A Business Apostle Beyond Boundaries

Exclusive interview with Qian Wenzheng, founder of "Business Apostle Network"

Photo courtesy/Qian Wenzheng

In the spring of 2020, when the epidemic first broke out, when the world was full of uneasiness and people were panicked, a brand new App (application) - "Business Apostle Network" - emerged. Weekly online lectures are like a glimmer of light in a dark room. In the depression and loneliness of isolation, people see and hear the performance of the country’s elites in all walks of life through the borderless Internet; and the outstanding citizens of the country Cross boundaries and become a testimony of loving God and neighbor with all your heart, soul, and strength.

What exactly is the "Business Apostle Network"? Where did the motivation for planning come from? What is the impact of ideas and ministries? We can find the context through the life and career of Qian Wenzheng, the founder of the "Business Apostle Network".

Qian Wenzheng's family portrait

Scaffolding the Network for Apostolic Businessmen

When talking about the reason why Qian Wenzheng founded the "Business Apostle Network", we must start from his first participation in the "Taiwan Full Welfare Association Annual Conference" led by President Zeng Guosheng 20 years ago. At that time, he gathered with more than 1,500 Christians from the business community around the world at the Plaza Hotel in Taipei. They sang and danced together to praise God and shared testimonies. He was deeply moved, and his life was transformed by God there. He was determined to join this international fellowship composed of working brothers. After many years of participation, he took over the position of president of the Southern California Full Welfare Association in 2014, which he held for five years.

In January 2020, Elder Zhang Qiming held four lectures on "Prophets and Apostles in the Workplace" in Southern California, including an in-depth introduction to the "Clapham Saints" in England in the 18th century. [Note] Zhang Qiming believes that Christians must take leadership positions in the seven most influential areas of society, that is, the seven mountains of the workplace: art, business, religion, media, education, family, politics, law, etc., in order to change society culture. He has a great burden to promote the ministry of Seven Mountains in the Workplace and to restore the early church. His ideas deeply touched Qian Wenzheng, and he deeply felt that these precious messages, which combine God’s wisdom and industrial resources, can be implemented in the kingdom of God, and should be heard by more people.

However, physical lectures are limited by space and time, and those who can participate are limited after all; good information is like seeds, which should be sown when there is an opportunity. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, after consulting and discussing with all parties, and with the support and help of his wife, Qian Wen is using his professionalism to set up the "Business Apostle Network" application and put wonderful speeches and discussions on the platform and YouTube , available free of charge.

Zhang Qiming suggested the name "network" because he hopes Christians can connect with many people in the workplace. Therefore, we invite leaders from all walks of life and workplace leaders with apostolic breakthrough power to share their testimonies on how they broke through and became pioneers in the industry. In addition to Elder Zhang Qiming who regularly shares information, there is also Elder Lin Fengliang, the former president of Payless Car Rental, who works together in the form of symposiums every Wednesday. Invite outstanding Christians from various industries to share their professional insights and life experiences on diverse and current issues, such as the impact of ChatGPT on the future of mankind, the revival of Asbury, etc. We hope that the audience will understand how to live by faith and live by faith. Possibly, be moved and take action.

Gan Wen is currently in Los Angeles, hosting global online joint discussions every Wednesday at the "Business Apostle Network". Experts and believers from different regions gather together in the cloud, becoming a pioneer in online lectures. During the COVID-19 epidemic, it is normal for two to three hundred people to come online at a time. In addition to all over the United States, there are participants from Taiwan, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong... After the epidemic eased, nearly a hundred people participated. Even if you are unable to participate immediately, you can still watch it at any time on the "Business Apostle Network" App and YouTube channel, transcending time and space limitations and reaching far and wide. If you are interested in the lecture, please search for "Business Apostle Network" in the App Store and YouTube.

Qian Wenzheng has been engaged in the Internet and computer industry for more than 30 years and is currently a strong e-commerce competitor of Amazon. His successful career makes him very busy, but he is willing to devote his time, effort and money to running this platform. His personal life is full of miracles of God’s grace. His father, Mr. Qian Hancheng, also had a profound impact on him.

Father's business apostolic life

Qian Hancheng is a wise, generous and strategic entrepreneur. After being baptized as a Christian at Taipei Bread of Life Church, he led his whole family and employees to believe in the Lord, and enthusiastically participated in the development of the early church in Taiwan. In his spare time from busy work, he enthusiastically preached the gospel, set up a missionary in the factory, and invited Assistant Pastor Zhou and many teachers to teach children in Sunday school. Qian Wenzheng recalled how when he was a child, he would often play gongs and drums on the street to call neighbors to attend gatherings and learn about Christ, and many families were saved as a result. The mission house later became the first branch of the Bread of Life Church around the world, the Banqiao Bread of Life Church, and was the cradle for cultivating preachers and missionaries.

▲Children’s Sunday School classes at Banqiao Mission Center, which was established in the office of Qian Wenzheng’s father Qian Hancheng’s factory more than 60 years ago.

At the age of 47, Qian Hancheng gave up his career to recuperate at home due to lung disease. Two years before his death, he spent every day studying Bible and spiritual practice at his home in Shuangxi. On weekends and holidays, the three Wenzheng brothers were always required to bring tea eggs and drinks to distribute gospel tracts. His piety, preaching the gospel with life, and witnessing for the Lord in the workplace are still clearly engraved in Wen Zheng’s mind.

In an era when most schoolchildren went barefoot, Wen Zheng was already riding a jeep to go to school. However, due to Attention Deficit Disorder, the path to school was full of setbacks.

When I was in junior high school, my family hired a tutor, but my math score in the joint entrance examination was only 14 points. He was dropped out of high school when he was a sophomore in high school, which made him doubt himself. Occasionally, my father heard a friend's criticism that the article was "rotten wood that cannot be carved." He was so angry that he hated iron that cannot be turned into steel. He returned home and picked up a stick to prepare for punishment. Wen Zheng didn't dare to run away. He waited with his head in his arms but saw no movement. He looked up and saw a scene that shocked him: his father, who had always been afraid of him and was as majestic as a mountain, had the arm holding the stick drooping and tears streaming down his face. This scene made him deeply understand his father's love and expectations, and it also had a profound impact on him. It still inspires him to move forward and never let his father down again.

After the mountains and rivers are exhausted, spread your wings and soar

After retiring from the army, Qian Wenzheng returned to the family business. At that time, his father had passed away and his mother was the person in charge. Although he was the eldest son, he did not have any position or training. He was confused about his future, so he changed careers and came to the United States.

Qian Wen was concentrating on preparing for the college application exam. He prayed urgently and asked God for wisdom. Finally, he scored 550 on the TOEFL and 99 on the GRE. Prove that you are not an idiot and restore confidence in your future. Finally, he successfully entered Texas A&M University to study computer science.

In 1987, when the electronics industry was just getting started, Qian Wen was investing US$4,000 to import the first batch of goods from Taiwan. Unexpectedly, the entire copy was confiscated by U.S. Customs because there was no copyright certificate. After carefully studying the import regulations, he prepared the customs entry documents for the second time, doubled his investment of US$8,000, and successfully imported computer graphics cards. In the early days, boxes of goods were piled in his one-bedroom apartment. During the day, he drove a small truck to stores selling computers throughout Southern California.

Coinciding with the surge in demand for computers and coupled with marketing talent, the business soared. The annual revenue was 4.8 million US dollars, which doubled the next year. It even reached five times in 1996, and the company also hired dozens of employees.

Entrepreneurship is risky, especially in the technology industry. Just when the company was doing well, Dell began selling computers through its website in 1996, which affected many small businesses and Qian Wenzheng's operations also took a turn for the worse. In order to support his stagnant business, he worked hard and carried his inventory and employees to swap meets. I often go to the market to set up exhibitions before the sun rises, and I can’t enter my house until after ten o’clock in the evening.

Due to the general environment and situation, this kind of sales method has limited effectiveness. It is often moved out and brought back unchanged. The annual compensation was between US$400,000 and US$500,000, and all previous profits were lost in four years, leaving only five employees. When his career came to an end and he was faced with the decision of whether to close the company, he began to pray to God urgently.

God guides us through the ups and downs of business

At this time, employee Henry volunteered to write programs for the company, allowing Qian Wenzheng to sell computer batteries on eBay, an emerging e-commerce website at the time, and continue his business. This opportunity started his e-commerce career.

One day I met a preacher by chance and wanted to exchange emails with him so that we could continue to contact him, but I realized that the preacher did not have a computer. The Holy Spirit inspired Wen Zheng to give him a laptop. At that time, he was very poor and had a profit of at least US$1,500 from selling a laptop, which made him feel wary. But when I clearly heard God say, “Give it to him,” I had no choice but to obey. A few hours later, an urgent order for 1,500 items in stock was received from a Taiwanese. The delivery was completed that night, netting a net profit of US$65,000.

The Bread of Life Church was to be moved in two weeks, and Wen Zheng heard the pastor's call for donations. Seeing that there was only US$5,000 left in the deposit, I felt very hesitant. With the constant encouragement of the Holy Spirit, I reluctantly donated US$1,000. On the same day, the Taiwanese who had purchased previously bought the same 1,500 boxes of goods again. That night, I was counting 65,000 yuan in cash and burst into tears.

No matter how much he gave when he was rich, God will remember his wholehearted devotion even more when he was in need. These two special experiences made Wen Zheng feel that he should have passed God's test, and he was grateful for God's love and faithfulness, which answered his prayers abundantly. The amazing thing is that at this time, I met a bankrupt listed company and asked him to move all the inventory in the warehouse for free. Among them, the original Windows discs were sold online at a net profit of 10 yuan per disc. The company gradually weathered the storm and survived several miserable years. Wen Zheng realized that it was God’s care and protection that fed him with amazing grace.

It’s just that God did not promise smooth sailing, and His power is far greater than human plans. In the early morning of one morning in 2009, the company was burned down due to a short circuit in the battery charging, which accidentally ignited the flammable materials piled up in the company. After clearing the fire scene, rescue undamaged goods and restock them. It is God's grace that we were able to make a comeback in the midst of the financial tsunami.

Wenzheng Company's sales volume on eBay is huge, and its reputation is also good. Amazon, which has the largest customer base, proactively contacted him and invited him to use Amazon's platform to sell. He readily accepted the order, and it has grown several times from 4,000 orders a month. Despite fierce competition and pressure from his peers, he always relied on God, backed by God’s faithfulness, worked conscientiously, and operated with integrity. During the epidemic, our performance increased instead of decreasing, and we once again experienced God’s great protection and promotion. For this, Wenzheng is extremely grateful.

▲The company fell into ruins overnight, and Qianwen is relying on God to make a comeback.

Transcending boundaries for God

Although his career has had its ups and downs, Qian Wenzheng is grateful for God’s blessings through many trials and has a deep understanding that God is a true and living Savior. People cannot choose the situations and circumstances that happen to them, but they can choose how to respond. As a result, he developed a greater spiritual vision, saw God's good will, and inherited his father's faith and mission, as Ephesians 3:20 says:「God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us."

Qian Wen is looking forward to using the "Business Apostle Network" to spread the word about making the workplace a gospel field, inspiring believers from all walks of life to see themselves as apostles, to serve as salt and light with a mission, and to demonstrate outstanding management with humility, holiness, and creativity. and execution. Let the people you come into contact with at work see the Christian's behavior, beliefs and values, and develop a desire for Christian faith, so that all people can become disciples of Christ Jesus.

The "Business Apostle Network" provides a channel for speaking out and a platform for the gospel. It hopes to connect the blessings and prayers of church pastors, pool industrial resources and workplace anointing, revive faith, influence generations, and build a fair, free, godly, and peaceful society for God. A kingdom of peace and prosperity, a kingdom that transcends all visible and invisible boundaries.

Note: William Wilberforce was a Christian and a member of Congress. He had friends in Congress in different fields such as politics, law, economics, education, finance and taxation, diplomacy, management, and literature. They met regularly at Clapham Farm to discuss current affairs and brainstorm. At the same time, there was a great revival of faith represented by John Wesley. After nearly 40 years of hard work, he ended slavery and promoted a series of Sunshine Acts that had far-reaching impacts on Britain. (For details, please refer to "Brotherly Love Shakes Mountains and Rivers" written by Professor Zhang Wenliang.)