Workplace Christians as Providers & Witnesses with Alan Barnhart

What does it look like to run a business that exists to glorify God? In this inspiring talk from the Workplace Track at the Fourth Lausanne Congress, Alan Barnhart shares the remarkable story of Barnhart Crane & Rigging—an industrial contracting firm that combines excellence in work, intentional witness, and radical generosity. With deep biblical conviction, he reflects on stewarding business success, the spiritual dangers of wealth, and how living simply can lead to greater freedom and impact.

Part of the Lausanne Workplace Track Series, this talk challenges marketplace Christians to view their daily work as worship and their profit as provision for God’s mission.

00:00 Introduction and Speaker Background
00:21 Showcasing the Company’s Work
01:27 Purpose and Values of the Company
02:06 Constructive Work as a Principle
03:09 Personal Witness and Sharing Faith
04:25 Business Success and Spiritual Concerns
06:25 Commitments and Safeguards
07:44 Growth and Generosity
09:56 Living a Simple Lifestyle
11:44 Conclusion and Reflections

Lausanne Workplace Track Series

This series features global leaders exploring the vital role of Christians in the workplace as witnesses, innovators, and disciple-makers. Recorded at the Fourth Lausanne Congress, these talks cover themes like redemptive work, business as mission, tentmaking, integrity, entrepreneurship, and equipping the whole Church for whole-life ministry. Whether you’re a CEO, student, teacher, or technician—your work matters to God.

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Speaker's Bio

Alan Barnhart

Alan Barnhart is the CEO of Barnhart Crane & Rigging. During high school and college, Alan and his brother, Eric, worked summers as ironworkers and crane operators, learning the business from the ground up. Alan studied civil engineering in college—preparation that would serve him well after joining the business full-time in the early 1980s. Under their leadership, Barnhart Crane & Rigging has grown to be one of the largest heavy lift and transport organizations in the U.S. Alan and his wife, Katherine, have six children and reside in Tennessee.

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