Christian Entrepreneurship: A Unique Approach Abigail Johnson

14 Pages·2009·0.05 MB·English

Johnson 1

Christian Entrepreneurship: A Unique Approach

Abigail Johnson

ECON 209
Dr. Herbener
10 May 2006
Johnson 2
Like many other human activities, entrepreneurship itself is not Christian or unchristian.
The entrepreneurial action of creating value for others through speculation and foresight is an
integral part of human action, and it can be used as an instrument for good or for evil. Different
ideas exist for what should motivate the entrepreneur. Assuming the entrepreneur’s behavior is
legal and ethical, some say entrepreneurs should act to maximize value for the shareholders and
some say they should act in a way that benefits those with a stake in the decision. Considering
every stakeholder is not humanly feasible though, because entrepreneurial action affects
everyone in the market. The entrepreneur’s purpose, then, would seem to be to earn the greatest
profits he can in a legal, ethical manner. How does a Christian respond to this purpose? The
Christian entrepreneur has a higher call. As an entrepreneur, he must earn profits to keep his
enterprise alive, but he must also recognize that earthly profits are not his greatest goal.
Christianity changes an entrepreneur’s priorities, but Christianity can be integrated with
entrepreneurship as entrepreneurs conduct their enterprises in a way that is distinctly Christian.
Christians bring a unique perspective to entrepreneurship. Christian entrepreneurs have a
religious motivation to conduct their business ethically and legally, without cutting corners.
Besides the obvious ethical implications, Christianity also brings an understanding that the
entrepreneur was created by God to be a steward of His earth. This idea, sometimes called the
“Creation Mandate,” uses Genesis 1 to show that God gave a mandate for mankind to cultivate
the latent potential in the created order. Man glorifies God when he brings natural resources into
human use to better human lives by creating useful goods and beautiful art. The Christian
entrepreneur views his role as a special calling—his part in fulfilling the Creation Mandate and
thereby glorifying God. Being a businessman has unique temptations, but it is also a vocation
that calls for creativity, imagination, and innovation. The Christian entrepreneur should not
Johnson 3
separate his entrepreneurial calling from his religion. The understanding that entrepreneurship is
a God-given vocation breaks down the wall between “sacred” and “secular” employments. The
entrepreneur who runs his enterprise in a way that glorifies God is no less Christian than a pastor
or missionary.
Not only do Christian entrepreneurs have a unique understanding of their role, they also
have a unique understanding of how to carry out that role. The Protestant work ethic, the Golden
Rule, and the Christian idea of eternity all affect the way the Christian entrepreneur carries our
his enterprise. God calls Christians to work hard and to do their work with excellence. Proverbs
18:9 says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys” (ESV). In Ephesians
6:5-8, Paul commands slaves to obey their masters as they would Christ, “rendering service with
a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will
receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free” (ESV). Verses like this demonstrate
God’s abhorrence of laziness and His call for His people to work. Christians are also called to be
kind to others. In Mark 12:31, Jesus gives the Golden Rule, which He places as the second
greatest commandment: “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (ESV). For the Christian
entrepreneur, this means dealing kindly with employees, fellow businesses, and customers. Yet
this is not enough. In Matthew 19, a man tells Jesus that he has kept this and the other
commandments, yet Jesus tells him he still must sell all he has (Matt. 19:21). Jesus required the
young man to view his earthly riches as less important than God’s eternal riches. Paul elaborates
on this attitude in I Timothy 6, reminding the church that “those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and
destruction” (I Tim. 6:9, ESV). He cautions Christians against the love of money and tells them
instead to pursue righteousness and contentment in Christ, things of eternal value. This may
Johnson 4
seem like a contradictory task for the Christian entrepreneur, who is called to run his enterprise
with excellence, but if the entrepreneur runs his business Christianly, he will prioritize the gospel
above his profits.
The paradox of running a business with excellence and simultaneously viewing profits as
secondary is reconciled in the Christian entrepreneur’s attitude that his business is a means to an
end. If the Christian entrepreneur has a God-centered attitude, he will use his business to glorify
God rather than to pad his own lifestyle. Non-Christians see this as contradictory, but to follow
the teachings of Christ, the Christian must integrate his faith with his finances. Although he must
invest in his business, the Christian entrepreneur values giving money to God more than building
a large corporation. His business is a means for the end of glorifying God. He glorifies God in
his workmanship, his treatment of employees, and his use of his funds to further God’s kingdom.
Jesus once told a parable of a rich man who built bigger and bigger barns for himself and died
before he could enjoy his riches. The lesson of greed applies to the Christian entrepreneur. He
should not build up his business simply for the sake of adding warehouses or new divisions.
Stockpiling wealth on earth is pointless in light of eternity. For the Christian entrepreneur, this
means taking every opportunity to give his money to God. He can do this within his field by
helping the church and Christian organizations with his current expertise. This attitude of
generosity does not contradict his goals as a businessman—using means for an end does not
imply exhausting the means. The Christian entrepreneur uses his business for the purposes of
God because for him, God’s purposes are most important.
Such examples are hard to find, but some Christian entrepreneurs do make a conscious
effort to integrate their faith with their business. JILCO Industries, Inc. is one example of an
enterprise founded by entrepreneurs who have a uniquely Christian approach to business.
Johnson 5
JILCO is an acronym for “Jesus Is Lord Company.” Ken Stoltzfus and his sons Brian and
Ken Jr., the founders of the business, have kept the name as a testimony. JILCO is divided into
two divisions: Preferred Airparts, LLC and Priority Air Charter, LLC. Preferred Airparts sells
new and used airplane and helicopter parts. Many of the used parts are bought from wrecked
planes. Priority Air Charter (added to the company more recently) provides air cargo service in
the U.S. and Canada.
In 1982, when Ken Stoltzfus was talking with his sons about starting the business, he was
very deliberate about his Christian approach. He told his sons, “I want us to understand that this
is a Christian calling. We are doing this as an expression of our faith and God’s call. This is what
he’s called us to do. If he prospers it, the prospering is not for us, it’s for His purposes” (Stoltzfus
2006b). According to Stoltzfus, many people think that “Christian business” is an oxymoron, but
Christianity and business can go together—in fact, combining the two is a smart way to do
business. Stoltzfus deliberately applies this principle to his business. He has been a pastor, a
missionary, and a pilot, yet he says that he when preaches on Sunday and flies during the rest of
the week, Sunday does not feel more spiritual than the other days. He recognized from the
beginning of the business that entrepreneurship can be a high calling, and although it is difficult,
it can be done without compromise. “In my life, I want to be connected to what God has for me,”
he said in a phone interview. As a Christian entrepreneur, he has applied that attitude to his
business.
Ken Stoltzfus’ and his sons’ attitude toward their profits is key to their Christian
entrepreneurship. In the introduction of a workbook he wrote in 1996 called “Christians and
Wealth: A Question of Servant or Master,” Stoltzfus wrote, “Wealth serves God’s purposes
when it is handled with humility, generosity, and a servant’s heart” (Stoltzfus 1996). The lessons
Johnson 6
in this workbook form the framework behind all of the entrepreneurial decisions made for JILCO
Inc. Stoltzfus operates from the position that “wealth has great potential to serve God’s
purposes” (Stoltzfus 1996). But just as wealth makes a wonderful servant, it also makes a
horrible master. As a Christian entrepreneur, building a larger bank account is not Stoltzfus’
goal. He said that Christians should have a holy fear of wealth and that ultimately, wealth is
boring. People with wealth want more than they have, he said, because what they have is boring
and does not satisfy them. The Christian’s attitude toward wealth grows out of his walk with
God. His faith brings a sense of eternity and higher calling to his business. This transforms his
view of wealth, making wealth an altogether different thing. Because it is a tool for God’s use,
profit is meaningful. It is connected to eternity. This perspective on wealth was integral to the
founding of JILCO. As a Christian entrepreneur, Ken Stoltzfus had a unique sense that he and he
sons were in business for God’s kingdom. Ken’s sons embraced their father’s vision when they
took over the business in 1985. They recognize that their business ultimately belongs to God and
exists to be used by God.
Being Christian entrepreneurs also affects how Ken Stoltzfus and his sons treat their
employees. They make their business a fun place to work and treat their employees with respect
and gratitude. In the shop adjoining the hangar, the Stoltzfuses built a racquetball court for their
employees to use. They also have ping-pong tables in the room where the employees eat lunch.
For Christmas, they give the employees gifts. Brian Stoltzfus offers the employees the
opportunity to stay in his cabin in West Virginia and vacation on his land there. The company
provides the employees with a small library including books by John Maxwell and others. They
try to make Christian resources available for the employees. For Christmas, they often give
subscriptions to Focus on the Family kids’ magazines to the employees’ children. In the summer,
Johnson 7
they have a picnic for the employees at a miniature golf place. When Ken Jr. found language-
editing software on sale, he bought some and made it available to the employees at the
discounted price. When sales reach a certain level, the employees get a bonus. The company
encourages them to use their bonus to pay down a mortgage, rather than spend it on an unneeded
accessory. When employees have worked for the company for ten years, they are given a nice
watch. At fifteen years, they are given a grandfather clock. In 2004, when employee Steve
Schlabach reached his twenty year anniversary with the company, they gave him two airline
tickets to anywhere in the world, a chunk of spending money, and an extra week’s vacation.
Although they cannot pay more than they can afford, the Stoltzfuses try to pay their
employees well. In the phone interview, Ken Stoltzfus related how he had seen and known
Christian businesspeople who were quite affluent and on church boards because they had
donated lots of money, yet were known locally as paying the lowest wages in the community.
Stoltzfus felt that action was inconsistent with a Christian attitude toward his employees. He saw
it as a responsibility to pay a fair wage for the community in which they live. “Prosperity which
is achieved at the expense of others is not a mark of God's blessing,” he said (Stoltzfus 2006c).
For Stoltzfus, a fair wage implies the median wage (for the community) or a bit above. He wants
to avoid “calling money ‘profit’” when it is really money “kept from the workers” (Stoltzfus
2006a). He combines these wages with “other ways to communicate that [his employees] are
valued as individuals and for what they do,” recognizing that “both are needed” (Stoltzfus
2006a). This commitment to good treatment of the employees is one way JILCO operates under
distinctly Christian entrepreneurship.
JILCO also strives to maintain a Christian environment. The company does not eliminate
potential employees for not being Christians (such a practice is illegal anyway), but they do
Johnson 8
encourage moral behavior. They have a clearly stated policy about what music is allowed.
Profanity is not allowed. Smoking is banned in company vehicles and within 50 feet of company
buildings. When an employee is hired, he or she is given a copy of this policy to read. Some
choose not to come because they do not share the commitment to creating a Christian
atmosphere. As a Christian entrepreneur, Ken Stoltzfus recognizes that God sends people to the
business. “One of the greatest marks of God's blessing upon a business is in the quality of
employees He brings to that business,” he said (Stoltzfus 2006c). Not only does the business
benefit, but the employees benefit as well. At a lunch celebrating the company’s sales, he told
the employees, “One of my joys has been to see how many of you have grown in your
personhood and spiritual life” (Stoltzfus 2006b). Many of the employees have benefited from the
positive environment. Among the changes, some of the employees returned to attending church.
The company is up front about the environment they expect to create at their workplace, and
partly as a result of that, they can attract employees that share their uniquely Christian vision for
business.
One aspect of JILCO’s Christian entrepreneurship is its Christian witness. As a Christian
entrepreneur, Stoltzfus recognizes the difference between evangelism and witness. The business’
job is not to preach, but to sell airparts and transport cargo. Yet integrating Christianity with
entrepreneurship means that Ken Stoltzfus and his sons operate their business in way that
glorifies God, and this includes public witness. When they began the business, they considered
using the fish symbol in their logo but decided against it because so many people have used it
and contradicted it. They wanted their witness to be genuine. Stoltzfus said, “We’re going to live
it, we’re going to say it gently” (Stoltzfus 2006b). They opted instead for putting short, non-
judgmental Scriptures on the bottom of their pamphlets. One flyer displaying different airplane
Johnson 9
parts contains verses like John 10:10b, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” (NLT) and
Psalm 37:23, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their
lives” (NLT). Although they use a soft approach, the Stoltzfuses are not ashamed of their
witness. They also send a small “Flying Higher” pamphlet with each Preferred Airparts order
(they receive about 500 orders per week) and they link to www.flyinghigher.net on their website.
Flying Higher is a ministry of Ken Stoltzfus’. The pamphlets contain a brief story about flying
and a spiritual life lesson drawn from the story. Besides Scriptures and Flying Higher, the
Stoltzfuses also give personal testimony in their publications. Their 2006 calendar is prefaced
with a letter from Ken Jr. and Brian. They thank their employees and customers, but they also
write, “Under all of that is our walk with God, which grows in meaning as the years go by. He is
our Rock, our Foundation, and the One we can stand on through think and thin. We can’t thank
Him enough” (Stoltzfus and Stoltzfus 2006). “A lot of people do not connect Sunday with
Monday through Friday,” Stoltzfus said (Stoltzfus 2006b), but JILCO is determined to make that
connection.
Because of their commitment to living out their Christian faith in their business, Preferred
Airparts has earned the trust of customers and suppliers. Preferred Airparts buys wrecked planes
to sell the parts. In an industry with a lot of cash under the table, Brian and Ken Jr. can buy
things around the world with a check. As Ken Stoltzfus says, “We practice integrity in the way
we do business, not only because it supports our Christian testimony, but because it is the smart
way to do business. Even crooks like to do business with honest people” (Stoltzfus 2006c). The
business has built a strong reputation for doing what it says it will do. They take care not to over
represent the quality of the goods, generally tending to represent things conservatively. If
Johnson 10
anything about the part is less than new or perfect, even if it is just from sitting in a warehouse
for awhile, they tell the customer.
A uniquely Christian feature of JILCO is the role the company takes in promoting and
aiding worldwide missions. This impetus to foster mission work springs from the entrepreneurs’
vision that the business belongs to God and not to themselves. Helping out with missions work
comes naturally to Ken Stoltzfus. He sees that there are many things the business can do and says
that if it is on your heart to do something, you do not keep track. You just do it. No matter what
business you own, there is a way you can serve.
The uniquely Christian way that Ken Stoltzfus and his sons conduct their business has led
to a lot of missions-related work. One significant way that the Stoltzfuses have used their
business to help the cause of missions is through MATA, Missions At The Airport. MATA
events take place at airports primarily along the east coast. The program presents the community
with an opportunity to learn about the work of Jungle Aviation And Radio Services (JAARS), an
organization that serves missionaries and Bible translators by providing them with technological
support. For a few days in the summer, the Stoltzfus hangar is cleared out to make way for
booths explaining the work of Bible translators, missionaries, and JAARS. There is also a
children’s program, where children hear the gospel and learn about current mission efforts.
MATA functions as a fundraiser by selling airplane and helicopter rides and taking up a
collection at a banquet in the hangar on the last night of the event.
In addition to MATA, Preferred Airparts also serves missionaries with significant
discounts. When the Stoltzfuses sell a rebuilt plane to mission organizations, they do not charge
for the parts and the labor. When a missionary needs a plane, they prepare it at a fraction of the
cost. They also give discounts for parts in stock and will order parts for missions that they would