Ron Hoover of Willow Street moved to Lancaster County in 1998. Hoover was the chairman and CEO of Thermacore Inc., a company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of thermal management solutions for a broad range of equipment. Hoover moved to the area for his business, which brought him a great deal of success after a public merger in 2001. After the merger, Hoover faced with a new challenge: Where should he focus his efforts now that his company didn't require all his attention?

Hoover, a practicing Christian, began to meet with young entrepreneurs to talk about the role that faith plays in the world of business. While Hoover was at the helm of Thermacore, he actively incorporated his Christian values in his business practices, from employee policies to his interactions with vendors and clients. With his newfound free time, Hoover regularly bought breakfast for local young professionals and discussed the ways they could combine faith and business in the same way he had.

In 2004, while Hoover served as a board member for Lancaster Bible College, he traveled to California to meet Bob Brumleu, a new board member of the Christian nonprofit organization Pocket Testament League. Hoover told Brumleu about his recent efforts to impact young business leaders in the community, and he explained his frustration with not having a structured process to offer the coaching he desired. Brumleu told Hoover about Convene, an organization that comprises Christian business owners from across the country who shared Hoover's goal of integrating their religious values in the workplace. Shortly after, Hoover attended his first Convene meeting, and he resolved to bring the ministry back to Lancaster County with him.

In 2006, Hoover helped to establish the Lancaster branch of Convene by creating a network of Christian CEOs and business owners who serve as chairmen. As the ministry has grown over the years, Convene now encompasses intrapreneurs and small start-ups. The organization's member companies employ about 55,000 employees nationwide, and they have a combined revenue of more than $11 billion.

"Convene is about building strong companies that have eternal value," Hoover said. "If you're called to be a business leader, that is your platform, and your pastoral function is to make the business productive for the kingdom of God."

The members of Convene promote Christian ethics in a variety of ways, such as encouraging employers to offer a stewardship program that involves their workers. Convene also advises its member companies to have a corporate chaplain to provide support for employees. "We certainly understand getting ideas from their mind and labor from their bodies, but we encourage companies to give workers tools for their spirit as well," Hoover said.

Two years ago, Hoover passed his chairmanship of the Lancaster Convene chapter to Brian Gerhart and Bud Handwerk, but he remains active in the organization as a regional chairman. For more information about Convene, visit http://www.convenenow.com.