The Story of
MBA Ministry
In the mid-1980s, in response to the rapidly growing number of graduate and professional-school students, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, through its Graduate & Faculty Ministries, began a focused ministry targeting universities with significant graduate and professional programs. Business-school ministry is an outgrowth of this initial focus.
InterVarsity’s MBA Ministry began informally nearly twenty years ago, driven initially by students and InterVarsity staff members at Harvard, Northwestern (Kellogg), and the University of Rochester (Simon). In July of 1998, John Terrill, a Kellogg graduate, joined InterVarsity as the National Director for MBA Ministry, a position he filled until July of 2003, when he became the National Director of Professional Schools Ministries. In March of 2007, Mark Washington assumed the position of National Director of MBA Ministry as part of a newly formed nine person Professional Schools Ministry team.
InterVarsity staff and volunteers assist campus ministry at 28 MBA programs around the nation, including Duke, Harvard, MIT (Sloan), Northwestern (Kellogg), the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton). The impact of MBA Ministry is now felt in the lives of hundreds of students, alumni, administrators, and faculty members.
InterVarsity’s MBA ministry has had a history of co-hosting national conferences for business students and professionals, including the Open for Business — a conference for 1,200 business students, faculty, and practitioners hosted at Urbana 06. At Open for Business, we explored how Christians are identifying incredible opportunities for business to be a force for economic, social, and spiritual vitality, changing both individual lives and entire communities.
In 2011, the Believers in Business conference, originally founded in 2006 at the Yale School of Management by Professor David W. Miller and several MBA students, underwent a significant evolution due to it's partnership with InterVarsity National MBA Ministry. Initially known as the "Yale Christian MBA Business Conference," it was rebranded as Believers in Business in 2011 and relocated to New York City. Since then, the conference has grown exponentially, marking its 20th iteration with record-breaking attendance, fundraising efforts, and distinguished speakers. The conference is student led and one of the premier conferences for Christian MBA Students.
​Additionally, responding to the expanding alumni base within MBA Ministry, the Christian MBA Alumni Network was established in 2020. Initially launched virtually in response to the pandemic, it featured a series of events aimed at fostering both spiritual and professional growth. Over the past five years, the alumni network has flourished, hosting numerous events featuring notable speakers such as Cathy Wood from Ark Investments, Dave Evans of "Designing Your Life," and Deb Lu, the founder of Facebook Marketplace.
​In 2021, MBA Ministry partnered once again with MBA student leaders to launch the Anchor Retreat—a four-day gathering designed to connect and equip a growing alliance of believers in MBA programs across the country. Now in its fourth year, the retreat continues to serve as a meaningful launching point for incoming MBA students, fostering spiritual community and encouragement before their programs begin.​​​​​
The goals of InterVarsity’s MBA Ministry:​​
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Developing business-school fellowships that embody strong personal friendships; hold effective and welcoming group meetings for Bible study, prayer, and worship; and challenge students to relevant and active witness in the world.
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Hosting conferences that advance thinking on Christian leadership and business/faith integration and provide an effective setting for students, faculty, and professionals to form partnerships that will be reinforcing, stimulating, and vital for continued faithfulness.
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Encouraging a continued network of MBA students, faculty, alumni, and mentors across the country (and around the world) that extends well beyond the two years of business school and prompts ongoing discussion, mentoring, and discipleship.
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