Transformational Leaders at Work: Changing the Status Quo

ANDREW RUGASIRA: Making Coffee to Change the World Andrew Rugasira was born into a wealthy family in Uganda. Educated in London with degrees in Law and Economics, he decided to return home instead of living comfortably in the U.K. Andrew looked to new ventures in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains, where he spent two years studying the plight of the coffee farmers and how to minister to their needs. Uganda is a rich coffee-growing nation, but Ugandans do not own a single processing plant. Rather, international brokers buy raw coffee beans from middle-men to ship overseas for processing, only to send it back to Uganda as finished products at premium prices with the profit going to the international concerns. The local middle-men would make a small cash advance to each farmer which the farmers would quickly consume, and as a result become obligated to sell them their crop at a price that did not allow them to get past the survival level. Andrew decided to change all that. He took time to organize 14,000 farmers into 280 co-ops and guaranteed them the best price for their product. Instead of shipping the coffee beans overseas, he set up the processing system to roast, grind and package them in Uganda, creating more jobs for less cost and returning 50% of the profit to the farmers in the form of grants that provide start-up capital for healthcare, education and community development. Most businesses have only one bottom line: the shareholders. Andrew’s has four: the farmers, their communities, his employees and the shareholders. His employees even get 10% of the company profits in addition to their salaries. What an example of godly insight breaking the hold of systemic poverty! Dr. Daniel Chen: A Physician’s Office Where the Extraordinary Has Become Routine. In the office of Dr. Daniel Chen in Dallas, Texas, spiritual transformation is dispensed together with physical care. After reading Anointed for Business, Dr. Chen began to see every appointment as an opportunity to minister and not just a service to be rendered. This new perspective of labor as worship has allowed him to turn a personal handicap into a plus. “Since English is my second language, I feel uncomfortable chitchatting with my Anglo patients. Instead, I concentrate on softly singing hymns while working on them. As I do, the presence of God, resident in me, touches them. In one day alone I had four patients receive the Lord after hearing me sing the praises during medical procedures.” Turning a medical practice into a place of worship is bound to have a positive impact, even on those who are reluctant to such spirituality. Dr. Chen reported that a young man named Gary came into his office with a broken nose and fractured ribs as a result of a beating he took at the hands of his drug dealer for failing to pay on time. He arrived accompanied by his mother. As had become his practice, Dr. Chen asked the Lord how he should proceed. This is his report: “The Lord showed me that this young man needed to get down on his knees and repent to his mother for the shame his addiction to drugs had brought to the family.” When Dr. Chen shared this, the drug addict became very angry. He told the doctor that he had come to be treated medically, not to be preached at. Dr. Chen sternly admonished him, “I am giving you spiritual CPR, and if you refuse it you are as good as dead because next time they will break more than just bones.” No preacher could have made that statement more convincingly. The young man reluctantly did as he was told, and the doctor proceeded to treat his wounds, after which the patient departed, leaving no doubt that he was angry. Dr. Chen felt certain he would never see him again. Surprisingly, the next day he received a call from his reluctant patient asking to see him as soon as possible. When he arrived, accompanied by his father, he showed Dr. Chen that his nose was healed and his ribs pain free, and best of all he wanted to know more about this unusual medicine. Dr. Chen led him to the Lord and instructed him to repent to his father as well, which he did. A few weeks later the young man brought his wife to see Dr. Chen. He was in need of counseling because his wife was very angry and did not want to forgive his past failures. Dr. Chen instructed the young man, “Well, you know the routine. Get on your knees and repent!” The wife at first was not receptive, but eventually forgave him and their relationship was restored. Shortly afterwards they both came to Dr. Chen’s church with their children. After the service, the dad knelt before the children (now the standard prescribed procedure) to ask for their forgiveness also. A few months later the young man brought to a prayer meeting a group of friends still involved with the drug scene and Dr. Chen, not surprisingly, was able to introduce them to the Kingdom of God. Amazing! Poncho Murguia: Go to Prison and be Set Free! What do you do when an entire city is under siege by drug cartels? In the case of Pastor Poncho Murguía, you give up your successful pastorate, begin living in a tent and, then, go to prison. Ciudad Juárez, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, is the gateway for the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA). Millions of dollars in goods pass daily through its gates to reach the heart of the USA. Corruption in Ciudad Juárez is not unknown. In fact, most people will say it’s rampant. For several years, Pastor Poncho Murguía led a growing congregation there with a top-notch K-12 school, a pastors’ college and a brand new building. He was loved by the members and could have easily coasted to retirement. But Poncho could no longer be content with simply growing a congregation while his city each day was moving closer to hell. God directed him to resign his position and then to do a 21-day public fast for righteousness to prevail in Ciudad Juarez. He set up a tent in a large park at the entrance of the city and for three weeks cried out to God in plain view of his fellow citizens. The media sent a journalist every day with the question, “What is God saying to you about the city today?” and published what Poncho reported God had communicated. As the media made the city aware, people began to show up at the site. Eventually, up to 4,000 people congregated around his tent. Poncho ministered to them and many were set free.<\p> Proof that the balance of power in the heavenly regions had tilted came when the newly elected Mayor of Ciudad Juarez called on Poncho to request help with El Cereso, a prison housing over 3,000 inmates, 92% of whom were on drugs, and where over 80% of the security personnel was involved in the drug traffic. Many attempts had been made before to clean up El Cereso but they all failed due to the systemic corruption. But the new Mayor recognized Poncho’s spiritual authority and called on him to take charge. After securing adequate spiritual covering, they devised a plan to reclaim El Cereso. With no prior notice, seven hundred troops were deployed to take over the prison, replace the corrupt officials and lock the place down. For the next 30 days nothing went in or came out as thousands of inmates went through drug withdrawal assisted by doctors, nurses and pastors who ministered to them. When the operation was over, El Cereso was clean and the drug cartel dismantled. Basically the gates of Hades crumbled because God’s people took the Kingdom of God to the city. As a result, transformation has begun to take place in entire corporations, schools, immigration centers and myriads of people are coming into the Kingdom! The Mayor now has proof that the Church possesses the power and the authority to eradicate systemic evil and is calling on her to do the same in other areas of the city, with similar results. The TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER within you Friends, to borrow a legal phrase, “I rest my case!” The enemy’s grip on human institutions is being peeled back by ordinary believers like Andrew Rugasira, Daniel Chen and Poncho Murguia, who understand that when you invite Jesus into your business, practice or city, the miraculous is not far behind. The same Spirit at work in them is at work in you. This is why I encourage you to believe the Lord can and will make you His vessel of transformation in YOUR area. There is a transformational leader within you that will burst forth when you apply active faith. Our passion and calling is to cast this vision to every nation on earth. It can be done, but it takes all of us working as a team, joining hands with God and investing freely of our lives and resources. That is why I ask you now to seize this opportunity by doing two things: 1) Exercise your faith by asking God for insight into how you can instigate transformation in your area of influence. Visit our bookstore to purchase My new book, TRANSFORMATION 2) Ask the Lord for a specific amount He would have you invest into our partnership to help make this a reality for others. Seeing God multiply your investment into changed lives will be for you a MOST rewarding experience. ~Ed Silvoso