Exploring the Role of Marketplace Ministry in Modern Christianity: Integrating Faith in Secular Careers
Professor Oluwafemi Esan | Contributor on spirituality and mental health topics
The “Marketplace Calling of the Church” is the idea that Christians are called to spread their faith and serve God not just within church buildings, but also in their daily work and public life, viewing their jobs as a form of ministry. This is supported by the idea that most of a Christian’s time is spent in the marketplace (work, school, and business), making it the primary arena for ministry and witnessing.
Learn How to Leverage Your Story through our Story To Asset Framework.
The early church was deeply rooted in the marketplace, and many modern believers see their professional lives as a “pulpit” to share the gospel and live out their faith.
Ministry outside the church walls:
Marketplace ministry is for those who may not be traditional church leaders but are called to a ministry within their secular careers, such as entrepreneurs, artists, and professionals.
It promotes the idea that all work done with excellence can be a form of worship to God, motivating believers to be fully devoted to their professions throughout the week. It’s a way for believers to fulfil the Great Commission by making disciples and sharing their faith wherever they go, often in the marketplace.
The marketplace is seen as the primary arena where the validity and impact of one’s beliefs are tested against other values, making it a crucial place for ministry. This is not limited to those in leadership roles; it is considered a universal call to all believers to live out their faith in their professional and public lives. (Blackaby and Blackaby, 2008).
The Marketplace as the Primary Mission Field
Given that most non-Christians and Christians spend most of their waking hours at work, the marketplace is considered a vital and effective place for evangelism and discipleship. The concept of “the marketplace as the primary mission field” is a modern missiological perspective that views the secular world of work and commerce as a primary arena for Christian life, witness, and ministry.
Proponents argue that it is the largest and most influential mission field because of the time Christians spend there and its capacity to reach virtually every person on Earth. This approach challenges the traditional divide between “sacred” (church-related) and “secular” (work-related) life, advocating an integrated Christian life in which faith is expressed in all aspects of work.
See also St. Zeno of Verona: The Legacy Afro-Italian Connection in Early Christianity
Christians are seen as ambassadors or “salt and light” in their workplaces, embodying Christian values and ethics in their daily interactions and professional conduct. The marketplace is where most non-believers are encountered.
As many people no longer visit traditional church settings, the workplace is often the most authentic “showroom” for Christianity. This perspective emphasises a holistic gospel that addresses people’s spiritual, relational, and physical needs, bringing God’s kingdom values into all spheres of life, not just for the purpose of evangelism, but as an act of worship.
This perspective highlights that every Christian, in their specific occupation, is a potential “marketplace missionary” with a unique opportunity to make a difference for God’s kingdom. (Beckwith, 2016).
Vocational Calling In the Marketplace Missions
Vocational calling in the marketplace means viewing your paid work as a mission from God, not just a way to earn a living. It’s the belief that all believers have a calling to serve and participate in God’s redemptive work through their professions, and that every job, from healthcare to trades, can be a form of worship and a platform for ministry.
This concept integrates faith into daily work, moving beyond the idea that ministry is limited to full-time religious roles. Your professional work is seen as a divine assignment to represent God in that sphere of society.
Holistic purpose: Work is more than a career; it is a way to serve others, contribute to society, and participate in God’s redemptive purpose. All work can be a form of worship, with believers encouraged to devote themselves to their professions with the mindset of serving Christ (Colossians 3:23). It challenges the false dichotomy between “religious” and “secular” work, recognizing that most people work in marketplaces rather than religious institutions.
This approach is a crucial part of “marketplace missions” or “bivocational missions,” as it empowers believers to be missionaries in their everyday jobs, helping to reach billions who traditional mission efforts may not reach. Consider your passions, spiritual gifts, and natural talents to understand how they can be used in your profession. (Duggin, 2017).
The concept of “pre-existence vocational calling in the marketplace missions” integrates several theological ideas, focusing on the belief that a person’s unique skills and passions are part of a God-given purpose (vocation) that can be fulfilled in everyday work settings (the marketplace) as a form of Christian mission.
Vocation/Calling: Derived from the Latin word vocare (“to call”), vocation is a personal call from God to a specific way of life and purpose. This is distinct from a mere “job” and encompasses all aspects of life, not just church work. Martin Luther emphasized that all work, from a butcher to a baker, can be a sacred calling.
Pre-existence: While the term “pre-existence” is less common in this context, the underlying idea is that God has a specific plan and “good works” designed for individuals before they were even born. Discovering this calling involves a process of self-discovery and aligning one’s God-given values, passions, and skills with that purpose. (Cafferky, 2017).
Strategic Placement: Believers in the marketplace, which comprises a large majority of the Christian population, are strategically positioned to share the Gospel in places where traditional missionaries might not have access, such as in closed countries or within specific professional circles.
The concept encourages Christians to view their professional careers not merely as a means to earn money, but as a divine assignment to live out their faith and make disciples within their professional sphere of influence. Jeremiah 1:5 states that “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”.
This verse signifies God’s pre-birth calling and predestination of Jeremiah to serve as a prophet; a concept widely interpreted as God having a specific plan for individuals before they are born. (Christensen, 2005).
Divine Knowledge and Selection:
The verse emphasizes that God’s knowledge and choice of Jeremiah existed before his physical formation in the womb. This passage is often used to support the idea that God has a plan for each person’s life, offering comfort and guidance to those called to serve.
The passage underscores that God is actively involved in the formation of life in the womb, a theme often cited in discussions of the value and purpose of life before birth. God had a specific mission for Jeremiah (to be a prophet to the nations) and set him apart for this role before his birth.
This concept holds that all individuals have a unique, God-given purpose. The pre-existence theory holds that souls existed before their earthly birth and that they have a spiritual purpose: to gain experience, learn, and progress towards a higher state of being.
The belief that human souls or spirits existed in a non-physical, often transcendent, realm before their physical birth. Plato suggested that learning is a form of recollection (anamnesis) of the Forms that the soul encountered before birth. (Meeks, 1974).
Earthly life is seen as a period for gaining experience and passing through a necessary stage to progress. Plato posited that the soul is eternal and pre-existed in a perfect, celestial realm, where it had complete knowledge. The purpose of earthly life is a process of “remembering” this forgotten knowledge (innatism), which was subdued at birth when the soul descended into the body, perceived as a temporary prison.
A core tenet is the belief in a literal “premortal existence,” where all humans lived as spirit children of God the Father. The purpose of coming to Earth is to receive a physical body, gain experience, be tested, “walk by faith,” and progress toward becoming more like God, as part of a divine “plan of salvation”.
The phrase “chosen before the foundation of the world” is a biblical concept from the New Testament, primarily in Ephesians 1:4, suggesting God’s plan to choose believers was made before the creation of the universe. It emphasises that this choice is based on God’s sovereign purpose and love, not on human merit or action.
The purpose of this choice is for believers to be holy and blameless in God’s sight and to be adopted as His children. Eternal and sovereign choice: The phrase highlights the eternal nature of God’s plan, meaning His decision was not an afterthought but was made before time began.
This emphasises that God’s choice is not based on seeing what people will do, but is a result of His own will. The choice also predestined believers for “adoption as sons by Jesus Christ,” meaning God chose to bring them into His family. The motivation behind this plan is God’s love. The choice is seen as a proactive act of love, not a reaction to anything in the believer.
This doctrine is understood by many to mean that human faith is not the cause of God’s choice, but rather a result or effect of it. It is God’s “good pleasure and will” that is the basis of this plan. (Culver, 1969).
See also The Legacy of King James and the Unquestioned Reverence for Colonial Christianity in Africa
The phrase “For we are his workmanship” comes from Ephesians 2:10 in the Bible, a verse that explains the purpose of the Christian life after salvation by grace. “We are his workmanship”: The Greek word for “workmanship” is poiēma, from which the English word “poem” is derived.
This term implies that believers are God’s hand-crafted masterpiece or work of art, uniquely and skillfully designed by Him. It highlights the idea that our new life is entirely the result of God’s creative activity, not our own efforts. “For good works”: While salvation is a gift of grace and not earned by works, these good works are the natural and necessary result of being saved.
They are evidence of genuine faith (James 2:17) and the way a believer’s faith is put on display. “Which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”: This indicates that God has a specific, pre-ordained purpose and plan for each believer’s life. These good works are not random acts but part of a divine design that believers are meant to follow as their way of life.
In essence, the verse teaches that every individual who is “in Christ” has inherent value and a unique, God-given purpose, intended to reflect the Creator’s artistry through a life of good deeds. (Strachan, 1914).
The phrase means that God’s choice to save believers was made before the world was created, emphasising that the decision was based on God’s eternal plan and love, not human merit. It suggests that salvation is not a reaction to something people do, but a proactive purpose of God that transcends time.
This purpose is for believers to be holy and blameless, living in a way that reflects God’s character, and it is made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Eternal plan: The choice was made before time began, demonstrating the eternal nature of God’s purpose and plan for salvation.
The choice is made “in Christ,” meaning that God’s plan is fulfilled through Jesus’ death and resurrection to save and reconcile people to Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The phrase “we shall appear before the judgment seat” is a direct quote or close paraphrase of a verse found in the Christian Bible, specifically 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10. It refers to the future divine judgment that all individuals will face. The “Judgment Seat”: The Greek word used is bēma, which in Roman and Greek cities referred to a raised platform where an official or judge would address a crowd or dispense justice.
In the biblical context, it signifies a place of review and recompense by Christ. The judgment is for every person to give an account of their actions, motives, and the use of their time and opportunities. The outcome will determine whether they receive rewards or suffer loss, depending on whether their deeds were good or worthless in God’s eyes (Perriman, A., 2022).
The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bēma Judgment): This is generally understood as an evaluation specifically for Christians (believers) concerning their works and faithfulness during their lives on Earth. It is not about salvation itself, which is a gift received through faith in Christ, but about the quality of one’s service and resulting eternal rewards (or lack thereof).
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) connects to marketplace vocational calling by emphasising that all work can be a divine calling, not just religious occupations.
See also Why You Need a Life Mission: 3 Lessons from Martin Luther King Jr.
The core message is that individuals are expected to diligently use their unique God-given gifts, abilities, and resources (their “talents”) in all aspects of life, including the commercial marketplace, for the common good and God’s glory.
The Reformation, particularly through figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin, expanded the definition of “vocation” beyond monastic or church life to include all legitimate occupations. The parable supports this by showing the master rewarding servants engaged in the practical, commercial activity of investing money. (Ukpong, 2012).
Stewardship and Accountability: The parable highlights that everything we have is a gift from God, and we are merely stewards of these resources (time, skills, opportunities, finances). We will be held accountable for how we have used them, not just maintained them.
Diligence and Productivity: The master praised the two servants who actively invested their talents and produced a return, while the one who buried his talent out of fear was condemned as “wicked and lazy”. This encourages a strong work ethic, innovation, and career productivity.
The faithful servants took risks by trading in the marketplace. The parable challenges believers to step outside their comfort zones and use their gifts actively, rather than “playing it safe”. The purpose of using one’s talents is not merely personal gain but to make a positive impact and advance God’s Kingdom on Earth.
This can be achieved in various marketplace roles, such as an entrepreneur creating jobs, a healthcare worker serving the community, or a machine operator developing process innovations.
The servants received different amounts, “each according to his ability”. The parable teaches that individuals are not all endowed with the same gifts, but what matters is doing one’s best with what one has been given. Both faithful servants received the same praise: “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
See also The Timeless Power of Gratitude: Five Life Lessons from Ancient Wisdom
The parable transforms the modern understanding of a “talent” as an inherent ability into a moral imperative to use one’s gifts in active, productive work within the world, viewing the marketplace as a legitimate arena for faithful service. ( Porter, P., 2021).
Reference Lists
Blackaby, H. and Blackaby, R., 2008. God in the Marketplace. Oasis Audio LLC.
Beckwith, L., 2016. A Christian vision of the marketplace. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 7(3), pp.17-23.
Duggin, S.H., 2017. God’s Grace and the Marketplace: Mainline Protestant Church, Faith and Business. J. Int’l Bus. & L., 17, p.87.
Cafferky, M.E., 2017. The sacredness of the marketplace. Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, 20(1).
Christensen, D., 2005. Marketplace and missional church. Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought & Practice, 13(1).
Meeks, W.A., 1974. Pre-existence, Wisdom, and the Son of Man: A Study of the Idea of Pre-existence in the New Testament.
Culver, R.D., 1969. The Pre-Existence of Christ in the New Testament.
Strachan, R.H., 1914. The Idea of Pre-Existence in the Fourth Gospel. The American Journal of Theology, 18(1), pp.81-105.
Perriman, A., 2022. In the Form of a God: The Pre-existence of the Exalted Christ in Paul. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Ukpong, J., 2012. The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30): Commendation or critique of exploitation?: A social-historical and theological reading. Neotestamentica, 46(1), pp.190-207.
Porter, P., 2021. The Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30): Preparing Jesus’ Disciples to Lead the Worldwide Expansion of the Mission of Jesus. Novum Testamentum, 63(2), pp.159-176.
Learn How to Leverage Your Story through our Story To Asset Framework.
