On March 29, Southeastern Seminary hosted its third annual Faith at Work Conference. One of the breakout sessions featured RFI Senior Business Fellow Mike Kuckel, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Financial Group. He spoke on, “The Application of Religious Freedom in Investing.”  

Kuckel outlined the meaning and value of religious freedom and explained how expressing one’s religious faith in the marketplace, particularly in investing, can be an important exercise of that freedom. He also talked about the role of government in securing religious freedom in society and how the relationship between one’s religious convictions and business practices can be affected by law and policy. He referenced the cases of Jack Phillips (Masterpiece Cakeshop) and Baronelle Stutzman (Arlene’s Flowers) as illustrative examples. 

Kuckel concluded by offering a framework for Christian investing. Faithful obedience in the marketplace, he remarked, allows Christians to have a significant impact on the world around them in ways that promote human flourishing. By investing in companies that contribute to human flourishing, people of faith are able to engage the marketplace and direct capital to its highest and best use in accord with their deepest convictions.

Kuckel emphasized that religious freedom secures the right of everyone to act in the marketplace in ways that align with their religious convictions. Speaking as a Christian, he reminded his audience that this fundamental freedom is also a source of responsibility for them to bless others through the exercise of their Christian faith.