Encounter Quarterly: Summer 2004
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Juan Carlos Bonilla lost his job when he
spoke out against unethical behavior at a
former workplace. |
Tests of Faith
In countries where corruption reigns, allegiance
to Christ in the business world can be costly.
Was this the way out? Miguel’s mind
raced with the ethical dilemma he now faced. For
months he had fought with customs officials to have
a legal shipment of products released to his
company. Each time they found some reason to deny
him.
Miguel knew the paper work was in
order. He suspected the real reason for delay was an
attempt to extract a pay off from him. Now it was
confirmed. The officials were more direct.
“There might be a way to get you
your goods,” they said. “The shipment has been here
so long now that we can declare it as ‘unclaimed
freight’. It can then be taken to another warehouse
where we can steal it and deliver it to you.” Miguel
understood that such a “service” would come at a
price.
He didn’t like it. As a Christian, he considered it
wrong, but the situation was growing
desperate. As company president his decision would
impact the people that worked for him. A substantial
amount of money was tied to this shipment. Failure
to receive it could be devastating to his business.
The months of delay were already
taking a toll on his company. Customers had been
promised the product and as delays mounted they
began to doubt Miguel’s trustworthiness. Ironically,
his efforts to live by a Christian ethic were
actually harming his witness.
Perhaps there was no choice. In a
country where the wheels of commerce are greased by
corruption, what could be done? Uncertain, Miguel
returned home. He began praying. By the next day, he
knew what he must do.
Rampant Corruption
Miguel’s story is not unusual. It is
representative of the challenges that many Christian
professionals face in countries throughout Latin
America.
The fact that Christians in business
face ethical challenges is not new. Moreover,
corruption is not unique to Latin America. Enron,
WorldCom and other corporate scandals in the U.S.
reveal that corruption knows no geographic
boundaries. Yet despite the seriousness of these
abuses, most fail to compare with the degree and
pervasiveness of corruption found in many Latin
American countries.
Corruption is not an aberration but
an integral part of daily commerce. It so saturates
the political and economic systems that it is
begrudgingly accepted as a “necessary evil” for
doing business.
“Here it’s terrible,” says Juan Carlos, head of
human resources for the national offices of an
international petroleum company. “You see corruption
everywhere.”
For Christian business people in
such places, making ethical, God-honoring choices
can be very difficult. Following Christ with
integrity often comes at a price.
Among those in the middle and upper-
middle classes, ethical stands hold the risk of
costing them jobs or severely hurting their
businesses. On the lower scales of society, ethical
decisions can threaten even more basic needs of food
and shelter.
Difficult Choices
Juan Carlos knows personally the
price that can be required. Before his current job,
he worked for a different petroleum company. He held
a higher position, earned a higher salary and
received better benefits. Then in 2002 a new boss
was appointed over him.
As time went by, Juan Carlos knew
that his new boss was acting in an unethical manner.
Though the boss’s actions did not directly affect
him, Juan Carlos knew he faced a difficult decision.
“I had two choices: to talk to
someone about the situation or just keep quiet.
Nothing was happening to me, but I felt very
affected by the situation because he was asking me
for certain approvals for the things that he was
doing. I knew that in God’s eyes these things were
not correct.”
Knowing that voicing his concerns
might cost him his job, Juan Carlos spoke with his
wife and explained what was happening. They agreed
that he had to do the right thing whatever the cost.
He spoke out and, as expected, was
fired.
Roberto faced similar struggles as
financial manager of a company owned by his family
in Colombia. It was common practice for the company
and its competitors to keep two sets of books. One
accounting was for the government. The other
reflected the true numbers.
After trusting in Christ, Roberto
became convicted about this practice and announced
that his company would keep only one set of books.
His family members were shocked and warned him that
there was no way that the business would be able to
survive if he did so.
“Those of us here in North America
don’t realize how difficult it often is to be a
Christian in such environments,” says CMI Executive
Director Jim Murray. “In our focus on missions we
rightly work to address their spiritual needs, but
we sometimes fail to recognize that the decision to
follow Christ often puts new believers at odds with
their society in ways far more significant than what
most of us in North America face.”
Present at All Levels
The problem of corruption pervades
all levels of society. Those with wealth and power
frequently manipulate their power to take advantage
of the poorer classes.
Latin American history is filled
with government leaders who have used their
positions to line their pockets. In 2000, Peruvian
President Alberto Fujimori was driven from office in
scandal. A recent New York Times article reported
that prosecutors in Peru are seeking to retrieve an
estimated $2 billion stolen by Fujimori and his
associates.
Such ill-gotten gains siphon already
limited resources away from public services and
social needs. Those impacted most are those who can
least afford it. Faced with poverty, many in the
lower classes find little choice but to engage in
their own “under-the-table” dealings.
“Corruption extends everywhere,”
says one pastor. “For example, like all countries,
resident aliens living in our country are required
to have documentation to be legal residents. To get
this document by regular channels takes years. Pay
off someone and you can have it in a few weeks.”
Though he disagrees with the system,
he understands what leads many to succumb to it.
Lower level officials are paid so little that
trafficking of this nature is the way they provide
for themselves and their families.
Breaking the cycle of corruption
requires changed hearts. True change requires a
spiritual reformation. For this reason, the gospel
represents the best hope for the nations of Latin
America. As such, the need for Christian
professionals in the business and social arenas is
great.
The Encounter with God churches in
Latin America are uniquely addressing this need. By
focusing on middle and upper-middle class segments
of society, they are reaching business, political
and academic professionals. In turn these
individuals are carrying the gospel and a biblical
ethic into their various places of influence.
“I believe I am in this place only
because of the Lord,” says Jorge Moyano,
Vice-President of Diners Club Ecuador and a leader
in the República Church. “I believe that I can be a
witness for the Lord here in my business and that
others can see the change in my life.”
Juan Carlos agrees. “You have to be
very careful in doing the right things and giving a
good example to others because they are looking at
you all the time. At the same time we can create a
very good impact in the business world. If you do
the right things and you have proper behaviors in
your company, the rest of your co-workers and bosses
see that you are doing a good job. They see you not
only as a professional person; they see that you are
a Christian.”
A Test of Faith
For Latin American believers living
with integrity in such environments is often a test
of their faith. Running counter to convention and
risking dire consequences, they must entrust their
security to the Lord.
Knowing that he might lose his job
for speaking out about his boss’s behavior, Juan
Carlos still did so.
“It’s very tough when you live a
Christian life because you know you have to follow
the rules,” he says. “You have to follow the Bible.
We can’t say, ‘Okay, if I don’t [speak out] nothing
is going to happen.’ I knew I could lose my job but
I was 100% sure that if I lost the job that I would
get a better one because God would not allow me to
be in the street and have nothing for my family. He
is not unfair.”
Likewise, Roberto risked serious
consequences to his company’s profitability by
ceasing to conceal some of their financial records.
Though it placed him at odds with his family and at
a competitive disadvantage, he knew that it was the
right thing to do and trusted the Lord to supply.
In the same way, as Miguel prayed
and considered his decision, he also knew there was
only one answer. Despite the risks to his family,
his business and his employees, he could not
compromise his convictions by paying a bribe to
obtain his shipment. He informed the officials that
he could not accept their offer to steal it and
deliver it to him.
A few days later, the shipment was
released with no strings attached. Miguel received
his products and sold them almost instantly.
Immediately orders came in for more.
Though not everyone sees God’s
answers revealed so quickly or in such dramatic
fashion, such stories are reminders of His
faithfulness.
In standing up for truth, these
faithful followers of Christ prove the promise that
God spoke through his prophet in I Samuel 2 – “Those
who honor me I will honor.”
By their acts of faith they are
standing up for a new ethic and a new society based
on the teachings and principles of God’s Word. It is
a risky endeavor, but one that is steadily bearing
fruit and hope for the people of Latin America.
EQ Summer 2004
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