Vol. 7 No. 1 (2019): Glocal Conversations: Four Snapshots of Business as Mission

Jesus said you cannot serve both God and money. Can missions and business get along in the Great Commission? This issue's four snapshots of Business as Mission (BAM) answer in the affirmation - with caution. Yes, . . . but. The caution is timely, based as it is on the mixed bag of business as mission in 19th century Hawaii - as we approach the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the missionary band at Kona in March 1820.

This collection of articles was brought together by guest editor Mary Miller. Together with her husband Paul, Mary has had extensive involvement in BAM on multiple continents. This issue includes a guest editorial, an encouraging report from entrepreneurial training in India and Africa, a case study from Latvia on how a fruitful BAM initiative evolved there, and a two-part summary of historical research drawing cautionary lessons from missionaries who engaged in business in 19^th century Hawaii. 

The editorial team thanks Mary Miller for her work as guest editor, and each of the authors for their work in bringing this to publication. Business as Mission is a powerful strategy - that carries risk. In Paul Miller's words in his second article herein, BAM "has a two-edged quality: it can bring blessing and wholeness to a nation, but it can also bring hurt." Each of these articles points to specific elements to attend to, so that we may, quoting Miller again "bless others through our business, even as our God has blessed us."