Chuck Coker, shown in the inset picture and also speaking to Tuesday's crowd in Tusculum College's Chalmers Conference Center, was the second featured speaker in the Theologian-in-Residence series in progress at the college through February. (Tusculum College photos)

Tusculum College speaker outlines how to do business based on Biblical principles

Contrary to one economist's assertion that the only obligation of a business is to generate a profit, business for a Christian lies under the authority of God and should be operated in a way that glorifies Him, speaker Chuck Coker told an audience at Tusculum College on Tuesday.

Coker, who is city director of Charlotte, N.C., for Crown Financial Ministries, a Christian financial counseling firm, said that God has provided several key business principles through the Bible, and that these should guide how a Christian business operator functions. Coker was the second speaker in the 13th annual Theologian-in-Residence lecture series, sponsored by Tusculum College and the Holston Presbytery. Coker led participants through an abbreviated version of the seminar "Business by the Book," developed by well-known Christian financial authority Larry Burkett.

Moving speedily through material that usually is presented in a full-day seminar, Coker summarized key biblically based business principles for a crowd in Chalmers Conference Center.

Though the Bible does not forbid businesses from making a profit, it presupposes that people are more important than profits, Coker said. Christian business operators should therefore never neglect the human needs of their employees, suppliers, peers and customers, including their need to be exposed to the gospel of Christ, he continued. Christian business operators should practice practical evangelism, "discipleship" in the business place, and use some of the fruits of their success to "fund God's work" through the giving of money, time, and talent, Coker said.

A key purpose of business is also for supplying family needs, but Coker argued that a Christian must view his employees and co-workers as a "business family" and treat them as such. In fact, Christians should prioritize their business finances in a way that goes against the usual style of the secular world, he said. A Christian should prioritize business payments in this order, Coker said: paying suppliers first, employees next, providing quality products or services to customers third, and after that, paying the owners.

Profit is built from three basic ingredients, said Coker: good planning, good accounting, and good management. He cited scriptural references relating to each of these. A business will make profit when it serves the needs of others, offers products and services at a fair price, and provides quality products and services, he added.

In hiring, Christian employers should provide accurate job descriptions, clearly state company policies, standardize hiring practices, and use a personality profile survey. A good practice is to hire initially on a temporary basis, giving a worker a chance to prove his or her worth but without necessitating a firing should matters not work out, he advised.

Poor hires are made, Coker continued, when not enough questions are asked between the employer and potential employee, when "hidden expectations" are present on either party's part, and when "unresolved conflicts," such as reasons for a past firing, are not sufficiently explored.

A Christian employer is obliged to deal both quickly and compassionately with problem employees, Coker said, the goal always being to bring healing to the situation if possible. Biblical support can be found for dismissing an employee for dishonesty, laziness, disobedience, incompetence, or agitation, but always the employee should be handled with compassion and the willingness to provide a "second chance," Coker said.

A planned dismissal can rightly be aborted for several reasons, such as if an employee shows a genuinely repentant attitude, confesses and regrets the problem, or is shown to be performing poorly because of outside factors, such as illness or family circumstances.

Selecting managers is one of the most important tasks of a business operator, noted Coker. He suggested that Christian business owners seek managers with whom they have "spiritual compatibility," who are diligent, honoring of authority, skilled, and able to "control their tongue."

Scripture advises against personally co-signing for others so that they may take out loans, Coker said. He also argued that, on the level of personal loans, Christians should not charge interest to other Christians. This, however, applies only to loans made person-to-person, not from a financial institution to a person, he said.

Ideally, Coker said, Christians should so well manage their finances that they are able to help out others in need through outright gifts rather than loans. If Christians do loan money to others on a personal basis, and are not repaid, the most scriptural thing to do is to accept the loss rather than seek legal means of collection, Coker said. He cited 1 Corinthians 6:7: "Actually, then it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?"

However, Christians should never themselves wrong or defraud others, he said. He cited a verse in Ecclesiastes in support of his contention that a vow made to man is equally a vow made to God, and must be kept.

The next Theologian-in-Residence lecture will be on Feb. 18, with Michael Smith addressing "Ownership verses Stewardship." In the final session on Feb. 25, Chuck Bentley will focus on Nehemiah's ministry plan.

A lunch in the Tusculum College cafeteria is provided at no cost to those attending the Theologian-in-Residence series. Persons planning to attend are asked to contact the office of Mark Stokes, vice president for administration at Tusculum, at 1-800-729-0256, extension 7638, preferably by the Friday preceding the Tuesday session they will attend. This will enable the college to ensure sufficient seating and meals.