Developing sustainable funding for ministry is a growing concern for the church in North America. At the same time, many in the church are interested in launching and experimenting with new expressions of gospel-oriented work through ministry innovation and social enterprise. Churches, and church related organizations, own enormous amounts of capital in the form of equity and bond investments, as well as property. Can the North American church effectively and appropriately channel capital into new social enterprises that produce a successful double bottom line of social good and financial return on investment? What are the opportunities and potential pitfalls for the church engaging in expanded impact investing? What are some effective models that can inform the way the church engages in targeted impact investing?

I will study this question by engaging in three primary activities:

1. Engage in, and document, intentional conversations with key thinkers in church-related investing and finances, “secular” impact investing, and social enterprise/entrepreneurship.

2. Review literature on impact investing especially as it pertains to faith-based impact investing.

3. Prepare four case studies of church-based impact investing: Pres House/Synod of Lakes and Prairies, Industrial Areas Foundation projects in Baltimore and Milwaukee, WCCN based in Madison and working in Latin America, and Matryoska Haus connected projects in London, England

My goal is to produce a thoughtful white paper addressing my core question that can be published in part, or in whole, in print and digital publications and be shared with church leaders. My ultimate aim is to move towards practical and actionable steps that will help the church channel capital into new, creative, and sustainable mission and ministry.