Rayce Patterson | The Echo
Taylor University hosted the Transformation: Truth at Work Conference as a satellite location for the third year in a row on Nov. 9.
According to their website, Truth at Work is one of the leading and fasting growing marketplace ministries in America. Ray Hilbert ('08), Taylor alumnus, helped found Truth at Work, and the organization prides itself on being Christ-centered, which is one of their top core values. The conference itself was a day where Christian business professionals could listen to industry leaders about what it means to be a Christian where they work and to also learn the skills and abilities to become a transformational leader.
Because of the Christ-centered focus of the business conference, Taylor's business department has offered digital admission to this conference free to students for the past three years.
"It is a perfect alignment, quite frankly, which is why I believe so much in this conference," Business Department Chair Jody Hirschy said. "We believe that the business world is one of the largest mission fields out there. And so, given that most of our students-business students and beyond-will work in a business, it's our goal to really help individuals know and understand how they're faith translates to what we call 'marketplace ministry.'"
The Truth at Work Conference brought Christian business professionals from several different industries onto the same stage. Fox 59 News Anchor Fanchon Stinger was the emcee for the conference, and several notable speakers appeared such as David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, Kevin Sorbo, actor in movies such as "Soul Surfer," "God's Not Dead" and the CW's TV series "Supergirl," and Super Bowl winner and CEO of Movement Mortgage Casey Crawford.
Crawford spoke about the idea that in order to be a transformational leader, someone must first be transformed.
"There was a point in time where you could've asked me, 'what do you trust in?' and I would say, 'I trust in Jesus.'" Crawford said. "But the fact was . . . I trusted my attributes. And the process of transformation for me has looked like God stripping away some of those things I had put my trust in . . . so His power could be expressed in and through me."
Each speaker provided their own take on what living out their faith looks like in their industry.
Hirschy has gone to this conference multiple times and is regularly impressed with how the key speakers at the Truth at Work conference have learned how to integrate their story and testimony into their everyday life, and they use this to have an impact on their work environments. Hirschy thinks there is value to be had for students as well.
"Students (who go to the conference) are amazed that these business professionals, who have achieved worldly success, have such a strong and vibrant faith," Hirschy said. "I think oftentimes in Christian circles, we categorize business work as less than spiritual work. And so I think most students walk away feeling encouraged and inspired by the fact that they can live out their faith in a marketplace, and do so in a way that honors Christ."
