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The challenges facing Christian leaders in a changing world and possible models for success is discussed at the Christian Leadership Conference (CLC), a three-day international academic conference that started on Wednesday at the Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church with the participation of representatives from the business and academic worlds.
“Christian businessmen incorporate Christian values into their business practice, alongside profit and ethics,” said László Trócsányi, the university’s rector, in his opening address. The conference explores the possible roles and examples of Christian leadership, taking into account ethical, historical, cultural, political, social-psychological and theological aspects.
As László Trócsányi explained, the biggest difference between businessmen, ethical businessmen and Christian businessmen is in personal values. He added that
Christian businessmen are not only concerned about the welfare of employees, environmental protection and social responsibility, but also about supporting charitable activities and his business decisions are guided by Christian ethics.
The rector cited the example of the American fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, founded in 1946, a company that faced bankruptcy in 1982. The management held a meeting and concluded that the company could survive if it incorporated religious teachings into the way it served its customers and in its relations with its employees and suppliers. The company, he said, has become one of the best-selling businesses in the United States by serving God.
László Trócsányi (L). Photo: Facebook/Trócsányi László
József Mészáros, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Health Sciences and Social Studies at the university, said that
the CLC, launched in 2012, is now in its seventh edition, with more than 80 participants from 40 countries in Budapest.
“Most textbooks on leadership talk about how to be a successful manager you need to be a good administrator and use the skills known to managers. But alongside these, a Christian leader must also have a commitment to integrity, vision, empathy, mentoring, community building and prayer. Christian leadership is less about authority and more about love, service and humility,” the Dean stressed.
Volker Kessler, German professor of theology at Unisa (University of Southern Africa), recalled that the CLC, organized every two years, has grown out of a long-term partnership between the Northern European network of colleges and Unisa. He pointed out that previous hosts have included Norway, South Africa, Germany and Belgium.
Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay