Companies that aspire to the title "kingdom Company" must prove the reality of the kingdom of God, by demonstrating it with sound honest compassionate business practice with a kingdom difference that is readily evident to customers, staff and suppliers. It is great to have good intentions, but those intentions must translate into everyday kingdom business practice, otherwise they live a lie.

To borrow a line from the recent Batman movie. 'It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.'

This is the gist of the conversation I am having with a friend who is seeking investors for his kingdom technology company that has a technology to remove sulfur from oil and natural gas. My friend is promoting his company to Christian investors as a "kingdom" company that will produce "huge cash" for Christian ministries in missions and churches and helping the poor. Here is my e mail exchange with him.

[MIKE:] Be patient with me so I can understand your thinking for your mission. The difference between a regular technology company and a kingdom technology company is one generates money for the personal benefit of shareholders; where as, the other generates money that goes to funding “kingdom” work such as Missions or Church ministry. Are there other differences?

[MY FRIEND:] That is correct Mike. Not only Missions or Church ministry but the new model for funding “businesses” that are actually ministries such as the one we saw in Afghanistan with Morning Star Development (This is the real passion we have, and with the YWAM network in foreign countries the infrastructure is already there to impact the world as we know it. God is releasing “witty inventions” to spirit filled disciples for the coming harvest and we want to be a part of it in many areas.

[MIKE:] I found this on their website

“Morning Star Development brings hope and opportunity to people in need in the developing world through sustainable economic and community development initiatives designed to empower individuals and transform communities. “

Now that sounds like a lot more than simply generating money for kingdom purposes.

So then getting back to my question on what makes a kingdom technology company different from a non kingdom technology company.

Would a Kingdom technology company be a technology company that “brings hope and opportunity to people in need in the developing world through sustainable economic and community development designed to empower individuals and transform communities?

Whereas a regular technology company would bring hope (of getting rich) and opportunity (of generating maximum value) for shareholders through exploiting the most profitable market niche designed to make as much money as possible while inflating the company balance sheet so they can “transform” the technology into cash by selling out to the highest bidder?

Methinks the different is that a kingdom technology company is all about helping people; whereas, the regular technology company is about generating as much as money as possible?  What do you think? 

If that is the difference then how can a company that  generates money as its principal concern (even if it is money for missions or for church) be called a kingdom company?

Do you think we need to expand the definition of a kingdom technology company?

[MY FRIEND:] I think we are getting into a lot of semantics.

[MIKE REPLY:]No, words mean what they mean. If you use the word kingdom to describe your technology or company then it is a matter of integrity not semantics for your company to act in a “kingdom’ way. that means from top to bottom, all aspect of the company -- the way it does business; the outcomes it produces and the impact it has on people and God’s good creation come under a “kingdom” standard. Just because the company  earns money for kingdom purposes does not excuse it from operating in a kingdom way. The end cannot justify the means. Specifically, what is the chemical waste that is produced by your technology and have you a plan as to how you mange that waste in an environmentally friendly manner?

[MY FRIEND:] We are simply a company that starts with a prayer base seeking God in the organization and development.

[MIKE REPLY:] Hey that’s great. It is good to hear you are seeking God’s direction and that you value prayer. 

[MY FRIEND:] With leading from the Holy Spirit identifies technologies that have potential to throw off huge cash and prophets,

[MIKE REPLY:] A kingdom company thinks about how it earns that cash and those profits, otherwise God sends it prophets (like Amos) who are not easily thrown off. J  

[MY FRIEND:] and relies on the Holy Spirit through an intercession team

[MIKE REPLY:]that’s a good thing.  I think the Holy Spirit would desire integrity in all aspect of the company operation and would expect that you do your due diligence to ensure that your business practice is completely "blameless". I am sure you are careful about these things and not simply relying on piety to guide you.

[MY FRIEND:] and the daily faith walk of the principals,

[MIKE REPLY:] Yes, being an entrepreneur is a BIG faith walk as I can also attest to.

[MY FRIEND:] to channel those proceeds to the Kingdom

[MIKE REPLY:] That’s good,

[MY FRIEND:] as directed by the Holy Spirit.

[MIKE REPLY:] that’s good.

[MY FRIEND:] The owners “close their circle,” as Earl Pitts terms it, for their personal needs

[MIKE REPLY:] Great! Earl is a personal friend of mine. He stays with me when he comes to Kelowna. I support his teaching at our church. 

[MY FRIEND:] and mark the rest of the money for Kingdom initiatives as modeled by Jesus and taught in scripture.

[MIKE REPLY:]that’s really good, I guess the question is, if the money is earned  fairly and with integrity then it is a great thing for it to bless God’s children who need help. However, if the money is earned at the expense of integrity or at the expense of others of God’s creation (oppression of people and land) then it is not a blessing. It is a curse for those who suffered to produce that money.

[MY FRIEND:]  That’s pretty much it.

[MIKE REPLY:]  I think you are doing a fine thing getting this company off the ground and proposing to bless many people.

However, there are many stories of “kingdom companies” that promote themselves to sincere believers for investment promising to deliver “huge cash” for worthy causes that are in fact “wolves in sheep's clothing.” Christianity Today did a cover Story on Barry Minkow who was a con artist promoting Ponzi Schemes to Churches and others, who is now a Pastor and has told his story in his book,   Cleaning Up! about how he went from a fraudster to a fraud catcher.

A number of YWAM ministries, Churches and personal friends lost an enormous amount of money last year in just such a Ponzi scheme. The promoter was arrested and charged by the Federal Securities commission. He preached at our church 2 months before his arrest promising  “huge cash” returns that were going to build the kingdom. He said all the right things to convince my friends that he was doing God’s work, following God’s leading, etc. Yet, he was a wolf and it hurt a lot of people.

My advice to you is to be careful about making promises about money. Instead, lead with the integrity of who you are, what your company stands for and how it’s product or technology is a people/creation first (money second) operation. If you collapse your sales pitch to 'cash for the kingdom' it sounds like a mentality that the end justifies the means which I don’t think you intend to convey.  This is why I am having this conversation with you. We must demonstrate the kingdom, proving it by doing it so we can recommend it with integrity!

Thanks for you patience in answering my questions.

Mike McLoughlin