The motivation for International Business as Mission began when I went to Bangkok in 2004 on a mission trip with my church. Over the next ten years, we planted 30 churches and saw 1500 new believers come to Christ. It was a disciple-making movement. But something was missing.
I was a businessman. Having left a comfortable career in banking at God's urging, I started my own business and was having great success. But I couldn't see myself working as a traditional missionary in a way that would use my very particular strengths and passions. Most missionaries bring skills from medicine, education, social work, those sorts of things.
My pastor suggested I go on a business-driven mission trip. So in 2007 I got trained and went to Russia, where I launched new business startups led by entrepreneurs I had trained, who were also believers. Our aim was to build God's Kingdom by making disciples through business. When I saw the incredible impact, I realized that this is what God wanted me to do.
I started developing a program and a business training curriculum, and tested my vision in Serbia in 2009, and again in the Middle East in 2011. From there, it grew to where it is today, touching nations all over the world and accelerating new church plants alongside newly launched Christian-owned local businesses.