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Building healthy donor relationships

As a leader of an NGO or ministry, why is it always so hard to ask for money? In this Elevate episode we hear from David Denmark, executive director of the Maclellan Foundation, as he gets to the heart of this question by exploring the complexities of financial giving, from both a beneficiary and donor perspective.

Building healthy donor relationships

 

Giving is a belief issue

When we talk about giving, we often use statements like ‘God owns it all’ – and that’s a true statement, but most of the time when we make that statement, we think about assets.

Says David, ‘We always think about “stuff”, but the reality of scripture is that what Jesus actually purchased on the cross, was you and me, and our souls. That’s why Jesus has the audacity and the authority to say, ‘what you need to do is love God with your heart, mind, soul, and strength’… that’s pretty comprehensive. He didn’t even mention our assets.’

David is of the opinion that giving is a belief issue more than it is a duty or obedience issue. We often think that we have to be good, obedient tithers but giving is way more than that. ‘Whether I give or don’t give is determined by what I believe about my sonship, and the amount that I give is determined by what I believe about my future inheritance,’ he says.

God owns everything about us, so when we think about what we give back to Him and it stops with tithing and assets, we miss the point that we are under His Lordship. If we believe that we are under His Lordship, then we want to give because it’s all His, and we are all His. Regarding what we believe about our future inheritance, if we truly believe that this world is not our home and we’re just passing through, then we’re free to use our money to just be comfortable enough for the relative duration of our stay and we’re free to give the rest away.

Giving is a stewardship issue

On the institutional side, David believes giving is about stewardship. ‘From a Foundation perspective, there are actually two levels of stewardship: the Foundation knows it’s all God’s money and so it needs to be a good steward of it. Then as the human operator of the Foundation or the programme officers working in the Foundation, we have a stewardship responsibility to our stakeholders, which is the board of directors.’

The fact that there is a stewardship responsibility in terms of money on the funder’s side, and a stewardship responsibility in terms of the calling on the ministry’s side, presents an interesting challenge. From the philanthropy side of the transaction, it really is about business and stewardship. On the ministry side it is very often personal, because God gave them the call and it’s their heart and their passion. ‘All that is legitimate and awesome, but it does set up a little bit of a challenge that we have to negotiate together. It’s a very personal thing, interacting with a very business thing,’ explains David.

Why is it so hard to ask for funding? 

Most ministry leaders note that they feel asking for funding shouldn’t be so hard, yet it is often the hardest part of their job. What makes it so hard is the collision of personal and business in a context of a radical perceived power imbalance. It’s almost impossible for a ministry founder to not feel personal about the work and it’s impossible for a hired professional to operate the Foundation and for it not to be about work and business. In the end, both parties need to work on making it less personal and more personal, depending on what side you’re coming from.

‘If the funder is really clear that this is the Lord’s money and the ministry leader is really clear that this is the Lord’s calling and ministry, then we can talk about things a little bit more objectively,’ says David.

That way, if the ministry gets a yes they don’t become prideful and think it’s all about them, it’s about the work. If they get a no, they don’t get devastated because it’s not about them, it’s about the work and it’s just not in line with where the Lord has called the funder at that specific time.

A begging mentality imputes God-like power on the giver

David notes that one of the saddest things he has seen time and time again is the all too typical dysfunction that exists when you mix money and ministry which, he says, is because of this collision of personal and business. There’s a lot of other dynamics at play as well and he believes half of the problem is the ministry leaders and half the problem is the funding entity.

‘Far too often, the ministry leader arrives with their hat in their hand, almost with a begging mentality and they impute onto the giver far too much power. They imply to the giver that they have all the money, so they must have all the answers. Well, the givers are all just fallen, broken men and women just like everyone else,’ explains David.

There’s a part of this that appeals to our broken nature where we love to be godlike. When a ministry leader makes a statement, like ‘if you don’t fund this project, we can’t go baptise those people’, they impute God-like power on the giver (‘If I give, people go to heaven. If I don’t give, people do not go to heaven’).

On the funder side, we need to keep our hearts in check and this dynamic of giving needs to be sanctified. If not, the only logical conclusion is either cynicism or arrogance because then we start thinking we do have all the answers because we have all the money.

‘I always remind myself and my team about the story of Joshua. Just imagine if Joshua came into Maclellan looking for funding. He has a strategy to take the city of Jericho for the Lord by marching around the city seven times, blowing horns, beating pots and screaming. How long would it take me to say ‘get of here…’?

But that was the Holy Spirit’s strategy. So I think that in the heart of the funder we have to leave room for the mystery of God, or we will become cynics every time,’ says David.

Asking donors to join the mission

Oftentimes donors feel like ATM machines. What if ministry leaders approached potential donors as whole persons who may be called to join the mission, rather than solely as funders upon whose resources we depend? One of the things that we might not realise about those who are managing funding on behalf of the Kingdom of God is that they carry a deep passion for the mission of expanding God’s Kingdom – probably not too differently to a leader that approaches them for funding. It’s deeply honouring for funders to be invited in and to be treated as partners on that. They might have a different function, but they are really integrally connected into the mission.

Ministry leaders as Kingdom brokers

David advises ministry leaders to pull the funder into a relationship instead of just a transaction and to rather come as brokers, not beggars. If we think about a stock broker who’s selling stock to an investor, he’s not apologetic when he calls to say you need to buy this stock because it will round out your portfolio and it’s a really good investment. If you don’t buy it he’s not offended, he just calls the next person.

‘Ministry leaders are actually brokers – Kingdom brokers – and the stock they’re selling is the name of their ministry. It’s really a brokerage perspective and mindset, not a begging mindset. It’s all about diversifying the giver’s portfolio and engaging the giver in a sector they may not be involved in,’ David concludes.

To learn more about building healthy donor relationships, listen to the full podcast here.

The Elevate Leadership podcast series is also available on all other major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google, Overcast and YouTube.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2018 Mergon Group.

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Stewarding wealth

The following article was written by Neil Hart, Executive Head of the Mergon Foundation, and published as a guest blog for the African Philanthropy Forum. 

Stewarding wealth

 

In a world where celebrity appears to be the highest calling, where everyone wants to be a leader or an owner, management is often seen as a second-rate calling. For so many years I felt the same way, focusing my attention on the things that are prized by the world. Stewardship, however, the critically important role that Jesus outlines in several of his teachings (see Luke 12 and Luke 19) is unfamiliar, even unpopular language in today’s world, closer to the idea of management than leadership.

The Bible offers several inspiring illustrations of the meaning of stewardship: in 1 Peter 4:10 a steward is presented as one who is put in charge of the multiple possessions and property of another – one who is highly trustworthy. In the ancient world, this position was not only a great responsibility but a high honour in society. But when it comes to our finances, are we really leaders or stewards?

Those who have much wealth will at some point in time wrestle with the ownership of that wealth. Does it exist for my personal comfort and satisfaction, or is there a greater purpose for all that I have? Am I a steward of what has been entrusted to me, or can I do with this whatever I wish? Psalm 24: 1 teaches us that: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” In essence, God is the Owner of all things and we, His children, are called to care for that which is already His. We have the highest honour of being good stewards of all that is entrusted to us, whether it be children, households, talents, possessions, or wealth.

Any philanthropist or foundation that manages wealth must battle the issue of ownership. It is, in my opinion, the number one stumbling block to the healthy giving of wealth.

Philanthropy then is the management of wealth from the perspective of the steward, not the owner. But what are the principles and paradigms that we keep in mind when we steward wealth for greater purposes than ourselves? Beyond the principle I have outlined above, there are 3 additional paradigms that are of critical importance to good stewardship in philanthropy:

Earth’s resources

Let us begin at the beginning: stewarding our calling as Christians intersects with how we steward the planet’s resources. In Genesis 1, God gives us our original mandate: to co-labour creation with him, to steward the planet, and to use the resources to create heaven’s culture on earth. Genesis 1 and 2 use much stewardship language: being fruitful, filling the good earth, and using its resources to cultivate all that the Creator has entrusted to us. God wants us to use resources wisely. Genesis also uses many languages relating to rulership and reigning. Stewardship has a high calling of reigning over things in a benevolent manner where we create a culture of care and flourishing. Christians can sometimes be the worst of stewards of the earth, believing falsely that heaven is our ultimate home and that there is little need to take care of the earth. Nothing could be further from the truth. How we steward the resources of the earth determines how we are entrusted with the more that comes through our hands. God loves his creation and if it is important to him then it must be important to us.

Power

Philanthropy can do much harm when it is not stewarded in the correct spirit. Money brings with it the double-edged sword of power. When ego is not in check then power is wildly at play. Through pride ‘we devolve from a desire to be great to a desire to be thought of as great; from a desire to serve the weak to a desire to be served by the weak; from a desire to save the world to a desire to have it’ (John Mark Comer, Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human).

Where does this wrestle come from? Galatians 5:17 tells us “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Basically, my soul desires things that are opposed to what the Spirit of God desires for me. Philanthropists must first yield their power to the will of God, working in humility with an attitude that asks ‘how can this money serve those best who need it most?’

At Mergon we have to constantly keep ourselves in check in this area. We distribute several millions every year and walk on the tightrope of power and humility. One of the things we aim to do is distribute finances in a servant-hearted manner. To measure this, we do a survey every year, asking our beneficiaries questions relating to how well we have served them. We present these findings without edit to our Board to keep us accountable.

Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24. This is especially true for those stewards of wealth. The power we carry must be crucified by the cross of Jesus along with everything else.

Legacy

Several years ago, there was a survey done with people over 90 years of age. They were asked one question: if you had your life to live over again, what would you do differently? There were 3 common answers which I find very significant and meaningful to this topic. They were: 1. To love more, 2. To reflect more, and 3. To leave a legacy.

Our only true legacy as those that steward wealth is not how much was given and to how many people, or how many people knew about us. Legacy is only ever about God’s enduring Kingdom. It is, as the disciple John put it, fruit that remains into eternity. Pledge something greater than yourself, greater than your wealth. Something beyond yourself and your own abilities. What can you and your business resources create that is far greater than you? What will outlive you and reverberate into eternal realms? It is simply this: the growing Kingdom of God. As Dallas Willard often said, “The Kingdom of God is the best news on how to live on planet earth”. We have a unique part to play in it. Let us play it well.

We have tried our best at Mergon for over four decades. As we steward our entrusted resources for the sake of His kingdom, God has continually exceeded our expectations – multiplying our resources, relationships, and gratitude, for greater Kingdom impact. Knowing we are the stewards, not the owners, has been the golden thread in the tapestry of our story.

By Neil Hart

All rights reserved. Copyright 2018 Mergon Group.

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Raising up and releasing leaders

Have you ever wondered about the best ways to empower and release the leaders around you? In this Elevate podcast we hear from Eddie Waxer, founder of the International Sports Movement, about raising and releasing leaders. Eddie is a master at getting leaders and organisations around the world to partner on global evangelism through sports. He has been a friend to top tennis players, soccer players, cricketers, American football players, and many more. Yet, Eddie has always had an approach of being in the background and giving away honour, credits and authority. He epitomises servant leadership and demonstrates how one can raise up and release leaders that will go further than the leaders who empowered them. 

Raising up and releasing leaders

 

Leading from the back

Leaders who desire to create a movement that advances the gospel need to make a decision: do they want to prioritise themselves, or do they want to prioritise the mission? If it is the mission, then they have to function in a different manner. It requires leaving vast amounts of space ‘at the top’ for those who are leading the movement on the ground.

Eddie recalls how, over the last 20 years at gatherings, he would always sit at the back. He never introduced the conference speakers, nor was his name in any of the conference material. ‘For nearly 15 years, most of the people had no idea what I looked like, what the colour of my skin was, or how old I was,’ says Eddie. ‘I intentionally tried to make sure that there was nothing between me and anyone else.’ For Eddie, good leadership is about empowering others to go beyond where you have gone.

It can of course seem tricky, to create a movement on such a large scale. How does a leader structure their day-to-day priorities in order to be accessible to everybody? The reality is that if you are raising up gifted men and women – individuals who are actually more gifted than you – as your leadership mantle will shift to their shoulders over time. People will start seeking their perspective too, because you’ve empowered them to be credible people in their particular sphere of influence.

It’s all about humility

Humility is much more important than skill when identifying potential leaders, Eddie explains. If a leader isn’t humble, ultimately, when you face a crisis you’ll see division and conflict. You have to have a humble leader whose ego isn’t going to determine how they make decisions. Once humility has been identified, one can look at skill.

Eddie recalls how he would often spend three years or so observing specific persons. He would notice how they respond when asked to, for example,to go get water for everybody, or to move the chairs and set up the room for the meeting. If they had a negative attitude, showing that they thought such a task was below them,  he would take note.

‘I realised that that person probably wasn’t the right person to empower. It’s the little things that were important in that identification process. Once it was confirmed that a person had the humility to go along with their remarkable gifts and skills, then began the real empowering process,’ says Eddie.

Such an empowering process takes time because when you’re leading or serving a movement, relationships are hugely vital. Unlike in a corporate context, you don’t just fire and replace the person when a relationship turns sour. ‘In a movement, you have to see each other as an equal, you have to work together and have humble respect for each other for each other’s gifts and talents. That’s why I’ve spent a lot of time on humility,’ says Eddie.

Why is humility the key ingredient? 

When you’re sitting around the table with 10 or 12 gifted individuals, they’re most likely going to have strong opinions. However intimidating this may sound, you want people with really strong opinions around your table, but at the same time you want them to be humble.

You need people who can say ‘You’re right, I’m wrong’ – and if you have gifted people who can say ‘I’m wrong’, then you can go a very long way.

‘I believe the growth God has allowed in the International Sports Movement has been on the basis of humility, not skill,’ says Eddie.

Giving others centre stage

More often we tend to reserve the centre stage for the most gifted or experienced person in the room. In the process, leadership sometimes seems unattainable and reserved for the select few.

If we are to raise up a movement of leaders, Eddie says we need to adopt a more inclusive approach. Those who teach devotions shouldn’t necessarily be the white-haired senior theologians, but young leaders in their 20s and 30s who are from developing countries. Those who sing needn’t be the most famous singers who carry the tune perfectly, but rather people who have a heart for worship, and are trusted and known within your community. We need to model the message that  everybody can be up front – not necessarily just the most gifted or charismatic person in the room. These corporate moments where everybody has the opportunity to lead have a great impact on what happens locally, as young leaders return home with greater confidence and vision to serve within their own local communities.

The importance of trust

Eddie explains that he continually tries to look at the New Testament as a model. ‘I simply can’t imagine the apostles Paul and Peter asking for weekly reports from those that they were mentoring. That is so common these days and it’s a very Western, business way of thinking. I decided that if people were gifted and humble, then I was going to trust them. I was never looking for numbers of how many evangelism appointments someone had or how many Bible studies they led. I’ve always felt that trust is critical,’ says Eddie.

The emphasis leaders need to keep is discipleship. ‘We often emphasise the wrong things… but emphasising discipleship is what I think the New Testament most models and it’s the reason why the church grew.’

Eddie encourages leaders to be part of the team, not apart from it, where the team brings you recommendations to which you say yes or no. You need to really build the kind of team where you have those people who can do as well as, or better than, you at growing the vision God gave you.

Eddie’s unique view of, and approach to, leadership might be challenging to many leaders. But however challenging, it seems the rewards of leading from the back, keeping humility as a core leadership value, and empowering other leaders to lead in the same way, are clearly evident.

To learn more about raising up and releasing leaders, listen to the full podcast here.

The Elevate Leadership podcast series is also available on all other major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google, Overcast and YouTube.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2018 Mergon Group.

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A season of rebuilding

Dick van der Walt is the Executive Director of the Tala Group. He also serves as the Chairman of Mergon’s Investment Forum and a trustee of the Mergon Foundation. Drawing from a distinguished career in law and the commercial sector, Dick has been instrumental in helping establish Mergon and shape its course, from its earliest years until today.  

A season of rebuilding

 

Now that the Covid curtain is lifting, leaders are left to navigate a new and unfamiliar terrain of business. For most leaders, it’s a season of rebuilding; for many it’s a time of significant transition that demands a shift in thinking. These are liminal spaces we lead in, where the disorientation of ending one reality and stepping into another requires more than human wisdom alone.

How do we then build sustainable resilience to repeatedly move from disorientation to inspiration?

Scripture is rich in stories of men and women who, in the fog of indecision and uncertainty, found God’s clarifying perspective to navigate their way to sure footing. The book of Zechariah is a good example of that for me.

Here was a nation who had returned from exile and been given an assignment to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. But adversity seemed to await the Israelites’ every move, resources were limited and progress remained slow. Despondency and demotivation kicked in, the mission seemed increasingly unattainable.

Into this context of despair God spoke:

(Zechariah 4:6) ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zurubbabel, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord. (verse 9) ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.’

In Greek the word ‘might’ speaks to, amongst others, financial strength; ‘power’ to individual ability or talent. God is essentially reminding us not to have misplaced confidence in our own ability and resources. The ‘temple’ that God wants to build in us and through our businesses will not be built by human effort alone or accumulated wealth but God working through us, who is ultimately the source of all wisdom and provision.

In these uncertain times, I believe God is encouraging us to lead with a mindset of abundance. It’s a mindset that is often counter-cultural but foundational to the Biblical perspective, rooted in the confidence of God’s all-sufficiency. And I believe this mindset will serve as a compass when building and operating businesses with purpose and hope in these trying and uncertain times.

Building a Temple  

It’s liberating to know, God is specific in His assignments. We do not have to be all things to all people. There’s an assigned lane for each of our organisations, and only when we stay within these parameters can we expect to enjoy God’s supernatural provision. Having an abundance mindset leads us to be discerning and discretionary around our activities and investments, because we understand we’re merely the stewards of these resources.

Zurubbabel had a specific job to do, and he was obedient to do it.

Likewise, our job is not to create a dominating brand or even to necessarily chase after an ever growing balance sheet. Our job is rather to be faithful to the task that God has specifically assigned to us. This kind of conviction should lead us to pray, earnestly, and to approach our work with great humility, knowing that everything is on heavenly loan. We can measure our success independent of corporate benchmarks or capital gains, but ultimately by how often we hear God’s commendation: ‘well done, good and faithful steward’.

Gaining God’s perspective

Zechariah’s prophecy came at a key time in Israel’s history, when the temple project had been on a two-decade hold. Zerubbabel was encouraged to look beyond his own limited perspective, believe God at His word, and take to the task of building God’s temple. As a result of his obedience, the temple was completed – the same temple that Haggai prophesised ‘would be greater than the former’ because Jesus Himself would worship there.

Although Zerubbabel’s temple wasn’t architecturally as splendid as the former, the Lord’s abiding presence is what gave it significance. In our businesses, we want to forge spaces where Jesus can show up, unhindered. Where the lure of prominence, visibility and brand never overtakes our dedication to be stewards of His provision and servant leaders to a broken world.

For God to show up, it means that we must show up too. Zerubbabel could never have known what he was building or whether he would finish what he set out to do. He simply picked up the trough and began the work. When we cannot see the whole picture, an abundance perspective simply helps us to start with the job that God is calling us to. Similarly in our business endeavours, we cannot predict how today’s actions will impact the future. But if we just keep ‘showing up’ – with joy and integrity, faith and perseverance – who knows how our workmanship will host His presence both now and into the future?

Being the lampstand

To be a ‘temple’, our organisations need to position themselves as ‘people focussed’, creating platforms that foster others’ callings to come to the fore and flourish. Then we can be that lampstand in Zechariah 4, giving light to darkened spaces and evidence of God’s sustaining hope.

In our modern context the encouragement and wisdom found in Zechariah 4 reminds me of the love of the Father, whose desire is to meet us in our unique context of a broken world and be our source of hope and provision. It is the backdrop of God’s desire to continue the rebuilding of His temple in us, and work alongside with us, to create places rich in mercy and redemption.

May God grant us all the grace to learn how to live ‘not by might not by power but by My Spirit’ – and may we be faithful stewards of business that, through His abiding presence, can change a broken world.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2018 Mergon Group.

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Mertech Marine: a circular economy solution

Mertech Marine: an underwater environmental solution

One of the guiding investment principles within our diverse investment portfolio is to develop the capacity of our businesses to forge long-lasting, positive change and become a vehicle for good. Mergon investee company, Mertech Marine, is one such example. Their innovative model of submarine cable recovery and recycling is offering some unique and interesting solutions for environmental sustainability. In today’s world of ever-increasing demands on our planet’s pressing resources, Mertech Marine is playing its part in the circular economy.

Mertech Marine: a circular economy solution

 

When we think of the internet, our thoughts tend to ascend upward, to images of cyberspace and satellites. But the reality is, the cloud is under the sea. Across our oceans’ seabed lie a planetary system of undersea cables – an interconnected web of over 1 million kilometres worth of fibre optic pipelines facilitating our global connectivity. Each cable, as thick as a garden hose, carries hundreds of terabits of information per second. These cables comprise a state-of-the-art technological design that sits kilometres deep, relatively undeterred by weather and connecting our continents at the speed of light.

But the system has its vulnerabilities to disruption. Cables break, whether it be from external aggression caused by human activity such as fishing or general abrasion over time. Not only do cables suffer wear and tear – they need to be laid at a breakneck pace to meet the global appetite of our 21st century digital world.

‘To meet the demand for high-speed connectivity, every year thousands of kilometers of brand-new cables are being laid, often crossing existing cables and cable routes. This congestion of cables in some areas increases the risk of a break due to abrasion of one cable on top of another,’ says Alwyn du Plessis, CEO of Mertech Marine. Although these cables occupy a minute amount of space on the vast ocean floor and have been shown to be benign in terms of environmental impact, you can imagine that if you extrapolate that over the next 50-100 years, there will be a lot of cable down there. Taking a holistic view and considering a wide range of factors in each instance such as environmental, sustainability, economical and cable security, clearing up as much of these cables as possible makes a lot of sense.’

Since 2004 Mertech Marine been at the forefront of innovating the recovery and recycling of out-of-service telecommunications cables. Using their own marine fleet, the company has recovered and recycled in excess of 75,000 km of out-of-service cable at their land-based processing facility in South Africa, which comprises 30,000 sqm, the only one of its kind in the world.

Today Mertech Marine is recognised to be a pioneer and world leader in turnkey solutions in submarine cable recovery and recycling, particularly in shore-end projects where cables crisscross and converge as they approach landfall. Mertech Marine is uniquely positioned to safely remove these redundant cables with greater efficiency and affordability by combining these often expensive shallow water projects with deep-sea recovery operations.

Mertech Marine is also playing its part in the circular economy.

There’s an incredible opportunity to make a meaningful, large-scale contribution to the green economy here,’ says Alwyn. ‘Although these cables are no longer operable, they should never be seen as waste. They’re packed with raw materials that can be repurposed and circulated back into the economy.’

He explains: ‘Consider the carbon footprint companies leave by conventional mining of virgin plastics, copper and steel, and then manufacturing these materials into marketable commodities. Now consider how much lighter the carbon load could be if these materials could be ‘recovered from the sea’ and regenerated as new, value-add products on the market.’

Through significant investment of its shareholders and years of research and development, Mertech Marine’s unique process of recovery and dismantling these out of services cables, has proven to avoid greenhouse gas emissions when compared to mining virgin material from ore. Their Port Elizabeth facility is ISO14001:2015 accredited and a fundamental part of their mission is to find environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions towards recycling these cables. ‘We not only supply quality components to the copper, polyethylene, steel and aluminium industries all over Africa – we do it in an environmentally sustainable way,’ says Alwyn.

Mertech Marine has found their anchor in world class innovation and sustainable design. It’s a model that Alwyn sees as ‘part of our responsibility as businesses in today’s changing world’.

‘We have to move from linear to circular thinking in our businesses, finding innovative ways to generate value from the resources we already have. The sooner we can make the shift to a circular economy in our businesses, the greater advantage we’ll have in the long run.’

Mertech Marine is an investee company of Mergon. To read more about Mertech Marine visit https://mertechmarine.co.za.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2018 Mergon Group.

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When worldviews collide – and how the Gospel reconciles

Everybody has a worldview – we may just not know it. Our worldview shapes how we do things and what we value most in this world. But what happens when differing worldviews collide? How can the gospel help us navigate these differences and build bridges of understanding across cultural and spiritual divides?

This was the topic on discussion on Thursday 10 March during Ziwani’s first online ‘At the Lake’ discussion entitled Where worldviews clash in the business environment – and how the Gospel reconciles.

Led by a panel of 4 seasoned entrepreneurs and leaders, the conversation facilitated a range of rich perspectives rooted in biblical understanding and lived experience across sectors and African cultures. Here’s a bird’s eye view of some ‘big ideas’ to big questions that host Rori Tshabalala asked on the day.

When worldviews collide – and how the Gospel reconciles

 

‘What would you define as a worldview and how is it different to culture or philosophy or even religion – or are all these just synonyms of one another?

‘’In her book Total Truth,’ said Dr Tongoi, ‘Nancy Pearsey said that every culture has a cultural story of ultimate origins (where do we come from?), the fall (what’s wrong with our world?) and redemption (how do we fix it?) Your answers to those questions inform your culture and largely, your worldview. Everybody has a worldview, but not everybody’s aware they have a worldview. You’re only aware of it when you go into a different culture and it’s challenged.’

‘Is the business environment an appropriate place for people to bring their worldviews into?’

‘We carry our worldviews everywhere we go’, said Adelaide Cupido, ‘whether we speak about it or not. The key is in humanising the workplace, so that people can come as ‘their whole selves’. We’re more often expected to come with our heads to work and park our hearts at the door. This separation is artificial and will inevitably trap creativity and impact performance. When we isolate the head from the heart we don’t connect with God or our creativity.
The challenge, she said, was to create a ‘safe and brave space’ for robust dialogue, where different viewpoints can be expressed without fear of judgment. Irreconcilable conflict arises, Adelaide pointed out, when we don’t prioritise these discussions and allocate time and space to hear one another’s stories and perspectives. Silence is more dangerous than disagreement – ‘when we don’t talk about our differences, we create the fertile ground for conflict to take place,’ she added.

‘Is it necessarily a bad thing for worldviews to clash in the marketplace?’

‘Clashing is not necessarily wrong,’ replied Dr Tongoi. ‘Group think is in fact worse because it creates redundancy. Our purpose as Christians in the marketplace is not to avoid clashes but to find a common language where we can discuss our differences.’ Through scripture, God gives us a universal moral framework that connects our humanity across cultures and provides that common language we seek.

Take bribery as an example, Dr Tongoi continued. In the African worldview this commonplace practice is regarded as not only acceptable but honouring – the ultimate act of sacrifice. Within the biblical worldview, however, bribery implies a fundamental lack of trust in God as your ultimate source and provider. ‘But when we unpack the Proverbs that speak of there being ‘one road that leads to life, and the other to death and foolishness’…then the conversation becomes easy. If we pay this bribe, what will be the consequences of our actions? Will this act lead to life, growth and flourishing – or will it lead to death and diminishing? Does it add life, or is it just a quick fix solution? 

The answer to this question is more often the latter: a quick fix solution with diminishing returns. Because God hardwired us for hope and flourishing, he added, most people will forego the bribe and choose the way of trust– not necessarily because they have subscribed to your faith, but because they see the reasoning in your biblical worldview. In this way, your faith has built a bridge of understanding towards a more redemptive, life-giving societal solution.

In the business environment what needs to change for us to live out our Christian based worldview in a manner that is inspirational and not coercive?

In John’s gospel Jesus incarnated His words – before He preached something, He demonstrated it, Dr Tongoi noted. He raised Lazarus and said that ‘I’m the resurrection’, He fed the 5000 and said, ‘I’m the bread of life’, He gave the woman at the well water and said, ‘I am the living water.’ ‘We have turned that order around – we start preaching before doing,’ he said. ‘But we are called in the marketplace to live out the message firstly, and explain it as people watch our lives.’

Rodger Schmidt added to this idea – noting that inspirational leadership is not automatic but requires a willingness to unlearn and remain humble. ‘I often tell people, I came to Africa to save Africa, but God sent me to Africa to save. When I came from America to Mozambique over 20 years ago, I came with power and all the answers. I was not quick to hear and slow to speak, I was not slow to anger. I realised over the years how much I had to learn from those around me.I’ve come to appreciate the reciprocity of knowledge in our diversity of cultures and worldviews. I’m grateful for my African family and for what they have taught me, and for how they continue to hold me accountable for truth.’

To watch the event in full, click here. 

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