Interview Richard Raj
Dynamic Steward: How would you introduce yourself as a person?
I am a local, self-made businessman, passionate about the mission of the church, more particularly for the Seventh-day Adventist education system. My life’s mission is to rescue educational institutions that are suffering from many attacks. I strive to be someone who loves the Lord and serves Him wholeheartedly.
Ricahrd Raj: What has led you to this clear life purpose?
You should never forget your own story, as it reveals how the Lord wants to use you. This isn’t just my life’s story, but my father’s and my grandfather’s stories. We come from the bottom of the pit, and I am here today. How can I forget the journey and the contributing factors that shape our lives? Adventist education has played a major role in this journey. How do we keep this ministry going? It’s essential to remember where you come from, on what you’re standing. This understanding gives you purpose.
What can you share about your journey as an entrepreneur? How did you find yourself in the business world?
My first love is evangelism, the preaching ministry, and I’m keeping this passion alive. I went into business out of necessity and desperation, which gradually turned into an enterprise over the years. I was a student who had just arrived in the U.S. and needed to survive; you have to do something to eat. Business was never my dream; I did not start with a business plan and the intention to create a company. But lo and behold, there was the hand of God, molding me in a subtle way, leading me to this path.
Being an entrepreneur is not for everybody; it’s not easy to start with nothing—no capital, no resources. You build one block at a time. And you have many days when you feel like quitting, but you keep going. These experiences have shaped my approach to life, and now I’m bringing this mindset to our institutions: There's a way to do it, you only have to figure it out.
Based on your passion for evangelism, I would expect you to be a denominational worker. Why is that not so?
Life circumstances and God led me in another direction, but the mission never dies. Based on what I have seen from my father and grandfather, who were church workers, denominational service comes with some constraints. I enjoy the freedom to respond directly and swiftly to God’s calling. If there is a call to go to India, South Africa, Ghana, Russia, or elsewhere, and I have the resources, I’m able to go immediately. It’s just between God, the calling organization, and me.
How do your Adventist values and beliefs influence your practices in business?
My business, religious, and family practices are all informed by the same principles. First and foremost, I believe in a Creator God. Second, I consider everybody as a soul created in the image of God. Why would I treat them as brothers and sisters at church and not at work? It’s the same. Consistency is key; I avoid contradictions. My fundamental principles are rooted in the Bible and remain the same no matter where I go. Before you arrived, I met with some bankers to discuss loans involving huge sums; my principles did not change. I put on different hats or change clothes for different roles, but inside, I remain the same person.
How have your professional activities created opportunities for you to witness your faith with your workers and also with your clients?
By not compromising my principles. We tolerate people because everybody won’t be up to our standards, but we don’t compromise. What is right will always remain right. Can we compromise? No. Can we tolerate? Yes. We tolerate to help edify people, to give them time to get better. I’ve had people who wanted me to compromise my integrity; I walked away. We cannot force our beliefs on people, but they see our actions and values.
Do you have a concrete example of how your business has become a witnessing platform?
We have about 150 employees. Recently, a man and a woman were working in our enterprise. They were in a relationship but were not married, and the woman was pregnant. I respectfully advised them that the best thing for the baby would be to get married and create a family. They agreed. We brought them to the PG County Courthouse and registered them as a couple. We funded a small celebration. When the baby was born, they honored me by calling the child Richard, after me. That’s the kind of influence you’re going to have when you do things to glorify God.
How have you used the proceeds from your business to advance God’s mission locally, regionally, and internationally?
We believe and practice tithe, but God loves a cheerful giver. A cheerful giver and a life of gratitude is not just something you do with words; you have to show it in actions. We give our offerings to the church, and we support special projects. I’ll mention a few examples.
I am originally from India, where we have built churches, helped schools, and sponsored students. Then came the call to go to Africa. For our first trip, we visited a poverty-stricken area near Bugema University in Uganda. We picked up a child from a dumpster who now carries our last name. We continue to pay her tuition. Today, hundreds of students have paid their tuition at Bugema University through our sponsorship. We also sponsored a seminary building, Dr. Richard Raj’s Family Theology Seminary Block. When we did that, there were about 100 theology students. Last year, I visited again, and now there are 980 theology students, with at least 400 school graduates yearly. One pastor, Robert, a graduate of Bugema Adventist Seminary, who was my translator during my evangelistic meetings, has baptized over 400 souls a year for the past four years; you could see the multiplying effect, the five loaves and two fish feeding the 5,000. You put a small structure, start a small school, support a flickering flame, it grows into 1,000 students, and graduates are going out and baptizing thousands. We expanded our assistance to Bugema University by helping the completion of the building for the Health Science Program. Similarly, we support a program in Arusha, Tanzania, by shipping medical equipment from India and purchasing a school bus. As of now, 40 students have already registered for the Health Science Program, which starts in September 2024. We have yet to determine the measure of the benefit of sending some financial assistance; it is far beyond what we can ever imagine.
Besides the financial means, as an entrepreneur, I have learned to run an organization, motivate people, and grow them. I pass these qualities on to the institutions that we are supporting. Foremost, I encourage the leadership of these institutions to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit, to kneel and ask for the anointing power of the Holy Spirit for their institutions daily. I have learned about the power the Holy Spirit while struggling in business. It is the greatest gift we can tap into, and all other gifts follow.
People struggle in many places where the church is growing because of the economic situation and unemployment. What would be your words of wisdom for young members contemplating entrepreneurship?
Many of our young people come to the church seeking capital investment. And that’s one way to start a business and become an entrepreneur. But there is also hardcore entrepreneurship, where you start with nothing—an empty pocket. That’s what I did. I came to this country (U.S.) with $100, slept on the streets, and had nowhere to go. What do you have in your hand? What are your available resources? Utilize them.
I often visit our institutions and notice how much land around the churches or schools is sitting barren. What would it take to dig and plant? Why can’t we use our resources to the maximum? The land that the Adventist Church owns is priceless everywhere. When are we going to utilize that? How does a small village farmer survive with a little sickle and a hoe in his hand? I challenge the young people to go with nothing, like the first disciples. Go, the Lord says, I’ll be with you, and you will see wonders.
Have faith. How did we survive COVID? From millions in revenue, we went to zero. We had enough reasons to quit, but we kept planning for the future and moved on.
What would you advise church leaders to do to encourage members to become self-employed?
I believe that church leaders have a great role in preaching the gospel and preparing souls for the life to come. However, we also have a life to live here on earth. And we have to be good stewards of the time and resources that we have in our hands. And no one can claim we have no resources or gifts. As shepherds, you are responsible for caring for the flock spiritually mentally, and materially.
Pastors and other church leaders should learn not to depend on someone to come and give and not cultivate this dependency mindset in their members. You cannot keep saying: “I don’t have the means.” Means are not only a bank balance, but all of God’s given resources. In the Adventist Church, we teach spiritual principles and healthy living, but do we have a system to help our members achieve financial freedom and independence? I have learned a model of economic independence from the first Australian missionaries who came to Spicer Memorial College and from missionaries who went elsewhere. They established a bakery, manufactured soya milk and peanut better, ran a farm for dairy and poultry. This is how they built Spicer Memorial College, and students who were unable to pay for their studies could work off their tuition. Church leaders should help their congregations to recapture this vision of economic independence.
