Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long
as ever you can.
John Wesley
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All business is our business, say Church leaders
As the credit crunch takes its economic toll and bankers continue to take the flack for the state we find ourselves in, this is precisely the time for the Church to think about business in a compassionate and responsible way, says Methodist Policy Adviser, Paul Morrison. That’s why he strongly supports a move to launch the Methodist Church’s first Business Sunday.
The idea came out of a recent consultation instigated by Vice-President of the Methodist Conference David Walton.
He discovered that there is a gap for many between their experience of day to day work in business and finance and their experience of church.
"If you are a doctor or teacher then your work is usually valued without question," suggests Paul, "but those in certain other occupations often feel that they can’t take their work to church and that the Church doesn’t value it."
Asked for examples, Paul names lawyers, estate agents and, especially in today’s economic climate, bankers.
For many who work in business and finance, Paul argues that their church is not as comfortable a place as it might be. They can feel isolated and unable to find in church a place where they can reflect on their work.
Business Sunday, which this year will take place on May 3, is one idea that David Walton has developed to help church congregations make a deeper connection between the place of work and the place of worship.
Resources, including three orders of service, will be available on the Methodist Church website, and David is encouraging Methodist local preachers especially to take this opportunity to remember their role in bringing their everyday work into their worship leading.
Also in development is a Facebook-style website aimed at fostering a network of people who are interested in this area and may also be looking for support or advice.
"When any industry is in trouble, we should offer our support," says Paul. "Perhaps this is easier to do if the business in question is a car plant, say, or a traditional manufacturer. Many business people, however, are feeling only that they are being blamed."
As one commentator observed recently, some Christians feel that they are on the receiving end of the argument that capitalism and the Christian faith don’t mix – that money-makers (like the tax collectors of Jesus’ time) are a little out of place within the worshipping community.
"If we could talk more about how faith and work interact," Paul argues, "and if we asked what theology and business have to say to each other, maybe the Church could better fulfil its task of compassion and support to all those who find their work pressured and their jobs under threat. The banker deserves our help as much as the high street shop owner, he says, and he hopes that Business Sunday will be one place to start."
MORE INFORMATION
If you want to know more about Business Sunday or have ideas or experiences you would like to share, contact Paul at morrisonp@methodistchurch.org.uk
