Phil Pike: Equipping Ministry Growth as COO
Going unnoticed isn’t a trait that many people strive for. Even within a business context where organizations thrive on solid team dynamics, individuality, and wanting to become known is still something many people work hard for. But those who don’t always have the spotlight on themselves have a way of being the pins that hold a company together.
In other words, it’s what many businesses refer to as the invisible supporting the visible.
Phil Pike, CDF Capital’s Chief Operating Officer, is one of those critical leaders whose work does not usually get the spotlight. Whether on the job or at church, Phil tends to gravitate toward roles that don’t get much face time but are vital to an organization’s longevity and success.
Those who don’t always have the spotlight on themselves have a way of being the pins that hold a company together.
“It’s always, for me, been being that behind-the-scenes support,” Phil said. “It’s not necessarily that I’m going to be front and center or leading a small group. But I’m going to be doing those backbone things that are often less appealing to people and harder to retain long-term volunteer support for.”
Enabling Others to Be Their Best
Phil has been with CDF Capital for nearly 20 years, having started at an entry-level loan servicing job back in April of 2002. Currently serving as the COO of the company for the past 10 years, Phil has found joy in being an invisible catalyst for ongoing growth and impact to the CDF Capital team.
“I’m invigorated most by knowing that the skill set I’ve got can be impactful in the Kingdom at the level that it is,” Phil said. “I’m not one of the people that’s going to be directly involved in ministry. It’s just not the wiring that I have.”
Not only has Phil’s involvement made a tremendous impact in the way that CDF Capital lives out its values internally, but his influence has also shaped how its employees engage the churches they work with across the country.
“What I’m a part of here at CDF enables those people that are wired to work on the front lines of ministry have the tools, resources, and opportunities to be the best that they can be,” he explained.
“Occasionally, I get the opportunity to get out from behind my desk and go out and talk to people outside,” Phil said with a smile. “And just hearing the stories of changed lives and impacts that take place at the churches we partner with—I really like being a part of that.”
Focusing on Kingdom Impact
Prior to coming on board at CDF Capital, Phil worked in various banking and credit union jobs. His journey in financing was filled with countless hours of hard work and frustrating seasons of dealing with bank acquisitions. The ups and downs of the unstable financial market eventually took a toll on Phil’s overall well-being and spiritual health.
“I kind of hit a low point in life and just decided I needed a change,” Phil said. “I needed something that I could do where I felt good at the end of the day. That what I had done was productive and helpful. And at least wasn’t detrimental to people.”
So Phil reached out to a long-time family friend.
“He was, at the time, the president of the Southern California Evangelistic Association,” Phil explained. “I said, ‘I need a job that is doing something meaningful and good. I don’t really care what that is if you’ve got something. At this point, I’m willing to scrub toilets and empty trash cans if it’s for the right group.’”
Phil eventually was put in touch with CDF Capital. Nearly 20 years later, he continues to feel blessed each day for the opportunities he’s given to make Kingdom impact.
“I have a role that’s bigger than what I do,” Phil said with excitement. “I don’t know if there are a lot of job opportunities or possibilities that I could go find in the world that could have the level of impact for the Kingdom that this one does.”
The mission of CDF Capital continues to fuel Phil’s spirit and his work.
20 years later, he continues to feel blessed each day for the opportunities he’s given to make Kingdom impact.
“I can go work at a bank or credit union and make money and support ministries directly through that avenue of support, like many other people do,” Phil continued. “But I feel like at CDF I am able to have a broader impact to a greater number of ministries because it’s the focus of my job every day, all day. It’s not a secondary outcome of what I’m doing but the primary focus of what I and everyone else at CDF strive to do by helping ministries grow.”
Transforming Churches
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