Throughout this series, we've seen the hardships that Art Ally had to go through to get Timothy Plan to where it is today. As we wrap up this series, we're going to look at how Timothy Plan saw success, their screening process, and how they give back to other organizations. The story of Timothy Plan can be very impactful. If you haven't read through the other blogs in this series, I encourage you to check them out here:
Courtney Dent
Selling the BRI Vision
Some people don't like the idea of selling; however, if you just have a great idea but no way of selling the idea, it won't ever succeed.
In 1999, Dave Hard was hired as Timothy Partners' first salesperson. Dave had a lot of experience in sales. In the early days, it was a struggle to convince Christian financial advisors that they needed biblically responsible investments to their product mix. Thankfully, Dave could handle rejection, because he received a lot of it. This was his outlook on when someone rejects what he's saying:
- I didn't give them enough information.
- They're not the person I need to be talking to.
- They don't understand.
- They're not a Christian.
Just like Art, Dave fully trusted in God to provide, even though he couldn’t be fully supported financially by Art for the first 2 years – he continued selling cars on the side. It took awhile for them to gain momentum. Timothy Partners didn't even break even until 2003! A lot of time was spent trying to convince their target market, Christian financial advisors, the importance of having biblically responsible options. Eventually, through educating and a LOT of patience, they were able to gain more followers.
The Screening Process
The screening process in BRI is critical – you need to know where the profits are coming from. We've already mentioned in previous blogs that Timothy Plan wanted to avoid being invested in anything profiting from abortion and alcohol; however, that isn't the only thing they screen for. Here's a deeper look at their screening process:
Life: Abortion
Life is a precious gift from God— even from the moment of conception. This screen seeks to protect the life of the unborn by screening out companies involved in the abortion industry, including fetal tissue research and the manufacturing and distribution of abortifacients.
Purity: Pornography
Our culture has exchanged true beauty and sexuality for the lust of the eyes and impurity – and seeks to make it a commodity. This screen identifies companies engaged in the promotion of adult themes through advertisements, media, games, stores, establishments, publications, and the internet.
Family: Entertainment
Families are the foundation of our culture, and the values we instill need to be preserved. This screen identifies companies engaged in anti-family entertainment through the promotion of violence, language, sex and drugs through advertisements, media, games, stores, establishments, and publications.
Marriage: Lifestyle
Marriage is holy– instituted by God. This screen filters to recognize companies that affirm the marriage covenant, a sacred bond between a man and a women instituted by and publicly entered into before God.
Liberty: Rights
We are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights– life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are removed from many people across the world. This screen identifies companies that are involved in human oppression, human trafficking, slave labor, terrorism, and Christian persecution.
Stewardship: Gambling
We are called to be wise stewards with all that God has given us– not as one who gambles away his money or brings himself to ruin. This screen identifies gambling related activities, including equipment manufacturers, casinos, riverboats, cruise lines, racetracks, and gambling software.
Longevity: Tobacco
It's a silent killer and a common cause of lung cancer, so we do not invest in companies that manufacture tobacco. This screen identifies manufacturers of cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco products, tobacco leaf distributors and marketers, and tobacco specific retail stores.
Sobriety: Alcohol
Alcohol addiction hurts and destroys children and families; therefore, we do not invest in companies that manufacture alcohol. This screen identifies companies that enable these abuses including brewers, distillers, microbrewers, and winemakers.
The tool Timothy Plan uses for screening is called eVALUEator. This is an essential tool to ensure their funds stay clean. Companies with one or more violations will not be used by Timothy Plan. If a company they currently own is determined to be in violation, it will be liquidated as soon as it's practically possible. This tool can also be used by investors to evaluate their current portfolio. If you don't know what you're currently invested in, you should take the time to learn more by using eVALUEator.
eVALUEator Services, LLC
Are you currently invested in companies that violate your faith?
Giving Back
While Timothy Plan had a lot of bumps in the road since their founding in the 90s, they have since become very successful. Even with their growth, they still remember that everything they have (including their success) comes from God. They also understand the importance of giving back to others, instead of just focusing on themselves and their own success. As we finish up this series on the beginnings of BRI, let's look at some of the ministries Timothy Plan currently supports financially:
- Nehemiah Project
- Liberty Counsel
- Faith2Action
- Financial Issues Stewardship Ministries
- Movieguide
- Hope for Israel
- House of Hope
- Give Kids the World Village
- Choices Women's Clinic
- Orange County Jail Ministry
This is just some of the over 30 ministries Timothy Plan currently supports!
Are you currently giving back? In what ways can you help others through your success? The holiday season tends to be a time where people think more about helping those in need. There are things like Angel Tree programs in communities to help give gifts to low income children, people volunteering at soup kitchens, etc. If you have the means, I challenge you this holiday season and into the new year to find some way to give back. Remember, everything we have is from God! Be thankful for everything He has provided for you!
