Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has been plunged into a massive economic meltdown characterized by job losses, business closures, and general decline in various industries. These developments have ushered in a despondence leading to a number of people to be in distress. Emerging entrepreneur Carel Motshekga says these challenges calls for the Christian church to change its curriculum in order to meet the socioeconomic issues resulting from the disaster. “The church should embrace trade and create systems where we can train entrepreneurs to start doing well in business. These are people that can be sent to the marketplace for the advancement of the kingdom of God. They should be taught the values that are biblical, values of Christ. We need to teach people the values of trade. The church should not run away from training people for business. The church should not walk away from business because the church should be a solution for any economic predicament that the world is facing today,” said Motshekga, the founder of EL-Journey Group, a multi-disciplinary company offering trading in transport; logistics and infrastructure development. According to Motshekga, if the church doesn’t produce a number of business people, vices such a corruption will continue unabated to the detriment of society. For a number of years, South Africa has incurred losses in private and public sectors due to the infiltration of dodgy dealings. “The church should be an incubation center where we teach ethical business principles. People should be taught principles of business based in the word of God in church otherwise we’ll continue to have so much corruption in the world,” said Motshekga. Motshekga, who founded EL-Journey in 2012, credits principles he gleaned in the church that have enabled him to thrive in business. He calls for change of leans when delving into scriptures, which he says are riddled with business economies. “I was developed by the church. It’s one of the educational institutions that played a huge role in my development. And of course in whatever you do, there’s the grace of God. To be successful in business you need to have a strong mentality and you need to put some effort. You need to pay the price. It doesn’t come easy but having the grace of God where the Bible, 2nd Corinthians 8:9, says ‘that God is able to make all grace
