God's Vision for Business Emerges
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, J. Gunnar Olson, a successful Swedish businessman, began to sense a divine stirring. He had built a thriving plastics manufacturing company, served as President of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International, and was well-established in business circles. But God had something more in mind.
The vision grew clearer: what if Christian business people around the world could be equipped to see their work as ministry? What if the marketplace could become a place where the Kingdom of God was visibly demonstrated?
The Vision Becomes Public
At the end of 1984, a conference was held in Orebro, Sweden, under the striking theme "Big Brother or the Kingdom of God?" This gathering, organized by Intercessors International, became the platform where Gunnar first publicly shared his vision for an International Christian Chamber of Commerce.
The response was overwhelming. People came forward saying God had given them the same vision. In November 1984, the ICCC was officially founded with a radical aim: to put the Kingdom of God as the first priority in business lives and to teach and train men and women to respond to the biblical challenge of a walk with Christ in the marketplace.
Explosive Global Growth
Gunnar later described the early growth: "I felt like I was running at top speed in front of a large train just to avoid being run over." The vision spread like wildfire. Within years, ICCC had chapters in dozens of countries.
The founding was not just organizational - it was deeply spiritual. Gunnar believed that everything must be initiated by God, and that business people were called to live supernatural lives of faith that glorify God and touch the world with His love.
Worldwide Marketplace Ministry Reality
Today, nearly 40 years later, ICCC operates in over 75 nations on every continent. Through its ministry, millions have learned to integrate faith with their work. National policies have been influenced. And the original dream - ordinary businesspeople walking supernaturally with Christ in the marketplace - has become reality around the world.
