry receive adequate attention and are respectively managed well.

Access Partners has already worked to help twenty such teams in the 10/40 Window. For the glory of God, we desire to establish even more. We ask that you consider the talents the Lord has lent you – business skills, the means to give, and the calling of the ministry of the Word. How may the Lord want you to contribute to the building of his Kingdom?

Please pray

… that God would draw experienced and motivated businessmen and women to give the gifts they have received for the benefit of the work of building the church.

… that Access Partners would continue to develop strong legitimate businesses to aid missionaries in the planting of churches.

… that God would continue to give strength and wisdom to missionaries who are using BAM as a tool in church planting.