Understanding Christian Investing
As more Christians seek alignment between their convictions and their investments, the need for thoughtful frameworks, clear definitions, and trustworthy guidance continues to grow.
About Christian Investing Council
Conviction and capital are deeply connected.
How can investing be aligned with Christian beliefs?
49.7% of U.S. public market investments are held by Christian church members, an estimated total of $22.4 trillion.* As more Christians have begun asking how to align their investments with their faith, there is a growing need for trusted educational resources.
*Kingdom Advisors published research, Apirl 29, 2024
Rooted in faith and history, recognizing multiple approaches.
Christian investing is not a single strategy or universally agreed upon framework. Different organizations and investors approach these questions differently, often emphasizing distinct theological, ethical, or financial priorities.
CIC's work is rooted in the Bible and the historic beliefs and practices of the Christian community. We uphold the clear ethical witness of the ages, while recognizing that in some ways Christians can take different approaches to applying that witness.
CIC Statement on Christian Investing
We rejoice in affirming together the Christian faith as professed in the Nicene Creed.
We believe and affirm that this faith should shape our investing.
The Triune God created and owns all things. Through Christ’s work and in the power of the Spirit, the Father is working in and through his church to restore creation’s shalom, the state of blessedness he originally designed for it. All that God has entrusted to us is to be managed on his behalf, for his purposes, anticipating Christ’s glorious return and creation’s full restoration.
God’s purposes for our wealth include not only spending to meet the needs of our households and giving to meet the needs of others, but building for the future. As an expression of faithfulness, investing places capital at risk so that it can be used for mutually beneficial economic cooperation to create both financial and non-financial value.
We are assailed by pressures from worldly structures and our own greed, pride and other malformed desires, tempting us to act as ultimate owners rather than stewards. To be a community of faithful stewards, God’s people are called to pursue distinctive Christlikeness through scripture, prayer, mindfulness of Christian tradition, and fellowship with one another characterized by honesty, trustworthiness and accountability.
Investing shaped by love, righteousness, wisdom and contentment, seeking to create profit with justice, with special concern for the least of these, is a rightly ordered act of faithful stewardship. Such investing contributes to the flourishing and integral development of human beings, cares for the order of creation, empowers generosity, and expresses neighborly love.
However, some uses of capital dishonor God’s purposes, cause harm, demean human dignity, and abuse creation. The Christian community is called to integrity, moral discernment, and action, seeking God’s kingdom first as it pursues financial returns.
Recognizing the complexity of investing, the range of investor circumstances, and the variety of legitimate goals faithful Christian investors may seek, we celebrate a growing consensus across the breadth of Christian tradition in favor of meaningful action, along with a diversity of approaches, expressed in three primary ways:
- Avoid investments that hinder the integrity of our faith.
- Engage opportunities to use our influence as investors for God’s purposes.
- Embrace investments that align especially well with the shalom God intends for his world.
Within this diversity of approaches, we commit to listening with humility, articulating our own theology with clarity, and seeking mutual edification with love.
Relying upon God’s grace by the Holy Spirit, we resolve to invest the wealth we steward to his glory, joining in his work, anticipating Christ’s glorious return. We call upon all Christians to do likewise, for the sake of God’s kingdom and the good of all people.
Endorsements
Affiliations listed for identification only.
CIC Board
Ken Barnes, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Luke Bolton, Kingdom Advisors
Ralph Kindred, StratzGroup
Aimee Minnich, Impact Foundation
Ben Nicka, University of Oxford
Nicholas Schmitz, Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America
Rob West, Kingdom Advisors
CIC Staff
Greg Forster, Christian Investing Council
Tim Macready, Christian Investing Council
Founding Endorsements
Uche Anizor, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
David Bahnsen, Bahnsen Group
Darell Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary
Jerry Bowyer, Bowyer Research
Robert Brooks, Culverhouse College of Business, University of Alabama
Reuben Coulter, Faith Driven Investor
Bob Doll, Crossmark
Shane Enete, Crowell School of Business, Biola University
David Friedman, Bountiful Financial
Matt Galyon
John Grabowski, Catholic University of America
Matthew Kaemingk, Fuller Theological Seminary
Aaron Larson, LPL Financial
Andy Manton, OneAscent
Matt Monson, Sovereign's Capital
Brian Mumbert, Timothy Plan
Steve Nelson, Faith Investor Services
Robert Netzly, Inspire Investing
Cole Pearson, OneAscent
Harry Pearson, OneAscent
Daniel Schreck, Ave Maria University
Blake Schwarz, New Church Commons
Tim Schwarzenberger, Inspire Investing
Amy Sherman, Sagamore Institute
Will Sorrell, Crossmark
Rich Todd, Innovest
Miroslav Volf, Yale Divinity School, Yale University
Andrew Walker, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Brent Waters, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
James Waters, Kingdom Impact
Amos Yong, Fuller Theological Seminary
Frequently Asked
What is the Christian Investing Council?
Our board and staff bring professional expertise in theology and finance. We are intentionally ecumenical, bringing together a wide range of Christian traditions (including Catholics and Protestants) through our shared commitment to the Nicene Creed.
What are the beliefs of the Christian Investing Council?
Our published documents, such as the CIC Statement on Christian Investing, represent our commitment to the Christian faith, expressed in the Nicene Creed and historically applied to financial markets through Christian tradition.
We recognize a variety of viewpoints on specific issues within this history and are not seeking to impose uniformity in cases where authentic Christian beliefs have historically varied. However, where the Christian tradition reflects more unity, we seek to uphold that unity.
At times, the Council’s stated religious beliefs need to address issues that are subject to significant social controversy. Our approach is to step back from current social and political passions, to ground our beliefs in the wisdom of the Bible and to take a long-term view of the community that has historically embodied the Christian tradition.
While Christian tradition includes instances where wisdom has developed over time, we draw a distinction between authentic development and radical reinterpretations of Christianity that break with historic Christian belief and practice. This distinction is vital to the Council’s ability to maintain fidelity and avoid captivity to short-term perspectives.
Whom does CIC represent?
We are committed to listening well to others, who may or may not share our Christian beliefs, and we remain open to learning from their insights. We are not an arm or extension of any denominational body, and do not claim to speak on behalf of any other specific group of investors, Christian or non-Christian.
Are you a registered investment advisor or financial advisory firm?
We draw on our published religious beliefs to evaluate investment products marketed to Christian investors. We do not offer personalized financial or investing advice, and our published opinions should not be interpreted as investing advice.
Our investment evaluation process is transparent, well documented and independent from consideration of any actual or potential relationship, endorsement or remuneration.
Our published religious beliefs explain what we believe and how we apply those beliefs to investment evaluation.
