Personal Values Should Dictate Investment Decisions

Updated on

National Association of Christian Financial Consultants Leader Says Owning Stock Means Indirectly Participating in the Company’s Activities

ORLANDO, Fla.—Christians may shake their heads at the political leanings of certain companies that make regular headlines.

Get Our Activist Investing Case Study!

Get The Full Activist Investing Study In PDF

Q2 hedge fund letters, conference, scoops etc

But, according to the National Association of Christian Financial Consultants (NACFC, www.nacfc.org), if these same Christians own stock in those companies, through their ownership they are participating in company activities and endorsing what the company promotes, supports and even profits from.

Mark Minnella, NACFC president and co-founder and author of “The Wall Street Awakening,” says embracing a Biblically Responsible Investment philosophy, or BRI, is crucial in today’s culture as more and more companies take political and anti-biblical social stances with their resources. Today, he says, because of an open flow of information, corporations cannot hide their policies or their investments, and therefore Christian investors can see what possible immoral products or services their money supports.

“For a Christian, it is essential to understand that owning stock means you are an owner of a company,” Minnella said. “The more stock you own, the larger your ownership of that corporation. As an owner, you participate in the profits made from the activities of the company. You also have certain rights, such as are represented by the type and amount of stock you own. Voting rights, or the influence regarding leadership and control of the company, are a couple of the more common rights. Because you are an owner/participator in the profits you also are an indirect participator in the activities of the company.

“When you buy stock,” he continued, “you are effectively partnering with all the other stock owners in that company. Though you may not be held directly responsible for the actions of the company as a minority stockholder, you are a participant just the same. Let’s say for ease of math, you own 10% of company XYZ’s stock. If that company creates a cure for a terrible disease, you have the pleasure of knowing the company you have become a partial owner in created that cure. If you were the sole owner, owning 100% of the company’s stock, you would be credited personally for making such a great breakthrough and would reap the rewards of the possible profits from the patents, rights and sales of this great product.”

But, unfortunately, Minnella says, the same is true on the other side of the formula.

“If the company you own creates, distributes, markets and/or promotes products or services that harm others and are clearly offensive to Christian biblical values, then you have the unfortunate privilege of participating in these activities through your stock ownership in that company,” he added.

Minnella noted in “The Wall Street Awakening” that some of the products or services that most Christians would agree violate God’s basis of love or that harm or abuse His children include:

  • Pornography and prostitution—the use and abuse of individuals for sexual activities
  • Abortion—ending an infant’s life
  • Addictive products—the production and promotion of products that harm or even destroy the consumer
  • Anti-Christian and anti-God entertainment or publications—that promote, desensitize and program our society to reject God and the Bible
  • Promotion of immoral lifestyles—that reject biblical principles of marriage and sexual relations

“When we own stock in a company that develops, distributes or promotes such products or services, we become a passive participant in that Biblically offensive activity,” Minnella said. “It’s something every Christian must consider in their investments.”

NACFC is coming off the successful annual “BRIghten Your Practice” conference held last week in Charlotte. At the event, attendees were provided resources, training and more, as they aim to work with Christian clients who are increasingly becoming more aware of the impact their God-given resources make in our culture.

The mission of the National Association of Christian Financial Consultants is to teach, train and encourage financial professionals to learn, share and instruct biblical stewardship to individuals and families believing that “it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his soul” (Matthew 16:26). Members will glorify God by impacting their world for Jesus Christ through teaching and practicing biblical stewardship.

For more information on NACFC, visit nacfc.org. View the media page for NACFC here.

Leave a Comment