Hilton Head is often assumed to be part of the “Bible Belt,” where church attendance is expected to be high.

But Baer discovered something surprising.

When he examined the community closely, he realized that even if every person attending any church on the island were counted as a Christian, the total would only represent about 2% of the population.

He had a friend serving as a missionary in Japan who once asked him to pray because only 1.5% of people there were Christian.

Baer initially thought that sounded extremely low.

But after examining Hilton Head more carefully, he realized his own context was very similar.

He wrote back to his friend and said:

“If you’re 1.5%, I’m 2%.”

That realization raised an urgent question:

If most people in the community were not coming to church, how could they be reached?

While attempting to share the gospel with people in the community, Baer had a conversation with a businessperson that deeply challenged him.

The man told him something that felt like a “baseball bat to the face.”

He said:

“You’re only telling me this because it’s your job.”

In other words, the man assumed Baer’s spiritual conversations were simply part of his professional role as a pastor.

That moment forced Baer to rethink his entire approach.

He began praying with a specific question:

“Lord, how do we reach these people?”

For nearly a year he continued praying and wrestling with that question.

Eventually, he sensed a clear direction.

After months of prayer, Baer sensed God leading him toward an unexpected step.

He felt called to leave the pastorate and enter the business world.

At first, the idea shocked him.

He didn’t believe he had any particular business skills or marketable abilities. But the sense of calling remained clear.

The reasoning was simple:

To reach people in business, he needed to be one of them.

This decision led him into consulting work, particularly in training and strategic planning. Over the next decade he worked with organizations around the world.

During that time, he discovered something surprising.

Business relationships often opened doors for spiritual conversations.

Baer explains that when believers live out their faith authentically in the workplace, something interesting happens.

People begin to notice.

He recalls business colleagues approaching him and asking a simple question:

“What’s different about you?”

That question created a natural opportunity to talk about faith.

He would often respond by asking:

“Are you sure you want to know?”

Those moments opened doors for conversations that likely would never have occurred in a church setting.

One of the key themes in the conversation is the importance of excellence.

Steve Adams describes interviewing a business leader who built a billion-dollar company and asking him about the way he treated employees, suppliers, and partners.

The consistent theme was excellence.

Baer connects this concept to a biblical example found in the book of Daniel.

In Daniel chapter 6, Daniel rose to a position of leadership in the empire. His opponents wanted to discredit him.

But they encountered a problem.

They couldn’t find anything wrong with the way he did his work.

Baer explains that this moment reveals something important:

• Daniel had excellent character

• Daniel produced excellent work

Even his enemies could not accuse him of wrongdoing in his leadership.

This principle carries powerful implications for business.

When believers pursue excellence in their work, it creates credibility and influence.

People notice integrity and quality.

And sometimes, they want to know where it comes from.

Baer makes an important distinction between two concepts that are often confused:

Perfection and excellence.

Perfection suggests a flawless end state.

Excellence, however, is something different.

He describes excellence as a journey or process rather than a final destination.

The goal is not flawless performance.

Instead, excellence represents a continuous pursuit of improvement and integrity.

Baer references a well-known phrase from an automobile advertisement:

“The relentless pursuit of excellence.”

He notes that this phrase actually reflects a deeply biblical idea.

The pursuit itself is what matters.

During the conversation, Baer introduces a Hebrew word that captures the connection between faith and work.

The word is Avoda.

It carries three meanings simultaneously:

• Work

• Worship

• Service to humanity

The significance of this word is that it doesn’t represent three separate activities.

Instead, it describes one unified reality.

When someone works faithfully, they can simultaneously be:

• Serving others

• Worshiping God

Baer explains that when people begin to view their work this way, it transforms how they approach everyday tasks.

Work becomes more than a job.

It becomes an expression of purpose.

Another key theme in the conversation is the idea that work itself is good.

Some people assume work is a curse resulting from sin.

But Baer points out something important.

Work existed before the fall.

In the early chapters of Genesis, Adam and Eve were placed in the garden with the responsibility to work and cultivate it.

Work was part of God’s design for humanity from the beginning.

That means work is not merely a survival mechanism.

It is part of how human beings participate in the world.

The conversation also explores the modern concept of retirement.

Baer explains that he does not believe in the idea of permanently stopping work.

He does believe in different seasons of life and changing roles. But he believes meaningful work remains important throughout life.

He recalls observing a pattern in Hilton Head, a popular retirement community.

Many high-achieving leaders moved there after retiring.

Some had been corporate executives or military leaders.

Yet many of them passed away relatively soon after retiring.

Baer suggests that one reason may be the sudden loss of purpose.

When people no longer feel they are contributing in a meaningful way, something important is lost.

Purpose and work appear to be deeply connected to human flourishing.

The conversation ultimately returns to a powerful conclusion:

The marketplace can be a powerful place for ministry.

Many people who would never attend church still interact daily with:

• coworkers

• employers

• business partners

• customers

When believers live out their faith with integrity and excellence in those environments, it can open doors for meaningful conversations.

Business relationships can become places where faith is expressed naturally.

And in many cases, those conversations happen in ways that feel far more authentic than formal preaching.

For many Christians, calling has traditionally been associated with church leadership roles.

But Baer suggests a broader perspective.

If God places someone in business, that placement is not a mistake.

It may be a strategic opportunity.

The workplace can become a place where faith is lived out through:

• character

• integrity

• excellence

• relationships

And in those everyday moments, the gospel can become visible.

Watch full episode on YT - https://youtu.be/fQhNMdT5se4

Listen to full episode on itunes/spotify - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/ibamtoday/episodes/EP88-Why-Business-Might-Be-the-Best-Mission-Field-e3ggto3

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