Stewardship, Faith, and Kingdom Impact

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2022398/15380575

In a recent StrongTeams.com podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing Harry Pearson, founder and CEO of OneAscent, about his journey of faith, stewardship, and kingdom impact in the financial world. Our conversation revealed profound insights into aligning values with investments, the importance of family harmony in financial decision-making, and how these elements can work together to advance God’s kingdom.

Harry’s story begins in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he grew up in a blue-collar family deeply rooted in faith. His father’s construction business and the family’s involvement in their local church laid the foundation for Harry’s understanding of hard work, leadership, and community service.?

After playing college baseball and starting a family young, Harry found himself in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1994. It was there that God began to shape his path in the financial industry. Harry’s career took off at Ameriprise, where he built a successful practice. However, it wasn’t until his 13th year in the business that he encountered Kingdom Advisors, a group teaching advisors how to integrate biblical worldview into financial advising.

This encounter marked a turning point for Harry. He realized that God was calling him to integrate his faith and work in a way he had never considered before. As Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Harry’s growing conviction about faith-aligned investing, coupled with limitations he faced at Ameriprise, led him to found OneAscent in 2017. This decision came after much prayer and a clear sense of God’s leading. Harry’s experience echoes Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

OneAscent’s mission is two-fold: to provide a platform for advisors to integrate biblical worldview into their practice and to offer investment solutions that align with clients’ faith and values. This approach addresses a significant gap in the financial industry, where less than 1% of faith-based advisors have the freedom to fully integrate biblical principles, and less than 1% of faith-aligned investments are actually aligned with believers’ values.

Values-Based Investing: A Tool for Kingdom Impact

A key focus of OneAscent is values-based investing, which involves aligning investment choices that help people and places flourish. This approach goes beyond simply avoiding harmful industries; it actively seeks to support companies that bless humanity and care for God’s creation.

Harry painted a compelling vision of the potential impact if more believers aligned their investments with their values. With an estimated $15 trillion stewarded by faith-based families in the U.S., a shift towards faith-aligned values-based investing could significantly influence corporate behavior and societal norms.

This concept of using financial resources for kingdom purposes resonates with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:19-21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The Importance of Family Harmony in Financial Stewardship

Throughout our interview, Harry emphasized the critical role of family harmony in financial stewardship. He shared stories illustrating how money, when not managed with wisdom and family harmony, can lead to family breakdown. These cautionary tales underscore the truth of Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”

OneAscent has developed tools to help couples understand their individual financial tendencies and values, enabling them to objectively find common ground. This approach aligns with a biblical worldview of oneness and mutual understanding in marriage, paving the way for couples to discover shared purpose and priorities in their financial stewardship.

Harry emphasized the crucial role of open communication about money within families, urging couples to discuss their individual perspectives, financial histories, attitudes, and goals. This transparency not only helps prevent conflicts but also fosters a shared vision for stewarding the resources God has entrusted to them.

Leadership Lessons and Biblical Stewardship

Throughout our conversation, several key leadership principles emerged:

1. Obedience to God’s calling: Harry’s journey demonstrates the importance of listening to God’s voice and stepping out in faith, even when it means leaving comfort and security behind.
2. Integration of faith and work: OneAscent’s mission exemplifies how leaders who follow Christ can bridge the gap between Sunday worship and Monday work.
3. Vision for kingdom impact: Harry’s passion for using financial resources to bless humanity and glorify God illustrates how leaders who follow Christ can think beyond personal success to kingdom advancement.
4. Emphasis on family unity: The focus on helping couples align their financial goals reflects the biblical principle of marital oneness and family harmony.
5. Stewardship mindset: OneAscent’s approach reminds us that all resources ultimately belong to God, and we are called to manage them wisely for His purposes.

Personal Reflection

As I listened to Harry’s story and the mission of OneAscent, I was deeply moved by the potential for kingdom impact when believers align their financial decisions with biblical principles. In fact, shortly after speaking at an event for Harry’s OneAscent family office, Elizabeth and I made the decision to move all of my investments to OneAscent. This personal experience has allowed us to align our values with our investments, often outperforming traditional stock market returns while knowing that our resources are being used in a way that honors God.

Conclusion: A Call to Faithful Stewardship

Harry Pearson’s story and the mission of OneAscent serve as a powerful reminder of the potential for kingdom impact when believers align their financial decisions with biblical principles. As followers of Christ, we are called to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us – our time, talents, and treasures.

This interview challenges us to consider how we can more intentionally integrate our faith into our financial decisions, whether as individuals, families, or leaders in the marketplace. It invites us to envision a world where God’s people leverage their resources to bless others and advance His kingdom.

As we reflect on these insights, may we be inspired to seek God’s wisdom in our stewardship, knowing that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Let us strive to be faithful stewards, aligning our values with our investments, and using our resources to make a lasting impact for God’s kingdom.