Case Studies
THE CASE OF THE UNEQUAL YOKE
Lion’s Den Situation:
What is your advice regarding Christians being involved with non-Christians in a new start-up corporation? I’ve had people tell me "be not unequally yoked," but I am having a hard time seeing the difference between this and a Christian being president or vice-president of a corporation and getting stock options.
It seems to me that whenever you work with or for someone else, there is an alliance of some sort involved.
— S.H.., Dayton, OH
Christian Solution:
Our first response comes from Eric Snyder, President and CEO of Snyder Manufacturing Corporation in Long Beach, CA., a 38 year-old chemical compounding business which has been striving to operate under biblical principles for the past 12 years. He is also a chapter leader and area coordinator for Fellowship of Companies for Christ Int’l., a ministry to Christian CEO’s and business owners.
The stock option is really just another employee benefit. It generally implies nothing more than a stockholder relationship, whereas the members of a start-up corporation are much more intimately involved ("yoked") with the internal thrust and purpose of the business.
Fundamentally, we need to deal with the issue of the "purpose" of your start-up corporation. Why are you going into business? Is it to provide income, employ people, make a needed product, and maybe even help support the local rescue mission? These are admirable goals and probably would be tolerated and supported by an unbeliever.
However, your company’s true purpose should be no different from your personal purpose, to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. And it’s unreasonable to expect an unbeliever to get excited about such a purpose.
Whenever you work with or for someone else, there’s no such thing as an alliance. You are either in a position of authority or one of submission. This is God’s designed principle for relationships and it cannot be violated without consequences. In every relationship, someone will assume the authority position. If you truly want to glorify Christ in your company, you can’t run the risk of not being the one in that position.
Additionally, business relationships involving Christians and unbelievers can’t help but be fraught with conflict and friction. The unequal yoke concept involves animals that are of significantly different size. As the larger animal forces the yoke downward on the smaller, chaffing and irritation result and, ultimately, the smaller animal is unable to perform useful work.
Personally, I’m faced with a relatively simple problem of trying to implement some biblical principles regarding plant workers. My plant manager isn’t a Christian, and doesn’t share my concern for people’s souls. As his employer, I do have the authority to insist that certain procedures are implemented by him. If he were a partner, however, I’d have limited influence. As it is, I feel that my attempt at ministry are somewhat thwarted.
My advice is to avoid at all costs (maybe even the cost of not starting business right now) any kind of a partnership with unbelievers. Your business will provide you with such a rich opportunity to minister that you won’t want anything getting in your way and diluting your effect as a minister of the gospel in the marketplace!
Our next reply comes from Clyde Upchurch, President and CEO of Office Equipment Center in Atlanta, GA. Clyde also has worked 18 years with Olivetti Corporation.
The first step in "buying into a business" from a Christian viewpoint is acknowledging that we don’t "own" the business, we are entrusted as stewards of it. And unless all the persons buying in share this concept, we violate one of God’s principles. If we take one asset entrusted to us (cash) and invest it in another asset (a business) and we can’t have the assurance that we are in a position to follow His plan for managing the asset according to His leadership, we are in violation of God’s plan for His children.
As officers of a company we are employees of that company regardless of the position we hold (including the office of President). As "owners" of a company (from the world’s perspective) we are commanded not to be unequally yoked. This means that as "owners" we must make all our decisions based on what God’s Word and the Holy Spirit direct us to do. And unless all persons involved in the partnership share this position, we are placed in a position of having to compromise what we know to be God’s will.
For example, suppose we are led to tithe from profits of the business. If we’re united with persons of a worldly viewpoint, we can’t. Anytime we know that a decision is in violation of God’s Word and we are restricted from following His direction, we are unequally yoked.
God’s laws are given for our good and for our protection. Violation of His instructions will bring us trouble and heartache. It is for this reason that He has given very clear instructions that we are not to be yoked in a business partnership with anyone unless all the partners are willing to acknowledge that we don’t own the business, but have been entrusted with it as a platform for doing His will.
Like other laws given by God, we can break it but we will pay the price. Two strong recommendations that I make to anyone who believes God is leading him/her to enter into the ranks of business "owner"ship:
First, I recommend that before you enter into the business, you attend one of the Larry Burkett training sessions on "Business By the Book" (contact Christian Financial Concepts, (770) 534-1000). Second, contact Fellowship of Companies for Christ International, (770) 457-9700, and learn where the nearest local fellowship group meets. They’ll provided ongoing Christian council to anyone wanting to be a good steward of the business God has entrusted to them.
In The Lions Den, Marketplace Networks, Winter 1990, pages 4, 5
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