Last week we asked the question that changes everything: “Are my investments aligned with my values—or fueling what I’m praying against?” Once you start asking that question, the next step is figuring out how to align your investments with your faith.
That’s where the framework of Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) comes in. At its heart, BRI can be summed up in three words: Endorse, Engage, Exclude.
This isn’t just a financial strategy—it’s a discipleship decision. It’s a way of saying, “Even in the marketplace, I will honor Christ.”
1. Endorse: Support What Honors God
When you invest, you become a partial owner of the companies in your portfolio. Ownership is endorsement. That means every share you buy says, “I believe in what this company does, and I want to benefit from its success.”
So the first step in faith-based investing is to endorse companies that create value in ways that honor God and bless people.
Think of businesses that:
- Provide goods and services that meet real needs.
- Treat employees fairly and with dignity.
- Care for creation as good stewards.
- Build communities rather than exploit them.
When you endorse companies like that, you’re not just chasing returns—you’re investing in righteousness. You’re helping to fund businesses that align with God’s purposes for flourishing.
2. Engage: Influence Where Change Is Possible
Endorsement doesn’t mean perfection. Every company is made up of people, and people are broken. That’s why the second principle of BRI is engage.
Engagement means using your voice as a shareholder to encourage positive change. Sometimes this looks like filing shareholder resolutions, voting proxies, or joining forces with other faith-based investors to call companies toward better practices.
For example:
- Encouraging companies to adopt family-friendly policies.
- Asking boards to increase transparency and accountability.
- Urging businesses to cut ties with exploitative practices.
Engagement reflects Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city… Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” As stewards, we seek the welfare of the marketplace by calling it to higher standards.
3. Exclude: Refuse to Profit from Sin
Finally, there are times when the faithful choice is clear: exclude.
If a company’s core business is directly tied to things that oppose God’s Word—like abortion, pornography, predatory lending, human trafficking, or addictive substances—we cannot, in good conscience, profit from their destruction.
Ephesians 5:11 says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Exclusion is not optional; it’s obedience.
Excluding certain companies doesn’t mean your portfolio is doomed to underperform. In fact, many studies show that faith-based portfolios perform on par with, and sometimes better than, traditional ones. Why? Because avoiding corruption and aligning with integrity often leads to long-term strength.
An Analogy: The Dinner Invitation
Think of investing like inviting someone to dinner at your home.
- Endorse: You happily invite those who build up and encourage.
- Engage: You invite some who need guidance, hoping your influence will make a difference.
- Exclude: You do not invite those who would harm your family.
Why should our portfolios be any different? Every investment is an invitation. We’re deciding who sits at our financial table.
A True Story: The Church That Took a Stand
I once worked with a church whose leadership discovered that their endowment fund included companies tied to abortion and pornography. The pastor was stunned. “We’re praying for life and purity every Sunday,” he said, “and yet our money is funding death and corruption.”
The church decided to realign its investments using the endorse, engage, exclude framework. They endorsed companies building positive impact, engaged those open to influence, and excluded those entrenched in sin.
Not only did their conscience clear, but their congregation caught the vision. Giving increased, excitement grew, and people were inspired to apply the same principles to their personal finances.
That’s the ripple effect of faith-based investing—it doesn’t just change portfolios, it changes people.
How to Begin Applying Endorse, Engage, Exclude
Here are a few practical steps to put this framework into action:
- Screen Your Portfolio: Identify which companies you are currently endorsing—whether you realize it or not.
- Decide Where to Engage: Some companies may not be perfect but are open to shareholder influence.
- Set Boundaries for Exclusion: Draw a line in the sand: I will not profit from what God calls sin.
- Seek Wise Counsel: Work with an advisor who understands and practices BRI.
Living in the Assurance of Godly Investing
The beauty of the endorse, engage, exclude framework is that it gives us a simple, biblical grid for complex financial decisions.
Instead of living with vague guilt or blind ignorance, you can live with assurance that your money is stewarded in a way that honors God.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Investing is included in the “whatever.” And when we apply BRI principles, we move from compromise to conviction, from rebellion to redemption.
What I Want You to Remember
- Investing is endorsement—make sure you’re endorsing what honors God.
- Engagement allows you to use your voice as a shareholder to encourage change.
- Exclusion is obedience: refuse to profit from what God calls sin.
- The endorse, engage, exclude framework brings clarity and conviction to financial stewardship.
Money is never neutral. Every dollar you invest is either fueling darkness or funding light. The choice is yours.
By practicing endorse, engage, exclude, you ensure that your investments don’t just grow wealth—they grow witness.