Former Banking Executive Who Experienced 'Holy Takeover' Now Helping Others Merge Faith and Work

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A senior executive who left behind a high-paying career with one of the world's largest banks to lead a Christian ministry that helps people explore the meaning of life is returning to his corporate roots. His mission - help Christian businesspeople losing faith in work ... to find a higher calling at work.

Gerard Long, executive director for Alpha USA, is touring the country with a series of Workplace Faith gatherings, planned for 16 cities throughout the U.S. More than 200 executives and business owners attended the first gathering in Charleston, S.C. Attendees surveyed reported the event enhanced their understanding of a Christian's calling in the workplace, and many indicated that they would take concrete steps to live out their faith at work.

The next gathering will be held April 14 in Dallas, Texas, and will feature critically acclaimed speaker and author Ken Blanchard, whose One-Minute Manager has sold more than 13 million copies.

Participants will explore a variety of topics, including "Leading From the Front: Living Out My Faith in the Workplace." They will also learn about Alpha in the Workplace, a 15-session practical introduction to the Christian faith developed by the team behind the hugely successful Alpha course.

Thousands of businesspeople all over the world are attending Alpha in the Workplace. Corporate CEOs are holding sessions in their boardrooms. Factory workers are running courses in their cafeterias ... the options are unlimited.

A recent survey revealed only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work. According to Long, Christians who find themselves in that number will find greater satisfaction when they recognize that God's plan for them isn't limited to Sunday mornings.

For Long, the journey from corporate warrior to Christian soldier began with a dramatic encounter with God in 1980. Following this "holy takeover," he served 17 years as a pastor in North London, while continuing to climb the corporate ladder at one of the world's largest banks, HSBC. His faith would later be deepened through grief and suffering in the loss of his youngest son.

In 2006, upon completion of his most noteworthy assignment yet, leading the integration of HSBC's $14 billion acquisition of Household Finance, he announced his intention to leave behind his successful career - to join Alpha USA.

Long has successfully merged faith and work for nearly three decades, including running Alpha in the Workplace courses in boardrooms across two continents. He is unapologetic about his desire to see believers bring Christianity to the workplace.

"You can share your faith at work. If you truly believe people's eternal destinies are at stake, then you must do it."

Learn more about the Workplace Faith gatherings at http://alphausa.org/workplacefaith or by attending the 2010 Alpha Americas Conference: A Model for Dynamic Growth, June 22-23 in Naperville, Ill., http://alphausa.org/Americas.

For interviews, contact Janine Longoria at 224-588-8526 or [email protected].

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SOURCE Alpha USA