When Marketplace Experience Meets the Great Commission
What do firefighting, construction, and general contracting have to do with missions in Europe? As it turns out—everything.
In this video, Erik Cooper of The Stone Table sits down with missionary John Alderman in Brussels, Belgium, where John and his wife have served faithfully for the last 18 years. What makes John’s story so compelling is that before stepping onto the mission field, he spent more than two decades in the marketplace—as a construction worker, general contractor, and full-time firefighter. What he discovered along the way is a truth we’re passionate about at The Stone Table: marketplace skills are missionary skills.
John shares how God used every season of his marketplace career to prepare him for his calling overseas. From maintaining Air Force bases to leading construction projects, from fighting fires to overseeing multimillion-dollar Bible school facilities in Brussels, John’s professional background became the very toolkit God used to build His kingdom. Today, John is an indispensable part of Assemblies of God work in Western Europe—leading teams, designing and managing large-scale projects, and helping provide spaces where future leaders are trained to carry the gospel forward.
But John’s story isn’t just about buildings. It’s about people. Whether witnessing to fellow firefighters, engaging with locals at a paint store, or sharing the gospel in one of the most secular regions of the world, John reminds us that every vocation can be sacred when placed in God’s hands.
This conversation is an encouragement to anyone who has ever thought: “I’m not a pastor. I didn’t go to Bible school. My skills don’t count in God’s mission.” John’s life proves the opposite. If you’re a businessperson, builder, teacher, creative, or professional of any kind, your everyday work is a platform for the gospel—both at home and to the ends of the earth.
Erik Cooper
Erik began his career in the business world before spending twelve years in full-time ministry, serving on staff at a large suburban church and later as a church planter in downtown Indianapolis. Today, he serves as the President of a family of business-oriented nonprofit organizations that work together to mobilize the marketplace to make Jesus known in the world. He leads The Stone Table, which equips marketplace believers and invests in global mission initiatives, and Community Reinvestment Foundation, a nonprofit real estate company providing high-quality affordable housing in Indiana and directing its profits to missions through The Stone Table.
