INTEGRITY BUSINESS REFERRALS, INC.
LAKELAND, FLORIDA

Integrity Business Referrals was founded in April, 2010 by Lew Frye Lew saw the need for cooperation among Christian business people, pastors and believers. When it comes time to make a purchase decision it would seem to make sense that Christian buyers would prefer supporting Christian businesses. But in reality there seemed to be very little loyalty in relation to the values and beliefs of the business or owner of the business that buyers are supporting. Lew’s vision was to create a network of reputable, bible-believing business people that the marketplace could rely on. By supporting a Christian owned business you are really supporting the entire Church and the Body of Christ. Isn’t that what we, as believers, are called to do? In 1977, I founded a construction business in Brandon, FL and began building duplexes and homes in that area and prospered greatly. My wife, Marleen and I bought a beautiful lot in the mountains for a retreat to be built later, and began planning for our new custom home (our dream home) in Brandon. On a Friday night in early 1979, Marleen and I went to dinner at one of our favorite steakhouses in Tampa called “Brewmasters”. Well you can guess from the name. There was free beer, wine and peanuts while waiting for our table. I usually had too much! On this particular night, it was different. When we were seated, we had a great meal and when finished we just looked across the table at one another, with our new “dream home” in the planning stages, a new car, vacation property in North Carolina, plenty of money in the bank and more coming in. As we sat there that night, we said to each other, “Is this it?” Since that life changing night in 1979, our Christian walk led us to move to Lakeland, FL and to spend eighteen wonderful years at “Carpenters Home Church” under Pastor Karl Strader where we received the greatest training that any Christian could hope for. Then 9 years being blessed at Abundant Life Church of God in Lakeland, FL where we founded a group known as Abundant Business Network under Pastor Ron Stewart. The in Feb, 2012 we felt led to move to “Ignited Church” under Pastor Steven Strader where we are today working in the Altar Ministry. I have been married to my wife, Marleen, since 1967. We have 2 great children and 3 wonderful grandchildren. I am a general contractor in Lakeland, Florida and have been licensed for over 35 years. I am active in business and love the opportunities to minister. In mid 2009, God revealed to me a vision to connect Christian business owners, entrepreneurs, self employed and marketplace leaders together to prosper their businesses. This would be necessary to fulfill the mandate we have as Christians business people to fund the ministries necessary to bring in and disciple the wave of new believers that are coming according to every prophetic voice I have heard in the last few years. God showed me in Genesis 11:6 the great authority and power that is available to people who are “one people” and speak the “same language” (in other words, are like minded and communicate well with each other). The foundation idea of the IBR philosophy is simple. As Christians, if we decide to support other Christian business people we are actually supporting the Kingdom too. As we all know, "people buy from people that they know, like and trust". We get together every two weeks to help build those relationships that can foster referrals. Pastor Eddie Lake at the National Day of Prayer (May 7th, 2015) in Munn Park in Lakeland, FL Pastor Lake is the Senior Pastor of New Bethel AME Church in Lakeland. This video captures his very powerful prayer for businesses. He also visited IBR at our breakfast meeting on May 20 and blessed us with teaching and prayer. Now our group is still growing so we don't have a business type to meet all of your needs, but please look around and see if some of our members might be able to help you. You will be supporting a world view that you believe in and helping a Christian brother or sister in business to prosper. Every business person listed on this site is a Christian who is born again, a tithing member or regular attendee of a local Christian fellowship, that is a church, home group, business group or missionary group and has a good reputation.