Rethinking the Seven Mountains Mandate
By Randell Tiongson on June 15th, 2025
I recently came across another article that championed the Seven Mountains Mandate—a strategy that suggests Christians must take over the seven key areas of culture: government, business, education, media, arts and entertainment, family, and religion. It was presented with urgency, confidence, and no shortage of bold claims about transforming nations and ushering in revival by gaining influence.
I’ve heard this rhetoric before, and I understand where it’s coming from. I truly believe we need Christians in every sector of society. We need faithful professionals, ethical leaders, and godly influencers across all walks of life. But the more I read and reflected, the more something in me felt unsettled.

There’s a difference between being present in culture and dominating culture. There’s a difference between bringing salt and light into a broken world and believing it’s our job to conquer systems for God. And that’s where I think the Seven Mountains Mandate can lead us down the wrong path.
Because Jesus didn’t call us to dominate—He called us to make disciples.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”
— Matthew 28:19, ESV
Notice what the Great Commission actually says. It doesn’t say “take over nations” or “control institutions.” It says make disciples. That’s a relational, transformative, and often quiet work. And it happens one person, one heart, one conversation at a time.
But let’s talk about dominion, because the Bible does use that word. In Genesis 1:28, God tells Adam and Eve:
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
That’s not a mandate to dominate people—it’s a call to steward creation with responsibility and care. Biblical dominion is about resourceful leadership, wise management, and faithful service. It’s not exploitation—it’s cultivation.
Psalm 8:6 echoes this:
“You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet…”
True dominion reflects God’s image—it protects, nurtures, multiplies, and blesses. It doesn’t seek power for its own sake. It seeks the flourishing of what’s entrusted.
And where Adam failed in dominion, Jesus succeeded. He is the perfect image of the invisible God, the true and better Adam, who exercises dominion not by coercion but through sacrifice.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
— Matthew 28:18, ESV
Jesus reclaims dominion by conquering sin and death, not by conquering governments. His victory is not political—it’s redemptive. And He invites us not to dominate but to disciple.
The Local Church Still Matters
In this push for “influence,” let’s not forget where the real work of transformation happens: the local church.
I know it’s not glamorous. It doesn’t trend. It doesn’t always get the spotlight. But the church remains God’s chosen instrument for disciple-making. It’s where lives are shaped, marriages are restored, faith is nurtured, and purpose is discovered.
When we overemphasize the Seven Mountains, we risk undermining the role of the church. We start thinking the real action happens on political stages or corporate platforms. But spiritual formation still happens in small groups, in prayer meetings, in Sunday preaching, in shared meals, and in the quiet, long obedience of pastors, leaders and the faithful discipling others.
Let’s not forget: Paul never planted Christian governments—he planted churches.
Faithfulness Over Influence
We also need to be careful about how we measure success. The language of “taking over” can sound exciting, but it subtly promotes a mindset that values power over obedience, and visibility over faithfulness.
I’ve seen Christians feel discouraged because they’re not “climbing cultural mountains.” But that’s not what God asks of us. You don’t have to be a CEO or a senator to fulfill your calling. You can glorify God by being a faithful schoolteacher, a prayerful parent, or an honest business owner.
You don’t have to dominate anything to be fruitful in the Kingdom.
Sometimes, the greatest victories happen in private—in choosing integrity when no one sees, in serving behind the scenes, in mentoring someone through their pain. These don’t make headlines. But heaven notices.
Let’s Recenter
What if we stopped chasing influence and started pursuing deeper discipleship?
What if our greatest ambition wasn’t to control society, but to cultivate Christlikeness?
What if we measured fruit not in platforms or policies, but in people becoming more like Jesus?
Discipleship is slower. It’s quieter. It doesn’t come with press releases. But it changes hearts. And changed hearts change families. Changed families change communities. That’s how revival actually spreads—not from the top down, but from the inside out.
The role of the local church in this is critical. It’s not a footnote. It’s the front line.
So yes, let’s be excellent in every field. Let’s encourage believers to bring kingdom values into business, government, media, and more. But let’s not confuse cultural presence with cultural conquest. Our mission isn’t dominion—it’s discipleship.
Because in the end, it’s not about climbing mountains—it’s about carrying our cross.