Title

Funding a Kingdom Business

School/Department

Crowell School of Business

Publication Date

10-2007

Abstract

Identifying different approaches mission agencies and churches are using to fund “kingdom businesses.”

In the interest of promoting economic development and/or establishing a Christian presence in less-reached parts of the world, mission agencies—and even some churches—are getting more involved in the funding of so-called “kingdom businesses.” This mirrors a similar trend taking place outside of the formal missions industry, documented in the book Great Commission Companies (2003), but has the added complication of using funds donated to a charitable organization. This practice, while legal, is fraught with potential problems. If done carelessly, the charity could lose its tax exemption, incur unanticipated taxes and penalties and/or face serious criminal charges. It is therefore not surprising to see organizations like the IFMA devoting more attention in recent years to questions related to investment and business ownership. The purpose of this article is to identify the different approaches being used to organize and fund these businesses, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each. It should not be regarded as legal or tax advice; rather, it should be taken as a very basic introduction to the subject.

Keywords

Business--Religious aspects; Missions--Finance

Publication Title

Evangelical Missions Quarterly

Volume

43

Issue

4

First Page

442

Last Page

448

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