In the bustling coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia, Joel and Angel Ballew are living out a powerful truth: business and mission are not opposites, but allies. Through Coventus, a co-working space they founded, this couple has created more than office desks and Wi-Fi. They’ve built a hub of gospel influence and community transformation.
Joel, an entrepreneur, and Angel, the daughter of missionaries, brought their family to Colombia with a calling that didn’t fit neat categories. They didn’t just want to plant a church or start a business; they wanted to do both, seamlessly integrated.
Work, after all, was God’s idea from the beginning. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). Labor isn’t a curse; it’s part of God’s design. When business is surrendered to Him, it becomes a holy calling.
In a city known for its vibrancy and rapid growth, the Ballews recognized that the marketplace was where culture, relationships, and influence intersect. By launching a for-profit co-working space, they didn’t just provide income streams; they gained credibility and access to a community often beyond the reach of traditional ministry.
For some, “for profit” and “missions” don’t belong in the same sentence. The assumption is that real mission work should involve living on as little as possible, seeking donations, and depending on donors. But Coventus challenges that assumption.
This is not greed wrapped in gospel language. It’s gospel purpose funded by sustainable means. Rent is charged. Services are paid for. The lights stay on because the business is healthy. And because of that, the ministry can expand without being shackled to the ups and downs of donor cycles.
Even the apostle Paul modeled this integration. While planting the church in Corinth, “because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:3–4). Paul’s trade gave him credibility and mobility. It allowed him to share the gospel without being a burden—and in many ways, it amplified his mission.
Profit itself is not the problem. Scripture cautions us not to love money, but it also calls us to steward it faithfully. Paul wrote, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth… but to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:17–18). Business as Mission embraces this principle: profit is fuel for generosity, not an end in itself.
As a pastor, I see the unique gift in what Joel and Angel are doing. They are reaching people I would struggle to connect with: entrepreneurs, professionals, and creatives who may never set foot in a church. Yet in Coventus, they rub shoulders daily with believers living out their faith in the marketplace.
Paul urged the Thessalonians to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands… so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders” (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). That is what’s happening here. Faithful work earns respect, and respect creates open doors for the gospel.
One of our team members captured it perfectly: “They took the cap off the salt shaker and are spreading it around.” Jesus told His followers, “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–14). Salt does no good if it stays in the shaker. At Coventus, the gospel is being sprinkled generously into conversations, business networks, and friendships across the city.
During our visit to Coventus, we met Daniel. Daniel trains people in investor trading, and because of his connection with the space, he has already gained fifteen new clients. That is no small thing. Yet what matters even more is that Daniel has also found community—people who encourage him, believe in him, and walk alongside him. For an entrepreneur, that kind of support can mean the difference between quitting and pressing on.
This is one of the great strengths of co-working spaces, especially in a city like Barranquilla, where small businesses and entrepreneurs are everywhere. Renting an office can be prohibitively expensive for a start-up, but co-working rent is much more affordable for young businesses as they develop.
But Coventus is more than a launchpad for business; it’s also an incubator for the Church.
I had the privilege of attending the service of one of these church plants, a congregation the Ballews have helped nurture. The gathering was a beautiful reflection of the Kingdom of God. Worship flowed naturally in both English and Spanish, songs rising as voices overlapped in harmony. The Spirit wove it all together into one offering of praise. Around the room were native Colombians and expats, young professionals, families, and entrepreneurs, different accents, different backgrounds, yet one body in Christ. The simplicity of the setting didn’t matter. What mattered was the authenticity of their faith. As Scripture was opened and the gospel proclaimed, it was clear: this was a place where people were encountering Jesus and growing deeper in their walk with Him.
This is what it looks like to “take the cap off the salt shaker.” Faith is not locked up in buildings designed only for business, nor is it confined to churches struggling to afford a space of their own. At Coventus, the gospel is scattered freely through co-working desks during the week and worship gatherings on Sundays. What begins as a place for entrepreneurs becomes a place for disciples, multiplying the influence of the Kingdom across the city.
Coventus may look like any other co-working space from the outside. Yet beneath the surface it is a Kingdom platform:
This integration of business and mission isn’t a compromise; it’s a model of sustainability and multiplication. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). That “whatever” includes spreadsheets, business plans, and profit margins—when they are placed in God’s hands.
The gospel was never meant to stay inside religious boxes. For too long, the church has divided life into sacred and secular. Business as Mission reminds us that Christ is Lord over both. The marketplace isn’t an enemy of mission; it is one of its most strategic fields.
And I have to say, I am proud of my church for standing behind this work. At Heritage, we seek to make Christ known in all places and to all people. Supporting ministries like Coventus is a way of declaring that the Kingdom is bigger than our models. Not everyone will be reached through traditional approaches. but through faithful innovation, like what Joel and Angel are doing, the gospel goes where it might otherwise never go. That’s what intentional missions looks like: standing with those who carry the message uniquely and powerfully, even when it looks different than what we’re used to.
Joel and Angel didn’t come to Colombia with a cap on the salt shaker. They came ready to pour out the gospel generously, using business as the vessel. And in doing so, they remind us that profit is not the problem; faithful stewardship is. When business serves the Kingdom, entrepreneurs can become missionaries, workplaces can become mission fields, and cities like Barranquilla can be transformed.
Carolyn O’Connor is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and serves as Missions Pastor at Heritage Church in the Quad Cities (Illinois/Iowa). She equips teams and individuals to live out the Great Commission locally and globally, with a passion for building cross-cultural partnerships and sharing stories that inspire.
You can find more of her writings on her blog Introvert-ing.
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