What were the motivations for the establishment of Oikocredit? 'T Lam: The idea of Oikocredit was born in 1968 at the annual gathering of the World Council of Churches. At that time, like today, many things were happening across the world. There was a war in Vietnam, concerns about apartheid in the US and South Africa, and concerns about the ever-growing arms industry. The churches, who had some excess liquidity, felt they were putting deposits with banks that financed all kinds of injustice. Then, at the World Council of Churches 4th Assembly in Uppsala, church leaders said, “We need to do differently; can we mobilize our excess liquidity for good?” After seven years of talks, Oikocredit was founded to promote responsible investing and create opportunities for people on low incomes to become more resilient and live a life of dignity. How has Oikocredit worked with churches over the years, and how has this relationship evolved? 'T Lam: If you look at how we operate, especially in the beginning, there were 88 very committed churches that helped shape our operations. That grew to about 400 church-related organizations that supported the mission of Oikocredit and provided us with capital. But what was far more interesting is that many of the religious community, the people that went to church, wanted to become active. So, it was not only the churches but the people who got to know Oikocredit because of information shared in the church, and they said, "Hey, I want to also, on a personal note, become an investor in Oikocredit.” Today, we have about 45,000 private individuals supporting the mission of Oikocredit with capital. Can you share a milestone or a challenge that Oikocredit has faced over the years? 'T Lam: One of the things I'm very proud of is that year after year, we can reach more people with the work we do and allow them in some shape or form to become more resilient to the challenges they face. We have mobilized more and more capital from people, churches, and other organizations to ensure we realize impact rather than just profit. What are some ways churches can continue engaging with Oikocredit? 'T Lam: There are many ways that churches can be involved with Oikocredit. If they have excess liquidity, they can put it in as an investment in Oikocredit. Then, they will be informed about what we do with the money. Suppose a church is in a vulnerable community and wants, for example, to do a pilot on community resilience and climate. In that case, we have a foundation where project proposals can be sent for a grant. If that project helps to foster community resilience, we can look from the foundation if we can give a grant to pilot such a thing. What are your thoughts on the future collaboration between the WCC and Oikocredit, especially as you approach your 50th anniversary? 'T Lam: I think it’s also a perfect moment to strengthen the relationship between the churches, the World Council of Churches, the members of the churches, and Oikocredit. Many of those members are either potential investors or potential young entrepreneurs we can support. The 50th anniversary of Oikocredit is coming up. We want to take the opportunity to invite the World Council of Churches to come next year to our 50th anniversary and really be proud of what we have achieved together already for 50 years, and also look into the future to see how we can do it even better going forward. Listen to the whole conversation on Spotify
Learn more about Oikocredit here
WCC work on Sustainability and Economy of Life | 
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