Serve Faithfully, Steward Wisely: Rev. Timothy Sin’s Journey to Financial Wellness with Geneva Benefits Group

For Rev. Timothy Sin, the journey to financial wellness began with the realization that “God’s going to take care of me” doesn’t mean avoiding financial responsibilities; it means being a faithful steward of what the Lord provides.

Timothy believed that trusting in God’s provision meant that he didn’t need to budget or financially plan. He recalls thinking, “He’ll always provide no matter how I spend my money.” But after graduating from seminary, being ordained, and getting married all in the same year, reality set in. Between student loans, a mortgage, supporting two young children, and credit card debts, Timothy and his wife found themselves struggling under a substantial financial burden.

“We were in a significant amount of debt,” Timothy admits. “I was trying to become more financially aware, but I felt overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start.”

That’s when Financial Planning Advisor, Paul Chi, from Geneva Benefits Group, reached out.

Paul explained that Geneva offers comprehensive financial advising as a 100% free service to pastors and ministry workers. Timothy was grateful to hear it, though surprised. “I didn’t know Geneva offered this, and I didn’t know it was free,” he says. But what stood out most to Timothy wasn’t only the practical help, but rather, Paul’s approach. “You can never feel not loved when you’re talking to him. You feel incredibly loved and seen, and he’s not going to judge you based on your financial situation. There’s a lot of empathy.”

Drawing from his own experience as a pastor and training as a Certified Financial Planner, Paul understood the complexity of retirement readiness, financial wellness, and compensation packages that Timothy and other ministers face. Pastors often navigate the tension between advocating for adequate compensation and the fears of being perceived as greedy.

“It’s sort of taboo to talk about money as a pastor… We’re not in it to be rich and famous.”

Paul started by helping Timothy and his wife face their financial reality without shame. Together, they created a comprehensive picture of their finances, breaking down every expense, creating a realistic budget, and developing practical steps toward financial wellness. “Paul’s competency in advising us and breaking down our budget was huge,” Timothy says, “He helped us think through the steps we needed to take.”

This framework helped Timothy and his wife build a plan, and they were able to start practicing intentional stewardship of the resources the Lord had provided. After building a plan, Timothy and his wife were able to budget wisely, as well as use a stimulus package and a pay increase to strategically pay down their debts. They also began contributing to their retirement, taking the first steps toward long-term financial wellness.

“It’s great to be financially aware,” Timothy shares. “Knowing how to stop spending in certain areas and use our money wisely, that’s huge. Being able to serve without this burden of debt on our shoulders changed everything.”

Timothy emphasizes the importance of seeing financial stewardship itself as an act of worship. “It’s the responsible thing to do—to be very cognizant and aware of how you’re spending and what you’re saving.”

Geneva’s ministry to Timothy multiplied as he shared these resources with others. He brought Paul to speak with other pastors in his network about financial health and retirement planning. “It was a great blessing to hear him pitch and talk about financial health.” After this, his former church began making retirement contributions for pastors.

Working with Geneva has “gotten the ball rolling,” Timothy shares. “I believe we need to be better about contributing more to make that [retirement] a reality for us in the future. But at least I’m just thankful it got started.” Timothy would say that they are still a work in progress and have a long way to go with their financial stewardship, but they are in a far healthier and wiser place than they were before.

Today, Timothy is able to serve without the same financial burden weighing over him. Working with Geneva helped him to achieve financial wellness and what he describes as the “ability to serve without this burden of debt on our shoulders.” As Timothy looks ahead, he pictures spending time with his grandchildren, his wife tending to a massive garden, and continuing to serve the church in meaningful ways. Because of the thoughtful planning he’s done with Geneva, he has peace of mind knowing that his finances will be a blessing instead of a burden when that time comes.

“If other people could utilize these services, I think it’d be tremendous,” Timothy says. His hope is that other pastors will find what he didn’t know for years–that you don’t have to navigate financial planning alone. Schedule your free consultation today to explore how we can support your ministry and your family’s financial wellbeing.

Geneva Benefits Group offers free financial planning services to pastors and ministry workers. Schedule your free consultation today!