An Uncommon Vision

January 13, 2020

The following was written by Brian Shepler, President and EVP of Client Services, located in Blue Trust’s national office in Atlanta, Georgia.

As we reach another “decade milestone” in 2020, I am truly humbled as I reflect on the growth we have experienced as a company over the past 10 years. Our team has grown to more than 300 talented associates; total assets under management or advisement are approaching $10 billion; and with the acquisition of two advisory practices during the last year, Blue Trust now serves clients from 14 branch offices across the country. We joined with Thrivent Trust Company in 2017 and added several new team members and expanded our capabilities to serve as professional trustee, helping clients fulfill their stewardship promises to future generations.

What encourages me most, however, is the incredible growth in clients we have experienced since 2010, now approaching 9,000 individuals, families, and institutions. This growth is a reflection of the work our advisors are doing to provide wisdom and technical expertise for our clients, which is the most important metric our company’s leadership team monitors to confirm we are accomplishing the firm’s mission and vision.

Why do we do this? Because at Blue Trust, we have an uncommon vision compared with most financial advisory firms. While we do plan to expand into new markets and pursue growth in traditional corporate financial health indicators, the most compelling aspect of our vision remains centered on helping clients to:

• Practice biblical stewardship and experience freedom from financial fear, bondage, and conflict
• Enjoy debt-free living
• Feel confident in answering the call to ministry
• Experience unity in their communication about their financial situations thereby making money a non-issue in marriages
• Place the trust and confidence of multiple generations in their Blue Trust advisor
• Feel at peace with their investments being professionally managed to help accomplish their financial objectives so they can focus on other aspects of their lives
• Deploy significant dollars to support Kingdom work around the world

In 2019, we saw very positive macroeconomic results. Equity markets are at or near all-time highs; interest rates have remained low, which provides ample access to capital; and employment rates continue at historically healthy levels. We hope this continues. However, we are acutely aware that those macro factors are irrelevant if the above vision elements are not being experienced at the micro-level by individuals and families.

With the recent celebration of our 40th anniversary, I couldn’t be more excited about what lies in store for the next four decades! We are positioned as a trust company with nationwide capabilities and a broad range of bespoke client capabilities, during a pivotal moment in history where the greatest generational transition of wealth since the founding of our nation will occur. For Blue Trust, we hope that 2020 will bring us a step closer toward our 40-year vision of engaging as many clients as possible on their stewardship journey, helping them experience greater confidence, contentment, and generosity impacting Kingdom work.

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