Tony Clemens' position as a senior partner at accounting giant Pricewaterhouse Coopers requires he maintains a certain decorum, but talking about witnessing at work is enough to make him positively giddy.
"I have always thought accounting is God's own profession…after all he wrote the book of Numbers!" he laughs.
Mr Clemens will challenge Christians to "think God" at work when he speaks at the School of Christian Studies (SOCS) Annual Conference which begins this Wednesday at Macquarie University, Sydney.
"I will be answering questions like "how do you advise clients or work for a boss who doesn't share your values?' and "when is it okay to be successful and when is it not?'"
As one of the country's top tax advisors, Mr Clemens counsels many Australian multinationals on their international business transactions and has been nominated by the International Tax Review as one of Australia's leading tax advisers for many years.
Mr Clemens says being a Christian in the work place has its advantages in business.
"Companies not only look for expertise in their advisor, they want integrity. Even when placed under pressure to compromise in some way, I find having faith in God gives me confidence to stand firm."
Not surprisingly, Mr Clemens is also treasurer at his church, Christ Church, St Ives.
He will be joined in leading the seminar by a fellow church member and Pricewaterhouse Coopers partner, Paul Carter.
“I have found the Bible teaching and fellowship with other business leaders at Christ Church, St Ives vitally relevant to staying focused on God in a hectic business world," Mr Clemens says.
"When the value of the deal is billions of dollars and there is a lot at stake, it can often seem like nothing else matters. Knowledge that the only really enduring issue is where we each stand with God is key to a right perspective, particularly at those times."
SOCS Director, Kara Martin, says SOCS exists to educate and encourage Christians in their everyday lives, including work.
"We want Christians to discover the ways God can use their work and studies to further his Kingdom and care for his world."
"We have gathered professionals from the fields of science, education, economics and health to share how God is using them and how their work honours God," Ms Martin explains.
As well as Bible teaching from the Director and Dean of the Macquarie Christian Studies Institute, Dr Gordon Preece there will be case studies with Christians sharing about the daily challenges of being a Christian in their workplace.
"This is a special opportunity for Christians to get valuable teaching on how to apply our beliefs and faith in the workplace," says Ms Martin.
"We also want to present the opportunity for honest and open modelling about how that is done."
A public workshop on the evening Friday evening examining whether God can exist in the marketplace featuring a judge, a small business owner and a management consultant promises to be a highlight of the conference.
"We want people to come along ready to contribute," warns Ms Martin.
"There will be interactive exercises and opportunity for feedback."
The conference runs from Wednesday September 28 to Saturday October 1 and can be done for credit toward diploma-level studies.
More information is available at the School of Christian Studies website.
To enrol, ring or email the School of Christian studies.
