What does David Green have in common with Warren
Buffet, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg? First, they are all
billionaires. Second, they are all giving away half their wealth to charity.
The CEO of Hobby Lobby,
Green, a devout Christian, is among a growing list of billionaires who have
pledged to give away most of their money. Green and his wife, Barbara, are
officially part of The Giving Pledge, an effort to
invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving
the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable
organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their
death.
“Coming from a family of preachers, the idea of
giving back has been part of my life as long as I can remember,” Green wrote in
his pledge letter. “My parents and their parents before them were what some
would consider poor, but they gave back whenever they could whether through
small contributions of money, or through acts of kindness. God has blessed me
with a wonderful family, a successful business and outstanding employees. I do
not take these blessings lightly.”
When Hobby Lobby was created in the early 1970s,
Green says he was committed to use his profits to help ministry work. He says
he knew from an early age that ministry work, at least in the sense of
preaching from a pulpit, was not his calling. But, he adds, he also knew that
God gifted him with a mind for understanding business, and that gift would
allow him to carry out God’s work through contributions to great missions
throughout the world.
“We honor the Lord in all we do by operating the
company in a manner consistent with biblical principles. From helping
orphanages in faraway lands to helping ministries in America, Hobby Lobby has
always been a tool for the Lord’s work,” Green wrote, pointing to a verse in 2
Corinthians that says: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your
heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. … You will
be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and
through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
What’s
your take on wealth? Did Green make the right move?
Cheri Fuller and Cindy Lamb Curry 
Marilyn Hickey 
Charisma Staff 
