An Interview with Steve Rundle

Steve Rundle: Great Commission Companies (GCCs) are socially responsible, for-profit businesses that are created and managed by kingdom professionals expressly for the purpose of promoting the spread of the gospel in the least developed and least evangelized parts of the world. Those that are doing it well are having a significant, measurable impact both spiritually and socio-economically. Examples of these companies can be found in almost every country, although it is still largely in the “just catching on” stage.

Q: How is a GCC different than a mission agency?

Steve: They are similar in the sense that both desire ultimately to serve Christ, to make Him known to others, and to see churches planted, growing and multiplying. But their approaches are quite different. For starters, a mission agency is a non-profit organization, typically funded by tax-deductible gifts from people who are sympathetic to the goals of that organization. By contrast, a GCC must support its own operations and explain to prospective investors how and when it plans to pay the money back. Mission agency staff, including the on-field missionaries, are generally paid salaries that are only loosely connected to their performance. In contrast, a GCC’s very survival depends on its ability to create a product or service that people will pay for, and do it in an efficient way. The consequences of lackluster performance are severe and immediate.

Q: What is the “missionary in disguise” approach and how does the GCC contrast with that?

Steve: Those who are passionate about missions in the more traditional vein are often ambivalent, at best, about profit-making and competition. This is not a natural area of giftedness for them, and in their recruitment, training and public relations they will often convey (sometimes inadvertently, sometimes not) a message that a person can either be a missionary or a business person, but not both. As a consequence, many of those who are serving overseas in a business context, particularly those who come through agencies, are apologetic about the fact that they’re trying to start a business. When the topic turns to profitability, they get extremely uncomfortable, as if we’re discussing something dirty and they’re ashamed to admit they’ve had such thoughts. This is the honest truth. Some of this can be explained as naiveté, but in some extreme cases there is not even an attempt to start a business. There are some who have nothing more than a business card. Others will rent and furnish an office, but it is painfully obvious that no business is ever conducted there. The sham is made possible by the fact that they are fully donor supported. By contrast, a GCC is an honest business managed by authentic business professionals.

Q: What are some essential components for a successful GCC? (In other words, what does a successful GCC look like?)

Steve: The most successful GCCs are those that can identify and defend a profitable niche in a potentially large market. They are managed by a multicultural team of people who have experience relevant to that industry. In this sense they are little different from any other business. Their uniqueness stems from the fact that their ultimate purpose is to serve the indigenous church, or, if a church does not exist, the local missionary effort. Furthermore, they contribute toward that effort in ways that traditional mission agencies cannot. And the investors, directors and management team are all on the same page in terms of the company’s purpose, goals and strategies.

Schedule an Interview

To schedule an interview with one or both of the authors, contact Krista Carnet, InterVarsity Press, 800/843-4587 ext. 4013, Kcarnet@ivpress.com.

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