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The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission

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Some time ago, I started a business consulting practice with the idea that I could use my "business" income to support my "ministry" activities. My plan was to imitate Paul and his use of tentmaking to "pay the bills." However, I found that separating my work and ministry activities was quite challenging and I longed for a more integrated life where everything I did was ministry. But how?

I find Mark Russell's book, "The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission," to be excellent input for my journey into the world of "business as mission" (BAM). Based on Russell's doctoral work at Asbury Theological Seminary, the book is structured into five parts: 1) Fundamentals, 2) Learning from the Apostle Paul, 3) Motivations and Mind-Set, 4) Best Practices, and 5) Special Topics. Russell has traveled extensively and is able to draw upon both first hand experience and direct field research to provide numerous valuable insights into what it takes to succeed in BAM.

Part 1: Fundamentals is a fine introduction, but it's parts 2 and 3 that really set this book apart.

In Part 2: Learning from the Apostle Paul, Russell provides an in depth look into Paul's context, the nature of his work and the rationale behind why he was a tentmaker. After reading these chapters, I've come to realize that my understanding of Paul was inadequate (which certainly won't be the last time that happens). I had a vision for what I call "tentmaking 1.0" that separated "business" and "ministry" into two different spheres. But Russell does an excellent job of demonstrating how integral tentmaking was in Paul's ministry. It not only provided him a degree of economic independence, it also provided him access to people and a context for witness that were integral to his ministry. Paul's witness was not just what he said, or how he moved in power, but in how he conducted his business, openly in the marketplace for all to see. Paul was practicing what you might call tentmaking 2.0, where his tentmaking was part and parcel with his ministry.

In Part 3: Motivations and Mind-Set, Russell starts by examining parallels between today's BAM efforts and current and past mission trends. He then examines different motivations and mindsets for BAM before diving into a "composite" case study that compares two models of BAM, drawing upon his fieldwork in Thailand where he conducted 128 interviews across 12 BAM enterprises. I found this section to be invaluable. Russell found a marked difference between those whose motivation was to bless the local population in the name of Jesus and those whose primary goal was to convert them to Christianity. This difference in mindset had striking implications. "Converters" tended to work undercover and stay aloof from local Christians and exhibited low cultural adaptation. "Blessers" worked openly (since there are few, if any, countries where simply being a Christian is forbidden, while there are many where conversion is outlawed), tended to partner frequently with local churches and exhibited high cultural adaptation. Not surprisingly, the "blessers" were generally happier (as were their employees) and more successful in business, but most importantly, the fruit of the activities was also dramatically different. Those enterprises focused on blessing saw 40x more people become followers of Christ. Russell is clear that his study was specific to one culture, at one moment in time, but I think anyone contemplating how to integrate their business skills into ministry will find this section to be thought provoking and worthy of study and prayer.

In Part 4: Best Practices, Russell discusses a variety of business and mission related issues including the value of planning and vision, the challenge of understanding and navigating foreign cultures, and issues of competition. Chapter 5: Special Topics examines issues around leadership and offshoring.

This was an excellent book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in BAM. It makes a good complement to Neal Johnson's new book "Business as mission a comprehensive guide to theory and practice." While Johnson's book is more like an academic survey of the literature, "The Missional Entrepreneur," with its exegesis of Paul's tentmaking and its case studies, is more readable and enjoyable as it captures Russell's own journey to understand just what BAM is, and should be, in a clear narrative style. The result is an insightful book that is well worth reading by anyone with heart for business as mission.

The apostle Paul is a complex person who is often difficult to understand. Many Christians find him the model missionary and evangelical. He was a tentmaker by trade and continued his occupation during most of his missionary journeys. At times, Paul worked numerous hours so as not to be a burden on those to whom he was teaching (I Thessalonians 2:9). The gospel spread through much of the world because of the direct work of Paul and the many seeds he planted.

The author uses the life of Paul to help readers understand Business as Missions (BAM). A clear case is made that both missions and business are meant to coexist and this mixture is effective in the long run. A missional entrepreneur is someone who starts a business to fulfill his/her part of God's plan for the world. A holistic view is offered for the enhancement of the big picture of a Christian's role in this world.

The author presents research on the best and worst practices in BAM. An often discussed issue is the difference between making disciples and converts. The book is demonstrative of the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and why the word disciples, and not converts, is used.

The book is a great read for getting basic theological insight into the world of marketplace ministry. Anyone wanting a basic understanding of BAM would gain from reading the book. I would recommend the section on Paul to even those well read in BAM. What makes this book a must read are insights into Paul and the manner in which the great apostle combines business and missions.

Mark Russell's book is chock full of ideas and information. The application is directed toward profit seeking businesses with a mission, but some of the concepts could be applied to personal vocation and to transformation within churches and faith communities. I found the following to be the most inspirational parts of the book:
* Part Two - learning from the Apostle Paul. This is the best analysis of Paul's evangelism and tent-making activities I have read. Paul's story provides inspiration for all of us who want to make a living while boldly preaching the gospel outside of the walls of an established church. Christianity would not have spread like wildfire without Paul's commitment to take the gospel into the world of work and into the everyday struggles of real people.
*His BAM Sweet Spot of Synergy - the visual aid that could help anyone committed to following Christ in the real world to discover what God is calling them to do. It is at the intersection of the social, environmental, spiritual, and economic realms.
* The Seven principles for missional leadership - as applicable in the church as outside the church. What if Pastors and paid ministers started to explore ways to make their ministries 'sustainable' - explored possibilities for dual vocations, new powerful alliances between clergy and laity, new sources of revenue for faith communities, new bridges between faith and work.
Mission driven business, nonprofit, and religious leaders should read this book. I am confident you will find at least three valuable ideas that you can implement to improve your missional efforts.

BAM. No, you are not reading the script from a campy 1960s Batman episode. BAM is the acronym for Business as Mission, an innovative way of approaching missions around the world. Mark Russell is an excellent person to bring this issue to the foreground for missionaries and businessmen alike because he has education and background in both ministry and business. He spent years working in Russia, Chile, and Germany on the cutting edge of BAM enterprises.


The Missional Entrepreneur is divided into five sections which introduce, define, provide foundation for, and examine models to doing business as mission. The book reads a lot like a textbook which sometimes makes it hard to muddle through, but at the same time makes it a trusty reference tool for Christians in business and missions alike. The scholarship used in producing this book is obvious in the use of visual representations throughout the text as well as the citations and index found at the end of the book.


Russell uses examples drawn from his experience and especially from research work done in Thailand to portray positive models for BAM, and contrasts them with instances that have caused BAM to struggle or even fail from time to time. After defining BAM from his own viewpoint, Russell gives biblical foundation for the practice from the life of Paul. He concludes the work with a couple of chapters dealing with Missional Leadership (which was very helpful) and Offshoring (which was less than helpful).


I would highly recommend this book for use as a textbook for any business class in a Christian setting or for all missionary training courses. It would be a welcomed addition to the library of any pastor, missions organization leader, missionary, or Christian businessman (especially those contemplating impaction the world for Christ through their business). I can give The Missional Entrepreneur four and one-half out of five reading glasses.


--Benjamin Potter, June 23, 2010


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Book Review: The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission, by Mark L. Russell, (New Hope Publishers: Birmingham, AL, 2010).

The Missional Entrepreneur is a good treatment of the subject of using business platforms as effective missionary engagement strategy. The book explores the relevant discussions pertaining to the subject matter and then presents the author's conclusions and personal philosophy on the subject.

As a church planting minded reader and pastor, I reviewed the book from a critical standpoint. I found the author's approach to be insightful and his approach to be effective for its intended result. I was not convinced, based on the author's treatment of the biblical material that Business as Mission (in the author's approach) is the most effective strategy for evangelization. Many of the "biblical" arguments that the author made were apparently attempts to validate a predetermined disposition. At the same time, the subject of seeing all areas of life as "the mission" of God is helpful and this book is a good starting point of the subject of and theology behind Christian mission in the marketplace.

I would recommend the book to those who are interested in learning more about mission and missional approaches, as well as to those who have a spiritual leading to engage in business as a missionary strategy. This book would be greatly helpful in clarifying ones theological position on the subject.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from New Hope Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [..] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."