Is Evangelism the Highest Priority of Workplace Ministry?

Experts weigh in at the Lausanne Movement’s Global Workplace Forum.

This week, the Lausanne Movement has gathered 700 Christian leaders in Manila for its Global Workplace Forum. Among the many topics under discussion is where evangelism should rank among the priorities of Christians in business.

Is workplace ministry primarily about evangelism? Answers arranged from “yes” to “no”:

Gea Gort, missiologist and author of BAM Global Movement (Netherlands):

Yes, it is! Because each Christian, having inherited the “DNA” of our Lord Jesus Christ, has a mission of reconciling the world—in and through Christ—back to God’s original intent. That is the Good News; that is evangelism. Reconciling and restoring individuals, as well as neighborhoods, systems, and ways of thinking. This will be accomplished at work and through our work—if we intentionally and earnestly seek God’s revelation regarding all aspects of our work. Time and again, I’ve witnessed this in my area of research: Business as Mission. Our message—spoken and unspoken—becomes powerful and convincing when backed up by our attitudes, business culture, and deeds at work. Then our whole lives tell a story. And let’s remind ourselves that we are not alone in our evangelistic endeavor: God desires to move and make himself known during the week in the marketplace and in our office buildings, as all things belong to him.

Joseph Vijayam, CEO of Olive Technology and Lausanne’s Catalyst for Technology (India):

Workplace ministry is about sharing the gospel in word and deed—which is evangelism—but it is also about living a life that bears witness to the fruit of the gospel. In other words, it is both intentional evangelism, which is the “doing,” ...