Biblical billionaire Forty years ago David Green started making miniature picture frames in his living room. That modest enterprise blossomed into today’s Hobby Lobby, a $3 billiona-year arts and crafts emporium with 22,000 employees in 520 superstores in 42 states. Nothing like that grows without a fair bit of savvy and hard work, but Green, 70, takes no credit. “If you have anything or if I have anything, it’s because it’s been given to us by our Creator,” he says in a lengthy profile in Forbes magazine. “So I have learned to say, ‘Look, this is yours, God. It’s all yours. I’m going to give it to you.’ ” That apparently is no idle pledge. Forbes, which ranks Green 79th on its list of the 400 richest Americans, with a net worth of $4.5 billion, says half of Hobby Lobby’s pretax earnings go to evangelical ministries that fit Green’s conservative focus. With lifetime giving estimated at more than $500 million, the magazine calls him “the largest individual donor to evangelical causes in America.” “I don’t care if you’re in business or out of business, God owns it,” Green is quoted as saying. “How do I separate it? Well, it’s God’s in church and it’s mine here? I have purpose in church, but I don’t have purpose over here? You can’t have a belief system on Sunday and not live it the other six days.” Green’s giving focuses on colleges, churches and ministries that pass his tight doctrinal test. None others need apply. He also likes to share Scripture and reportedly has backstopped the distribution of 1.4 billion pieces of gospel literature in more than a hundred countries. A mobile Bible app he sponsored boasts upward of 50 million downloads. According to Forbes, Hobby Lobby stores are closed Sundays so employees can go to church. Four chaplains are on the payroll, and the company headquarters provides a free health clinic. “Green has raised the minimum wage for full‑time employees a dollar each year since 2009 — bringing it up to $13 an hour — and doesn’t expect to slow down. From his perspective, it’s only natural: ‘God tells us to go forth into the world and teach the Gospel to every creature. He doesn’t say skim from your employees to do that’.” Green has taken steps to guard his spiritual vision if the company is sold or dissolved — 90% will go to ministries and the rest into a trust for family members. He knows his company won’t last forever. “Woolworth’s is gone,” he told Forbes. “Sears is almost gone. TG&Y is gone. So what? This is worth billions of dollars. So what? Is that the end of life, making more money and building something? For me, I want to know that I have affected people for eternity.” The Marketplace November December 2012
What would you do? Being a conscientious objector can mean more than resisting military service, like not working in a military-related company. Many Christians also wouldn’t want to work for a casino or a massage parlor. Some investors won’t buy military, tobacco or environmentally destructive stocks. What if you own a construction company and you’re invited to bid on a job that you deem morally problematic? Or you find out after you’ve started who you’re actually working for? Tim found himself in this position. As reported in World magazine, his concrete company was busy pouring concrete for a building being put up by a general contractor who was one of his best customers. Then Tim discovered that the building, initially described in vague terms, was going to house an enterprise that conflicted with his morals. His wife said, “Now that you know, how can you pour one more drop of concrete?” Tim decided to pull out, and removed his crew from the site. Several other subcontractors who shared his ethical qualms followed his example. The project was significantly delayed. Tim braced for consequences, but as it turned out he was not sued and even got paid for the work he had started. Word got out, and Tim even received some new business because of his stand. If you were in Tim’s position, what would you have done? So far we have not mentioned what kind of a building it was, so not everyone might agree with him. We will say it was one of the following: a casino; a company that manufactures military components; a medical facility to perform late-term abortions; a liquor distribution warehouse. Depending on which one it was, would you have made the same decision?
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