Author of the Month: John Adetunji

Today’s edition of the Xulon Press Successful Author Spotlight features John Adetunji, author of the book “From Passion To Profit – Business Start-Ups As God Intended”, which provides insight and advice for young entrepreneurs who are starting their first business. His website www.johnadetunji.com provides tips and testimonials for the new business owner. His book has been endorsed by Dr. Larry Keefauver, an internationally recognized pastoral leader, teacher and author, who, along with his wife Judi, have led family and ministry seminars on marriage, parenting, leadership and prayer.  John has also been endorsed by John C. Maxwell, internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, coach and author and founder of EQUIP and the John Maxwell Company, both organizations have trained more than five million leaders worldwide. Having received such high praise from these esteemed leaders in ministry adds credence to John Adetunji’s gift to train young entrepreneurs to be leaders of not just tomorrow, but today!

Our author has coined the phrase “business evangelism”, the vision God gave him that he has been called to the business world as a missionary, based on the scripture Isaiah 48:17 which states “I am the Lord thy God who teaches thee to profit, who leadeth thee where you should go.” Being convinced that God has sent him to be a Businary (business missionary), John has dedicated his life to ministering God’s principles for Christian business establishment and the tenets to follow that produce godly profit in business.

In his own words, John shares, “Businessman and Project Manager, Husband, Father, Teacher, Speaker, Trained Counselor, Pastor and Author—these are just some of the titles I’ve held in my life. But there is one title the Holy Spirit gave me in 1996. It is ‘Businary’ and that has been my vision since that time. He said to me, “You will be a missionary with business garment.” Hence the Spirit gave me the title ‘BUSINARY.’

“As a Certified Project Management Professional, I have started and managed large teams in complex projects over the past two decades in areas such as commercial real estate, health care, and natural resources. I was also the founder and head of a large downstream petroleum marketing company.

“I have written many books, including “Teamwork for Business Excellence”, “Money Conquest” and “Handling Life’s Crises” which are all based on biblical principles. My academic achievements include a M.S.C. degree in Construction Management, a M.A. degree in Biblical Studies, and I am a Certified John Maxwell Team Coach and Speaker. “Over the last three decades, I have helped establish congregations in Nigeria and Canada, and aided them to grow and thrive.”

“As a husband, father of four children, and now a grandfather, I have learned a great deal about leading by example. Acting as a role model in both the home and the workforce has instilled a sense of responsibility and dedication within me.”

“I have experience speaking at conferences, workshops and seminars in North America, Europe and Africa. After a long, successful career as a business/project manager and trained counselor, my goal is to share my knowledge, experience and passion with individuals, churches and organizations, taking them from where they are to where they want to be. I bring decades of extensive experience in workforce and community leadership to every speaking engagement and coaching opportunity. Encouraging people to maximize the advantage of the Cross for their wellbeing is my passion, and that is why I have written this book.”

As we got started with our conversation, I was keenly aware of John’s dedication to the calling God has placed on him. I thought that it was very important to find out how this “rags to riches” poignant story of success came to be. I asked him “What one past experience changed the course of your life?” John shared his testimony: “I was a successful man at 27. I am a pastor’s kid. At 29, I had a wife and 2 kids. I had 8 vehicles. Within 6 months, I lost everything. I learned that everything in life is vanity. I was born again at age 7 thru the ministry of Rev. William Hunking from Ontario, Canada — he was a missionary to Nigeria. My dad was the pastor of the United Ministry Church of Africa. The crusade took place in front of the church. I can remember that 4 boys were there. I grew up attending Christian primary and secondary school. Then I went to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Nigeria. I graduated and got a good job, was doing very well. Tragedy struck. I became jobless. I learned that everything was vanity. God got my attention as to what He was trying to get me to do.”

He continued. “My dad was a church planter until he was 92 years old. He worked in rural areas. I was one of 4 children: 2 boys, 2 girls. I was the baby. My mom was 108 when she went to be with the Lord on 1/17/14. God got my attention. I never wanted to be involved in the gospel because of how I suffered as a little kid with meager means having to struggle to survive, as I did as a pastor’s kid. I was attending church, in the choir, but I didn’t know that God wanted more than that from me until He allowed all the things I was enjoying to be taken away. I then asked God to help me when I prayed “if you want me to preach the gospel and save souls”. My dad didn’t believe that a minister should be financially successful. He was a Muslim who converted to Christianity at age 17. His family rejected him. He was sent to bible school and became a church planter and pastor. My late grandmother was an idol worshipper. But my mom was given to a cousin who was an evangelist, who raised my mom. The evangelist was working with missionaries and that is how my mom and my dad met—through the missionaries.”

Due to his success in both business and inspiring young entrepreneurs, I asked John “What method or process do you use to start your writing?” He explained “My method all depends on how God lays the book on my heart. Sometimes, God wakes me up in the middle of the night and says to write down these things, and I will write down an outline. Sometimes, I will record and then transcribe whatever I have recorded. I also read other people’s text, which have done something similar, and I will glean from their knowledge. Most of the time, I take notes when I go to church and God will minister through what He tells me and I put that in my book.”

I delved deeper into this inspiring story of starting with nothing and building his financial and spiritual success story as I asked “What message do you want shared by the story of your life?” He adeptly answered “Jesus heals sick businesses too.”

Because of the rich heritage of evangelism, from his mother to his father, I asked “What would you tell others about your relationship with Christ that would inspire them?” John opened his heart and said “I relate with Christ the way I relate with a friend that I see. I talk with Christ as if I am talking to my friend. Even though Christ is seated in heaven on the right hand of God, I talk to him as if I am talking to a friend who is there in the physical. It helps me because I talk to Him anytime, anywhere, anyhow. I relate to Him on a personal level. It’s not hard for me to talk to my wife or talk to people I love and spend quality time with, so it’s not hard to spend time with Christ because I have spent quality time with Him. When you have spent quality time with someone—Jesus said that they are my sheep, and they know my voice. He wants us to relate to Him on that kind of level—like a friend that’s in the now!”

I asked John my signature question “What will they write on your gravestone that will sum up your life?” he smiled as he responded “John was not a signage to heaven—he actually resides there!”

Probing deeper to get to the heart of the mission for this author, I asked “What message do you believe God is asking you to share with your world?” He shared from his heart “You can find it in John 9:4 and Isaiah 48:17. I think the message is that He is the owner of the Earth; the earth belongs to the Lord. Nothing that we want to do can be done behind Him or without Him. He is the master of profit making. This God that we serve gave us the master example when He invested Jesus Christ; He took risks with His only begotten son, to go to the Cross and to receive Him back to Him and see how many billions of people have been saved. The Word says in John chapter 9: “I must work while it is day—we must work!”

I asked John “Where do you draw inspiration?” He provided “I get inspiration from three sources: the Word of God, my quiet/prayer time and my fellowship with the Holy Spirit!”

Giving him the opportunity to speak to his world, I asked “What would be your WAKE UP Call be for your generation?” He resoundly declared “I am a baby boomer generation—there is nothing anybody can achieve without God!”

When I asked John “What is your theme scripture and why?” he broke out into recitation of Psalm 37:25 “I have been young and now am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or begging bread. No matter the circumstance, if you are righteous — then God will get your back.”

As we drew our conversation to a close, I quietly asked John “When you get to Heaven, what do you want to hear your Lord and Savior say?”

He pondered and then proclaimed “Welcome thou faithful servant, enter into the rest of the Lord.”

After hearing this inspirational true story of a pastor’s kid who grew up with nothing and was called to a mission field called business, this “Businary” enlightened me that “God can heal sick businesses” also. He has proven with his life that God will send you where He has equipped you to go—and He will provide opportunity to teach others what you have been taught so they can learn the wisdom of the Lord.

And that wisdom includes starting godly businesses that will profit in the name of the Lord—and that is what we all want—God’s hand to be on what we set forth!

Our world could use sage wisdom and godly advice, accompanied with a great example, when starting a new business!

Business Missionary John Adetunji is providing wisdom and advice, along with an example we can follow—and that will teach the nations that God prospers those who follow Him!

Find John Adetunji’s book From Passion To Profit – Business Start-Ups As God Intended on the Xulon Press Bookstore.