I believe the only long-term solution to world poverty is business. That is because businesses produce goods, and businesses produce jobs. And businesses continue producing goods year after year, and continue providing jobs and paying wages year after year. Therefore if we are ever going to see long-term solutions to world poverty, I believe it will come through starting and maintaining productive, profitable business. Wayne Grudem – How Business in Itself Can Glorify God, in Yamamori and Eldred, 2003.

Poverty, unemployment and injustice are endemic in the world today. The majority of people do not have access to food, water, adequate shelter and health facilities. Most governments try but they are not the most effective at bringing these services to their people for many reasons including the pursuit of power.

When Christians bring Christ into their economic endeavours they will help to create just economic structures, have a concern for the poor, bring just employment practises and so on and by so doing be a witness to the love of Christ.

In the meantime the world as a whole is experiencing great economic prosperity. The world economy was estimated to have produced $59.38 trillion in 2005 with Africa, having 14% of the population, producing $1.635 trillion or 2.75% of the world economy. Within the body of Christ there exists roughly the same disparity with a small number of Christians in the developed countries holding many times more wealth than their numerous brothers and sisters in poorer countries. There are many agencies working to facilitate the practical exchange of resources but the opportunity for expressing our oneness in this transaction is still before us.

The body of Christ is one just as Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. This truth needs to be lived out in the life of the church and not least in the economic side of life. The church is made up mostly of poor Christians and the wealth of the body is in the hands of a small number of Christians. The challenge is to create the structures that can bring integrity to the exchange of gifts.

The task of the lay persons in the economic order, whether investors, workers, managers, or entrepreneurs, is to build cooperative associations respectful of each other’s full humanity. Such enterprises should be so far as is feasible participative and creative, in order to bring out from creation the productive possibilities and the human resources that the creator, in his bounty, has hidden within it. Economic activism is a direct participation in the work of the creator himself. Micheal Novak - www.insidework.net

Those who have much material resources need to know as good stewards that their resources are being used well. They also need to face the challenge to be generous givers. When investing as a steward expecting a return one can use conventional business sense to evaluate the investment but when giving to help others the outcomes are not financial but social, relational etc. The poor need also to be faithful to their stewardship mandate and give generously. The raising of funds needs to be transparent so both the giver and the receiver and those facilitating the exchange are open and honest about the processes and expectations. The risk tolerance is higher than normal when giving to a member of the family.

The exchange needs to take place in a way that does not make the giver superior to the receiver but takes each as equal but having different needs. There also needs to be an exchange of other things other than the material as the journey will always be one of faith and trusting in God for outcomes. So the relationships between the different parties should be multi-dimensional including spiritual input to each another.

Chakwera notes, "Part of this growing in interdependence may mean learning to give up control on the part of those who give and learning to be accountable on the part of those who receive. But it is never a patron-client relationship, but one that recognizes that both are receivers of God’s grace and should therefore be givers of the same. And because the agency of missions ought to be all who are redeemed, the contribution of any person or group is not important." By Warren B. Newberry - CONTEXTUALIZING INDIGENOUS CHURCH PRINCIPLES

We also recognize the fact that a lot is being done at the micro-economic level to help the poorest of the poor. While commending this work we are aware that the missing link to turn this movement into an even bigger economic force is the linkages with the formal economy and lack of organizational development know how. We do not intend to work in the micro-finance business but rather with small and medium size companies. The story of the economic transformation of South Korea, for example, is one of harnessing these sectors to create jobs and products cost effectively and deploying resources to constantly improving, growing and developing.

1. The Vision
   A company engaged in the positive transformation of the economies in which it operates, demonstrating Kingdom principles of stewardship and generosity and supporting the mission of the church.
2. Connecting Capital Ltd (CCL)
   CCL seeks to be the place where the exchange can take place by providing the place for stewards and givers and receivers to interact with integrity. It will do this by demonstrating this in its own operations and by providing space for others to learn and do the same.