So much of our lives and everyday decisions hinge on finances, but Daniel Park, PhD, professor and chair of the Leung School of Accounting and Finance, believes that anyone can look at finances through the lens of faith. Integrating the two allows people to be equipped to handle their money based on God’s financial principles and to become better people.
Park taught at the University of Oklahoma when he decided to come to Azusa Pacific University to interview for a finance faculty position. The interview began with a prayer which impressed Park because it was quite different from the secular schools he had interviewed at. After his interview, the dean invited Park to chapel. “Chapel is what touched my mind and heart to come here,” he said. “There was such a spiritual feeling in the room, and it impacted me to see students worship through their minds and actions.”
Park mentioned that in the Bible, Jesus talks about money, or Mammon, being a rival of God considering the influence money has over people, so in his teaching, Park focuses on how students can connect their faith to the financial field. “Good faith integration can change the world from belonging to man to glorifying God,” he said. “Students tell me the work they do for my classes is challenging, but after each semester, they all thank me for helping them to learn and think about money with a faith connection."
Each week in his Master of Business Administration (MBA) classes, the majority of which are virtual, Park requires his students to read articles that discuss faith and finance and analyze them from a faith approach. Some students connect the articles to their personal spiritual lives while others relate them to general Christian faith or current financial market issues such as interest rate changes, government interventions, or the stock market. They also read and respond to their classmates’ articles to learn about different perspectives and ideas. “One of my students lost his job, but after doing the article assignment, he told me that he was inspired to use prayer as his next step and to rely more on God,” Park said.
Watching his students grow in their academic and vocational fields as well as in their faith has been inspiring for Park. “When other professors at secular schools ask me about my job, I always tell them that I’m very happy at APU,” he said. “I enjoy seeing students change their views and connect faith and finance together. It has brought me joy and happiness for the past 23 years.”
Park also loves keeping up with his students' accomplishments after graduation. “One student said no to a job offer after graduating, and instead spent a year in Africa helping people before working,” he said. “Another student chose to work with a non-profit organization rather than a company job which pays more money, and it made me realize that our students are different than students from secular institutions because they want to serve God’s Kingdom first and foremost.” Park often receives emails from former students thanking him for his teaching, but most importantly praising God for His support in their lives and in the career opportunities they’ve had. Park believes that praising God first no matter a student’s achievements is an important part of life that he is glad he can pass on through his teaching.