Business as a Field of Mission
A letter by Ashford CEO Rob Hays lays out the work of the Busch School for our next 10 years.
Image source: Ashford Hospitality Trust
First Things recently published several letters under the heading of “What I Would Say to the Synod.” One, by Rob Hays, president and chief executive officer of Ashford Hospitality, describes very well the role that the Busch School can play over the second decade of our existence, helping business be a force for good. We are reprinting his letter here, with permission from FT.
by Rob Hays
A few weeks ago, my company’s boardroom was filled with over thirty Catholic business executives from around the Dallas area. We have been getting together over breakfast and coffee four times a year for the past fifteen years to analyze difficult business situations and discuss how Catholic Social Doctrine can provide a practical framework for addressing them.
We’ve covered dozens of topics such as hiring practices, building corporate culture, compensation structures, employee well-being, and career development. We’ve read deeply in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church on private property, human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, the common good, and participation. In addition, our group is intensely focused on providing a forum for growing substantive friendships and expanding professional networks. Many of my dearest friendships have originated in that boardroom over a cup of coffee. We call our group the “Business Ethics Forum” and nearly four hundred different Dallas business executives have attended since its inception.
So as I consider “What I Would Say to the Synod,” I cannot help thinking about my fellow Catholic executives in that room and the many discussions we’ve had through the years—so perhaps a more apt title for these brief comments is “What We Would Say to the Synod,” since they will reflect the themes we frequently cover in our forums.
The first point I would highlight is that our employees and colleagues are struggling. They are living with anxiety, depression, and isolation, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. Many of them do not have flourishing relationships, resilient marriages, or supportive friendships. Distraction is rampant. They are confused on issues of identity and self-worth. They have no idea what it takes to be genuinely happy. While these struggles have always existed in various degrees, they seem particularly acute in today’s modern Western world.
The lack of moral and spiritual formation in recent generations is catching up with us, and we see the consequences every day at the workplace. The Synod members need to know that we must make lay moral and spiritual formation a priority. Our employees and colleagues need to know that to truly flourish in life they need many things: an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, a hunger to grow in virtue, a committed spouse, a willingness to sacrifice for their children, and an understanding that their professional work is a noble vocation. Many of us Catholic business executives are striving (albeit imperfectly) to model these ourselves, but we desperately need the Church to teach these truths with both clarity and charity. The confusion out there is real.
… because of the struggles we see in our employees, we are realizing that the workplace is, more than ever, the leading front for formation and evangelization.
The second point is that, because of the struggles we see in our employees, we are realizing that the workplace is, more than ever, the leading front for formation and evangelization. For example, our most recent Business Ethics Forum case study was focused on the roles and responsibilities of companies to help their employees with mental health issues. Historically speaking, these types of issues were handled at home by their families, their friends, or perhaps their local churches. But given the lack of trust in (or even the existence of) these relationships, it is now corporate managers and executives that are forced to engage on these types of personal issues.
Whether we believe it is an optimal structure or not, businesses and their corporate cultures are going to play a central and strategic role in the next wave of Christian formation, due to the unique cultural challenges in which we currently live. Which means that we need to be encouraging and training the next generation of business leaders to see their workplaces as a mission field. These business leaders need to be steeped in the Scriptures and in Catholic Social Doctrine. While they always need to respect the personal freedom of individuals, they need to lead boldly so that their companies live the Gospel faithfully. Most importantly, they need to hear the voice of Jesus, who says in John 4:35, “I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest.”
I would also like to remind Synod participants that business executives have unique skills and talents that can serve the Church in significant ways. Our ability to be creative problem solvers and our financial acumen can help address significant issues in the Church today.
Creativity, for example, is not the exclusive domain of artists, musicians, or theologians, nor is problem-solving the exclusive realm of mathematicians. George Gilder’s “The Soul of Silicon” speech, given at a 1997 conference on St. John Paul II’s encyclical Centesimus Annus, highlights the intersection of these skills in the corporate world. He recalls the “parable of the microchip” told by one of the founders of Intel. The parable narrates humanity’s transformative ability—it took three of the most basic and most abundant elements of the earth (sand, aluminum, silicon dioxide) to create the cornerstone of our digital civilization. As Gilder notes, “The most valuable substance in this fundamental product of the era is the idea for the design.” This capability to ingeniously convert base substances into revolutionary problem-solving products is indeed a manifestation of our God-given creativity and is one of the primary virtues that we businesspeople can embody.
The Church stands to benefit from new strategies in evangelization, innovative approaches to Christian education, and inventive models of community outreach. The spiritual nourishment provided by the Church can be enhanced through partnerships that allow for a broader outreach, thanks to technological advancements and data-driven decision-making. Business executives can help lead this charge.
Financial mismanagement has unfortunately plagued the Church in recent years, leading to scandal and skepticism. The Church cannot afford to alienate its flock any more due to lack of fiscal transparency or responsibility. Business leaders have the expertise to create or improve effective financial controls, set up accountability structures, and institute transparent financial reporting mechanisms.
These thoughts are not so much formal proposals for organizational reform; rather, they are an earnest plea to recognize the untapped reservoir of skill, ethics, and pragmatism that Catholic business leaders stand ready to offer. Our participation is not contingent on recognition or reward. It is motivated by our love for the Church and our deep-rooted desire to see souls saved.
We need to provide better formation to business leaders. We need to rethink the role of the business world in evangelism. We need to use the skills and talents of businesspeople to help our parishes and dioceses.
As you ponder the future course of our Church, consider how business leaders can contribute. We offer not just financial support but an arsenal of skills, intellect, and real-world experiences. But we are also close to many who are struggling. We need to provide better formation to business leaders. We need to rethink the role of the business world in evangelism. We need to use the skills and talents of businesspeople to help our parishes and dioceses. Engage us, involve us, and let us serve God by serving the Church.
Rob Hays is the president and chief executive officer of Ashford Hospitality Trust, a large, Dallas-based hotel owner; the chairman of the board of the Ethics and Public Policy Center; and the chairman of the board of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Studies at Princeton University, of which he is a graduate. He and his wife Alicia, a Princeton alumna, are expecting their seventh child in January.