
by Marcelo Pazos Hernández & Elliott Snuggs
Our fourth A3.business session in Ecuador marked a historic milestone for the movement: it was the first A3.business gathering conducted entirely in Spanish. While the language shift itself was significant, what truly distinguished this session was the depth of reflection, the boldness of the dialogue, and the unmistakable evidence of transformed thinking among the participants.
This cohort leaned deeply into the foundations of Kingdom business—what it truly means, why it matters, and how Christian leaders are uniquely called to shape the marketplace for Christ. Through readings, frameworks, and real-world case studies, participants were stretched beyond familiar models and invited to reimagine leadership, influence, and responsibility through a Kingdom lens.
As Marcelo shared,
“Members of the first cohort were challenged by the speaker to be and act according to our faith and be influential in the marketplace, including financial and management principles.”
This was not abstract theology or business theory. It was a clear and compelling call to action.
Throughout the weekend, a powerful shift became visible. Conversations revealed that participants were not simply learning new concepts—they were undergoing a fundamental change in how they view their businesses, their leadership, and their calling.

Several members told Elliott with deep conviction that A3.business has completely changed how they think about their business. They are no longer content to be Christians who merely operate within the marketplace. Instead, they are embracing a Kingdom-centered identity and mission:
“We are seeing leaders move from being ‘Sunday Christians’ to Monday–Saturday pastors and evangelists, recognizing that their employees, vendors, and clients are their congregation.”
This is the transformation A3.business exists to cultivate—leaders who so fully integrate faith and work that the marketplace itself becomes their primary mission field.

A key highlight of the session was welcoming Junior Zapata from Guatemala as the practitioner. Junior is a seasoned consultant and executive coach serving major businesses throughout Latin America and beyond. His credibility as a practitioner, combined with his deep Kingdom perspective, resonated powerfully with the cohort.
Junior helped participants see entrepreneurship not merely as a career choice, but as a strategic and God-ordained role within the Kingdom of God. His teaching affirmed their calling while challenging them to lead with greater intentionality and spiritual clarity.
Elliott summed it up simply:
“He did a brilliant job.”
Participants left the session encouraged, sharpened, and eager to apply what they had learned. And yes—Marcelo is right—there remains a remarkably high level of enthusiasm to continue together. As one participant said with a smile:
“So far, nobody wants a graduation…”
That sentiment speaks volumes. It reflects a growing learning community—one that is deeply engaged and unwilling to let the journey end.

The trip also included meaningful visits in two additional cities, where we met with prospective future cohort members. These conversations were marked by curiosity, openness, and a shared hunger for a more integrated vision of faith and business.
We are especially grateful to see current participants already stepping forward to help sustain and expand A3.business in the region. Ownership is growing. Vision is spreading.
The momentum is real. The hunger is evident. And the doors continue to open.
For now, we celebrate what God is doing in Ecuador and across Latin America—an expanding Kingdom imagination among business leaders who desire to serve Christ with all they are and all they have.
Warm regards,
Marcelo & Elliott

Marcelo Pazos Hernández is an expert in international relations, negotiations and market access. He has experience in Asia and Latin America developing businesses and supporting trade negotiations and diplomacy. Marcelo leads A3.business efforts in Latin America.
Elliott Snuggs has been with A3 since 1983 and currently serves as Executive VP for A3.business. He has invested significant time and expertise in helping launch A3.business, building it to be a growing leader development program for the marketplace in numerous countries.
This past weekend marked a watershed moment for the A3.business cohort in Latin America. This was our third session in the 18-month leadership journey. So the A3.business participants gathered in Puembo, Ecuador for a time of deep learning, personal transformation, and Spirit-filled community.
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The first weekend of March, I had the honor of joining an exceptional group of marketplace leaders—members of the first Latin American cohort of A3.business—for a workshop led by Will Nicklas and coordinated by Elliott Snuggs.
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HELLO, MY NAME IS MARCELO.

DAVE WENDORFF HERE...
And a highlight of this orientation besides the chocolate factory, which was fantastic, and learning what a mochaccino is, was the... just the earnestness and interest in all of the participants in wanting to know how they can be more transformational in their sphere of influence in their workplace.
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I AM NATE AANDERUD. I WAS RECENTLY IN ECUADOR WITH A3.
We were there for A3's orientation for the pastors and also business leaders.
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HELLO EVERYONE! MY NAME IS MARCELO.
I'm from Ecuador, and recently, we were here in the capital Quito with the global team of A3.

A3.business has just launched our first cohort in the nation of Taiwan. Orientation was held just recently for about 15 men and women from the marketplace.
Starting in a new country for A3 is more challenging because the leaders have never seen what A3 does and don't have people they know who have been a part of one of our deep learning communities. But, the participants in this orientation were perhaps the most senior-level group as a whole we have worked with in any country. They are owners and c-suite leaders of major companies with years of experience.
Still, at the end of the orientation, we heard the same response we so often hear in every country we enter...
"This is exactly what we need."

Sharing with the group in Taiwan were three marketplace believers from the United States:

This is our first Mandarin-speaking cohort. Mandarin is the second most spoken language after English, according to a top language learning service, Berlitz.

Session 1 will be in November 2024, so you can be praying about this first cohort launch. We will report on how things are proceeding in this new country.
At A3.business we are excited about connecting marketplace leaders in vibrant communities that can help break down the sacred/secular divide with the transforming message of Jesus Christ. Our process is centered around the belief that a Spirit-led community can change the culture of an entire nation—virtually anything—toward Christ's purposes.

Recently A3 launched a new cohort for marketplace leaders in Seoul, South Korea. The latest group that gathered outside of Seoul for the orientation to our third cohort was quite amazing. Among the group were:
Continue readingBY NOEL BECCHETTI

“We need this urgently.”
— veteran pastor
“I have been praying for a program to help me understand how to apply my Christian faith in my working world.”
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— lawyer
""There are plenty of ministries to help Christian leaders develop their skills. What sets A3.business apart is a focus on the transformation of a leader’s soul. A3 holds an integrated vision of life and leadership that refuses to separate a person’s calling in the world from his or her communion with Christ. By targeting this deeper level of existence, A3.business equips leaders with a new vision of faithfulness and not merely new tools of effectiveness.""
Skye Jethani, Author, Speaker, Consultant and Pastor. Former senior editor for Leadership Journal
SkyeJethani.com | more endorsements...
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