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For more than 40 years Bob Eklund has helped pastors, lay leaders, church members and congregations not only attain financial stability but have a spiritual renewal in the process.
Eklund is the SBTC’s financial ministry consultant and operates Eklund Stewardship Ministries, which provides biblically based programs on personal financial freedom, church financial freedom, and capital fund-raising.
Pastor Johnny Funderberg of First Baptist Church, Pampa, has used Eklund’s capital fund-raising services in the past. He recalled, “The highlight to me of his program is its spiritual nature. You don’t feel like it’s a financial campaign?it’s more like a revival.”
Tim Guthrie, vice president of Eklund Stewardship Ministries, said, “What pastors are afraid of sharing is the one thing that will set their ministry free, and that is stewardship.”
Guthrie noted some of the many resources offered through the ministry.
“‘Children of Privilege’ [written by Eklund] is an adult workbook study that walks through the very basic foundations for biblical stewardship. It starts at the very beginning and talks about a life of simple obedience and how that can change everything,” Guthrie said.
In the book Eklund states: “As part of a society of excess, there are certain responsibilities we must accept. We exemplify the word ‘consumers’ with our wasteful daily habits.” The study calls for realigning personal money management skills so that frugality, preparation, sharing with others, leaving an honorable legacy, and glorifying God are the results.
“Money Matters Made Easy” is another workbook study available through the Eklund group. Guthrie noted, “It’s easy for anyone to apply and do. It’s a guide book for husbands and wives or single adults, and very practical. It’s a quick read that will tell them some things they can immediately do to see an improvement in their financial situation.”
A one-day seminar, “God’s Plan for Financial Freedom,” teaches God’s ownership, God’s principles for handling money, and God’s plan for giving. According to the website (Eklundmay.com), the seminar has helped families avoid bankruptcy, has helped to save marriages, has helped restore the lordship of Christ in lives, and has been a catalyst for giving to increase in churches 20-25 percent.
On the consulting side, Eklund Stewardship Ministries provides leadership in capital campaigns and a review service that can help churches become better stewards at their fixed expenses. Capital campaigns begin with a Spiritual Foundations Weekend, a prayer and faith event that leads a church to discover God’s will.
Randy Capote, pastor of South Park Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, has used Eklund twice for capital campaigns; most recently to raise about $500,000 for some extensive renovations.
“That’s some hard money to raise,” Capote said, adding, “People are more likely to give for new construction.”
Capote said he appreciates that Eklund begins with the “Spiritual Foundations Weekend,” which Capote estimates that about 70 percent of his Sunday morning crowd attended.
“It was very well done. He [Eklund] keeps it on the Scripture and provides a biblical model to everything he does. His premise is that spiritual revival is first and foremost, then the money will follow.”
“Bob does a session on money management, personal finances, and getting out of debt. That was very well received. People really appreciated that aspect,” Capote added.
According to Capote, the campaign beat the industry average in its capital raising.
“Bob’s predictions played out consistently. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s a good man. I’d use him again.”
Noting other services through Eklund Stewardship Ministries, Guthrie reported that their partnerships with church suppliers can save churches 20-30 percent on equipment and furnishings.
“And the savings in fixed expenses means more is available for ministry,” Guthrie said.
“We can take care of finances top to bottom. We train in spending plans, a new approach to budgeting. We do financial policies, and leadership solutions, train staff in budgeting and spending plans, and help them with vision casting. We can do it at about 20 percent of what other consulting groups do it for because it is a ministry,” he noted.
Guthrie has worked in stewardship ministry for more than 10 years and was introduced to it all by Bob Eklund.
He recalled, “I was a young whippersnapper and wet behind the ears. He trained me at my first pastorate to do a capital campaign. We kind of grew together. It has been an incredible journey.”
Other ministry consultants include five pastors who have led the way to biblical stewardship in their own churches.
When asked what he thought needed to change most in the thinking of Southern Baptists about financial matters, Guthrie stated, “Too many churches budget without ever asking how much of our monies are being spent to actually reach people. We need to ask ourselves, ‘What does our budget say about our priorities as a church?’ We spend more money on copiers than on reaching children. We spend more on mowing the yard than on taking care of senior adults.”
He said the best method of presenting the stewardship message is by bringing in people to teach their leaders.
Guthrie said, “Lots of pastors are not living it, therefore they don’t teach it. And it hasn’t been taught it in college or seminary.”
Guthrie knows, because he frequently gets calls from pastors on the verge of bankruptcy.
In recent years, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary began to reverse the tide for the stewardship education of future pastors by endowing a faculty chair of stewardship?the first of its kind in the United States. The endowed chair was named after Bobby and Janis Eklund.
For more information about Eklund Stewardship Ministries, call 1-800-321-5154, or visit eklundmay.com.
