Your calling deserves a financial foundation.

I watched churches grow and helped build a million-dollar multipurpose facility. During that process, I asked the church not to increase my salary so we could invest in the buildings and ministry. In 2004, I founded what is now The Worship Center, and God has blessed us with tremendous growth.

Yet after 25 years of pastoring, I faced a sobering reality: I had no retirement plan, no health insurance, no 401(k), and little to no savings for my family. I had poured so much into ministry that I had made very little preparation for our future. Sacrificing for the ministry was what I had been taught to do.

For a long time, I thought being faithful to my calling meant giving everything to the ministry, even when little remained for my household. I had to learn that preparing for my family’s future was also an act of stewardship. Exploring another source of income did not mean I loved God or His people any less.

I felt limited—as though pastoring was the only thing I could do. But I began to recognize that the gifts God gave me had value beyond the pulpit.

I have now been in the insurance industry for nine years. In my first eight months, I earned six figures. I have earned six figures every year since, including during the pandemic, while continuing to serve in ministry. Today, I have a retirement plan in place and a different outlook on my family’s future.

These are my personal results; they are not a promise of what someone else will earn.

I am also the author of Called, But Not Confined: A Minister’s Guide to Ministry, Marketplace, Money & Legacy. I wrote it to help pastors and ministers recognize the value of their gifts beyond the pulpit and prepare intentionally for their future.

That is why PastorPreneurs™ matters to me. I want other pastors and ministers to understand this sooner than I did: You can honor your calling and prepare for your family’s future. Both deserve your attention.

Pastor, minister—if you see yourself in my story, let’s have a conversation. You have cared for so many people. Your family and your future deserve care, too.

In 1994, my manager told me I could no longer leave work to preach funerals for church members. I had to choose. Believing I needed to be obedient to my calling, I stepped out on faith and became a full-time pastor, taking a major cut in income. There was no benefits package and no retirement plan—just revivals and love offerings. My wife and I also welcomed two sons into our family.

To supplement my income, I worked at a funeral home, spent 15 years as a radio personality, and served as a nonviolence trainer with the King Center in Atlanta. Those opportunities helped, but none provided real financial security.

From 2007 through 2024, I took no salary increase at the church. The church added medical and life insurance benefits and a housing allowance, but there was still nothing for retirement.

In 2018, I followed Apostle Gentry’s recommendation to consider becoming a life insurance agent. It has made a substantial difference in my income and given me another way to fulfill my passion for serving families. It also gives me the time and flexibility to continue serving as a full-time pastor while preparing for a more comfortable retirement.

That is why I encourage other pastors to consider this opportunity: You can continue answering your calling while taking practical steps toward your family’s financial future.

This is my personal experience. Income and results vary and are not guaranteed.