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The early morning sun peeks just above the gritty warehouses in a Dallas industrial park, casting long, lanky shadows from the dozen men filing
into the Interstate Batteries warehouse. The men have shown up for work an hour early--at 7 a.m. on a Monday--for their
weekly, voluntary Bible study group. They are drivers and salesmen, younger fellows mostly, wearing the company-issued, green-pinstriped shirts. The Rev. Jim Cote, Interstate's
full-time corporate chaplain, leads the men in prayer. They close their eyes, bow their heads and pray for flood victims in Europe, for "that gal back east that drowned her babies"
and for the safety and success of the Interstate-sponsored race car in the Daytona 500. But mostly, these blue-collar men pray that the power of God will help them in their work and
that the words of Jesus will heighten their commitment to their family, their country and their job selling automobile batteries.
The Bible study is conducted with the blessing of Interstate Chairman Norman Miller, a born-again Christian who believes that religion not only belongs in the workplace but is an
essential part of business success. This spiritual devotion, explains Miller, has made Interstate the leading replacement battery manufacturer in North America, with revenues of
$350 million in 1994. "I need to be faithful to Jesus 100 percent of the time," declares Miller. "And that includes my business."
To help the United States become a more Christian nation, Miller is pouring money into a host of projects outside the workplace. Over the past few years, for example, he has
committed some $3 million to distribute "Jesus," a videotape of Christ's life designed to convert non-Christians to the faith. He also donates $8,650 a year to the Free Market
Foundation, an organization that helps voters identify socially conservative candidates in Texas who want to end legal abortions, establish prayer in public schools and drastically
decrease welfare spending. During the 1994 election, the Free Market Foundation helped bring Republicans within three seats of a majority in the Texas Senate, the first time since
Reconstruction that the state GOP has been in such a powerful position.
Norm Miller's highly visible blend of commerce, religion and politics would not be tolerated in many corporations today. But the spirited--and spiritual--entrepreneur is hardly
alone in business circles as he struggles to redirect the country's cultural compass so it points straight, away from what he sees as moral decay and toward traditional
values.
(U.S. News & World Report)
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