Journalist George Pitcher of opinion site New Statesman is positively intrigued by the rise of a new breed of Christian business and finance professionals in London. “With the Archbishop of Canterbury and former oilman Justin Welby at the helm, the new ‘Power Christians’ of Britain are a formidable tribe whose aim is to reshape the culture of the City,” he writes.
During the boom years preceding the crisis, Christian faith was about surviving in the City, but since 2008 and the
revelation that it was all built on sand, Christians have been saying unequivocally that the Gospel is non-negotiable, that working in commerce is about transforming the way we do business, that Christianity is disruptive of systemic greed and corruption: that, in short, their work serves their faith and not the other way round. They are converting markets, not just people.
James Featherby, former partner of the City law firm Slaughter and May, rode the boom years and served the ‘temple of Mammon’, but converted. These days he writes books with titles such as Of Markets and Men and The White Swan Formula: Rebuilding Business and Finance for the Common Good. “I used to think our financial system was good, but I was fooled by it,” says Featherby. “The system hasn’t delivered on the promises that were made… In the west, we’ve all sorts of social problems we haven’t seen since the Second World War.”
Someone elso who is making the change in City culture, is Manoj Raithatha, a property entrepreneur, who had a conversion experience in 2008 (he was raised a Hindu). He formed a think tank, Business as Mission, with research scientist and Church of England priest Bridget Adams, which now claims a presence in 25 countries. “The Lord is doing so much in the area of business,” says Raithatha. “A whole new generation of people are coming up who want to use business as a means of advancing the Kingdom of God.
God is the CEO of my business and we’re surrendering and giving everything to Him. We take His direction on all the
big subjects. In the past, a lot of Christians have thought that what makes a Kingdom business is if it’s run ethically. But it’s more than being ethical. It’s about having a spiritual impact.”
Pitcher is impressed by the Christians he met. He observes:
“Radical stuff. I doubt if any of the old Christian guard in the City would have talked like this even five years ago. It occurs to me that Szkiler’s (Paul Szkiler, chairman of Truestone Asset Management) is a prophetic voice in the City. There is a new confidence in the Christian alternative, it’s a voice that is now being listened to rather attentively.”
Source: Joel News International
BIBLE STUDY: Ephesians 3:10
Day 5 – PRAISE: God for this new generation of Christians who want to advance the Kingdom of God.
Day 6 – PRAY: That they may be influential in bringing many businessmen to the lordship of Christ.