Faith, Investing, and the Legacy We Leave with Harry Pearson | FaithFi
September 30, 2026
Faith, Investing, and the Legacy We Leave with Harry Pearson
Faith & Finance with Rob West
Christians often think about stewardship in terms of giving, saving, and spending. But if God owns everything He has entrusted to us, stewardship also raises another question: What about the companies we own through our investments?
Harry Pearson, Founder and CEO of OneAscent, says that question became increasingly important in his own journey of faith and finance. OneAscent is a family of companies that equips advisors and investors with faith-aligned solutions for planning, investing, and giving.
For Pearson, connecting biblical convictions with investing began with a broader realization: Faith should shape every part of our financial lives.
Christians often think about stewardship in terms of giving, saving, and spending. But if God owns everything He has entrusted to us, stewardship also raises another question: What about the companies we own through our investments?
Harry Pearson, Founder and CEO of OneAscent, says that question became increasingly important in his own journey of faith and finance. OneAscent is a family of companies that equips advisors and investors with faith-aligned solutions for planning, investing, and giving.
For Pearson, connecting biblical convictions with investing began with a broader realization: Faith should shape every part of our financial lives.
Connecting Faith With the Rest of Our Finances
Pearson grew up in a home where generosity was modeled well. His parents taught him to tithe from an early age. For every dollar he earned, he put a dime in the offering plate.
What he had not learned, however, was how to connect his faith with the rest of his financial life.
That began to change about 18 years ago when he attended his first Kingdom Advisors Conference. Pearson remembers arriving somewhat resistant, but the experience challenged him to consider what it would look like to align his work with the faith God had already planted in his heart.
Colossians 3:23 became an important lens: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
That principle extends beyond our occupations. If everything belongs to God, then our time, abilities, and financial resources are all things we manage on His behalf.
The question becomes not simply, “What do I want to do with what I have?” but, “How can I faithfully steward what God has entrusted to me?”
Passing Along Values, Not Just Valuables
That perspective also changes the way we think about leaving a legacy.
Families often devote significant attention to the valuables they hope to leave the next generation—homes, savings, investments, and other assets. Pearson believes Christians should give just as much attention to the values they are passing along.
Rather than focusing only on leaving a legacy, he encourages families to think about living one.
Children often learn stewardship less from formal lessons than from what they regularly observe. They see how their parents talk about money, respond to financial pressure, practice generosity, and decide what matters most.
That gives parents an opportunity to invite their children into the stewardship process.
Let them see generosity practiced. Allow them to participate in serving others. Talk with them about why your family chooses to support particular ministries or causes. Those conversations can help the next generation understand not merely what the family owns, but why it uses money the way it does.
After all, preparing the next steward is about more than transferring assets. It is about cultivating wisdom and faithfulness in the person who may one day receive them.
Do You Know What You Own?
The same stewardship framework applies to investing.
Many investors purchase mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, or other investments without knowing much about the individual companies they indirectly own. Pearson believes that is worth examining.
If God is the ultimate owner of our resources, Christians can thoughtfully consider whether the businesses in their portfolios align with their biblical convictions.
That begins with a simple question: Do you know what you own?
For some investors, looking beneath the surface of a portfolio may reveal companies or business activities they would not knowingly choose to support. That realization has helped drive the growth of faith-based and values-aligned investing.
At OneAscent, Pearson says the investment process includes three broad steps: eliminating companies whose activities conflict with certain biblical convictions, carefully evaluating the remaining investment opportunities, and seeking businesses that are making a positive contribution through the products and services they provide.
The goal is not merely to avoid certain companies. It is to think more intentionally about what ownership means and how investment capital is being used.
Can Values-Aligned Investing Be Financially Responsible?
One concern surrounding faith-based investing has historically been whether applying values to a portfolio necessarily requires sacrificing investment performance.
Pearson says the field has developed considerably over the past decade. There are now longer track records, more investment options, and increasingly sophisticated approaches to portfolio construction.
But he has also come to appreciate that values-aligned investing is not only about selecting investments. It can also influence investor behavior.
When investors consider their principles before markets become volatile, they may be better prepared to stay disciplined when uncertainty arrives. Rather than making emotional decisions in the moment, they can return to an investment philosophy they have already thoughtfully established.
For Christians, that provides another opportunity to move from simply knowing what they believe to putting those beliefs into practice.
Bringing Stewardship Into the Portfolio
Faithful stewardship touches far more than the offering plate. It shapes how we earn, spend, save, give, plan, and prepare the next generation. And for Christians who own investments, it can also shape the way they think about the businesses represented in their portfolios.
That does not mean every Christian will make identical investment decisions. But it does mean we can approach investing prayerfully and thoughtfully, remembering that the resources under our care ultimately belong to God.
OneAscent helps advisors and investors explore how their financial lives and investments align with their biblical values, including through a portfolio analysis.
On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:
I’ll turn 65 in January and am considering disability because my school job is becoming harder to manage. Should I use my employer’s short-term disability benefit, apply for Social Security Disability, or both? And when should I start the process?
My credit scores are consistently above 800, but a bank recently showed a score of 780 when evaluating me for a HELOC. Why can the scores lenders use differ so much from the scores consumers see?
My husband recently passed away, and I received about $50,000 in life insurance proceeds. I’d like to keep roughly half as an emergency fund and invest the other $25,000. I’m 59, working full-time, have only a car payment and a 3.87% mortgage, and may also receive VA survivor benefits. How should I think about using and investing this money?
Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God’s resources.
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