I find myself conflicted after reading the New York Times Magazine article about the marketplace ministry movement. On the one hand, I celebrate that this growing work of God is being noticed and reported. I’m also pleased by the accountability that such public exposure brings to marketplace ministries.
However, I’m concerned about the limited picture of the movement that this report presents. The activity around the issue of every believer being a minister in every place all the time is very broad and diverse, cutting across the whole spectrum of God’s people in North America (and now internationally too), from Roman Catholics, to Orthodox, to Mainline Protestants, to Evangelicals, to Charismatics and in independent congregations.
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA has been a part of this activity amongst God’s people since its beginnings over 60 years ago. Our founders firmly believed in the priesthood of every Christian student and faculty member in higher education. Our commitment to student- and faculty-led witnessing communities is in our DNA. We are committed to a thoughtful, clear, and full-orbed witness to Jesus Christ on campus.
This longstanding commitment triggered another investment by InterVarsity about 25 years ago. We launched what has now become InterVarsity’s Ministry-In-Daily-Life Resource Group (formerly called IV Marketplace) in 1980. The desire was, and still is, to affirm God’s call upon every graduate to represent Him in their work, families and communities.
But the New York Times Magazine piece focuses too narrowly on this movement by perpetuating the perception that Marketplace Ministry is only about verbal witness at work. InterVarsity’s commitment is that witness is both of word and deed. This is in the spirit of St. Francis of Asissi who said, “Witness at all times. When necessary use words.” And it’s illustrated by the Hebrew word avodah which means worship and work all in one.
I was also bothered by the total absence of a theology of work, or creation stewardship as some name it. InterVarsity calls all of its people (staff, board of trustees, students, authors, faculty, donors) to excellence in their work for the glory of God.
On the other hand, I’m impressed with the article’s author who acknowledges that his values do not include the Christian faith. I’m impressed that a non-Christian journalist could write about a theological issue with such even-handedness. This article is a thought-provoking addition to the dialogue about just what it means to be a Christian in 21st century America.
InterVarsity has extensive Ministry-In-Daily-Life Resources available online.
