Faith-Based Business Leadership at Alfapac
In the factories of Alfapac, J. Gunnar Olson approached business differently than most executives. He believed that God cared about every detail of the workplace - including malfunctioning machines.
When Critical Equipment Failed
One day, a critical piece of manufacturing equipment stopped working. The production line ground to a halt. Technicians examined it. Engineers puzzled over it. The machine simply would not start.
In most companies, this would be purely a technical problem requiring a technical solution. But Gunnar saw an opportunity for faith.
Prayer for Broken Machinery
Gathering available employees, Gunnar did something unconventional: he laid hands on the machine and prayed. He asked God, in Jesus' name, to restore the equipment to working order. Some employees may have thought it strange. But Gunnar was consistent in his belief that nothing in business was outside God's jurisdiction.
After the prayer, the technicians tried the machine again. It started immediately and worked perfectly.
Integrating Faith into Business
This wasn't an isolated incident. Throughout his business career, Gunnar would regularly pray over machinery, pray for employees, and seek God's guidance in every business decision. He believed that the spiritual realm directly affected the natural realm - even in a plastics factory.
"What we do in business affects the spiritual realm," Gunnar taught. "And what happens in the spiritual realm affects our business. They are not separate."
This integration of faith into the most practical aspects of work became a hallmark of the ICCC teaching: there is no secular/sacred divide. Every moment in business is an opportunity to see God move.