Stewarding Your Legacy, Together

Fred Oaks' 23 years as senior pastor in multi-staff congregations was followed by 17 years as a program director at a family foundation.  He has developed deep respect for entrepreneurs in general, and family business leaders in particular. He believes that healthy family enterprises promote human flourishing by meeting needs, creating prosperity, forming people in positive ways, and giving back. 

For education and work history, see About the Founder, or www.linkedin.com/in/fredoaks/

 It is required of stewards that they be found faithful. – 1 Cor. 4:2 ESV

Anybody who aims to help others become better stewards had better himself be growing as a faithful steward – or risk becoming a “blind guide.” Family Business Facilitators is my attempt to faithfully steward what’s been entrusted to me. I certainly didn’t set out to become a family business consultant, but it’s where my growth and learning has led me. 

That’s me in the hat. Raised in a parsonage by a pastor and a public-school music teacher, the first arenas for stewardship were family, church, and school: work hard, respect others, help those in need. I was baptized at age 12, took some adolescent detours in the 1970s, and then rededicated my life to Christ during my senior year of college after meeting the woman who became my wife. 

Stewarding the roles of husband and father is important to me. Judy and I have been married for 43 years and raised three grown children of whom we are proud.

A theological education prepared me to steward the role of local church pastor. I served as a solo pastor throughout my four years in seminary. At graduation I became the only student in Northern Seminary’s 74-year history to receive all four of these honors: the Academic Excellence Award, the Ministry Studies Award, the Faculty Scholarship Award, and the Bryan F. Archibald Preaching Award. Far more important, while pastoring and commuting to school I learned a rhythm of action and reflection, study and application that has remained with me as a lifelong learner. 

By God’s grace over the next 23 years, I served as a solo and then a senior pastor of multiple staff congregations in rural, urban, and suburban contexts. I developed skills in empathic listening, crisis intervention, counseling, group facilitation, and leading through change. The Indianapolis Center for Congregations hired me part-time to study congregational learning and growth – a role I added to my full-time pastoral work with the church’s blessing. I launched my first independent consulting practice in 2004. It was focused on equipping clergy and laity to lead change in long-established multigenerational congregations.