From Gathering to Movement: The BAM Global Leaders Forum and What It Means for Canada
This blog was written by our co-founder, Aubrey Tozer.
In March, Business as Mission (BAM) leaders from around the world gathered in Manila, Philippines, at the invitation of BAM Global for four days of listening, sharing, and discernment. More than 150 participants from 50 countries brought their lived experience into the room. The participants included entrepreneurs, practitioners, academics, church leaders, and network builders, each carrying a deep conviction that business can be a force for holistic transformation. I was privileged to be one of them.
“Business is a primary moving force of the love of God in human history”.
Dallas Willard
For Canada, this was not a distant conversation. Fourteen Canadians were part of that global dialogue—nine based here at home, and five serving faithfully in regions such as Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Vietnam – with friends from Cameroon and Zambia. Their presence was a powerful reminder: Canada is not on the sidelines of this movement. Canadians are helping shape it.
What we celebrated globally, we can celebrate here.
Across continents, we heard story after story of businesses being built with intention—creating jobs, restoring dignity, discipling people, and contributing to the flourishing of communities. The Kingdom of God is not abstract in these contexts; it is expressed through daily decisions, resilient leadership, and long-term commitment in complex environments.
Alongside celebration came clarity.
Many of the most significant challenges facing BAM are not external barriers. They are internal tensions—particularly in how business and the Church understand and relate to one another. Leaders voiced a desire for both deep spiritual roots and practical, God-inspired excellence in business. Increasingly, there is a rejection of the false divide between sacred and secular work. This is not just a global issue; it is deeply relevant in Canada, where business leaders often feel caught between two worlds rather than fully supported in one integrated calling.
Out of this shared reflection, two shifts became unmistakably clear.
First, we are moving from isolated pioneers to connected ecosystems.
For years, BAM has been driven by courageous individuals, entrepreneurs who stepped into uncharted territory with clarity of vision and tenacity. That pioneering spirit remains essential. But what is emerging now is something more collaborative: networks, communities, and support systems that enable those pioneers to thrive, multiply, and sustain their impact.
For Canada, this matters. It means we are not meant to build alone. It means there is an invitation to intentionally cultivate local, regional and national ecosystems where business leaders, churches, academics, and mission organizations and marketplace ministries work alongside one another. Not in theory, but in practice.
“The Kingdom of God does not advance through isolated anointings but through aligned relationships.”
Dr. Felix Niba
Second, we are seeing broader engagement across the whole Church.
There is growing recognition that business as mission is not a niche calling for a few. It is a vital expression of the Church’s participation in God’s work in the world. This is leading to greater geographic expansion, deeper collaboration, and a more nuanced understanding of the distinct roles different contributors play, whether that is in business leadership, theological formation, research, or global mission.
In many ways, this aligns with what we read in Ephesians—that growth happens “as each part does its work.” The movement strengthens not through uniformity, but through coordinated contribution.
So where does this leave us in Canada?
It brings us to questions that are both collective and deeply personal:
Where is God leading us? And are we willing to step into that invitation together?
For Canadian business owners, this may look like expanding your vision beyond profitability to long-term, redemptive impact. For church leaders, it may mean rethinking how you equip and walk alongside those called to business. For academics and students, it may involve shaping frameworks and research that integrate faith and enterprise in meaningful ways.
And for all of us, it means recognizing that our voice is needed.
The trajectories of businesses, communities, and even nations can shift when leaders choose to build with purpose and in community.
The momentum is real. The invitation is open.
Begin to explore what it means to align your work with God’s greater story, alongside others who are asking the same questions.
At BAM Canada, we see building locally driven, nationally supported BAM communities to serve, connect, and inspire missional business leaders to grow in their redemptive purpose, here at home and wherever Canadians are called to go. Connect with us, join the conversation, and be part of what’s being built.
For further reading on the BAM Global Leaders Forum, read the Leaders Forum Introduction Booklet.
