When Brad Masters describes his team’s work at New Covenant Trust Company, he doesn’t use typical financial services jargon. Instead, he talks about faces, names, relationships — the human elements that drive every decision.
“When I wake up every day, among my first thoughts are names, people, relationships, connections,” says Masters, who leads the team as Vice President, Client Engagement. “Who do I need to talk to today? That’s how I approach the day.”
It might sound like an unusual admission for someone leading a team of financial advisors, but the Client Engagement Team operates in unusual territory. As the primary touchpoint between NCTC and its clients — Presbyterian churches, presbyteries and synods, as well as nonprofits and other faith-based organizations — this Client Engagement Team serves as what Masters calls “the face of New Covenant Trust Company out in the life of the church.”
Threading the Needle
Their call to serve goes far beyond managing investment portfolios. When a church receives an unexpected bequest, when a presbytery needs guidance on sustainable spending, when a congregation faces a major capital decision — that’s when the Client Engagement Team steps in.
Masters describes a particular art to how they do it: threading a needle between inspiring confidence and serving in a very genuine and humble manner at the same time. “These are distinctive and important values within NCTC’s service-oriented culture — and we intentionally look for these qualities when making hiring decisions.”
“Our call is to serve the church and broader faith-based community. Stewarding assets that are intended to support mission and ministry primarily through local congregations requires us to be confident in who we are and how we do what we do, and at the same time, being mindful of who we are as people of faith,” he says. “We have to be creative and energetic and excited, inject enthusiasm into these conversations while also emphasizing care, prudence, sustainability and risk management. Achieving this balance is not easy and not something that would generally be found in secular financial services.”
This balance defines the Client Engagement Team’s approach. All members hold industry certifications such as the Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP ®) and Certified Trust & Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA), bringing expertise honed at larger financial institutions into the unique culture of NCTC.
Financial and Investment Planning Professional (FIPP) David English supports clients in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic from the home office in Jeffersonville, Ind. FIPP Jim Hitson covers the western United States from San Diego. Masters oversees the team while serving many of NCTC’s larger clients across the country.
Each one brings distinct strengths. English, known for balancing strong technical expertise with creativity and a heart for mission, consistently delivers an excellent client experience. Hitson, whose significant industry experience coupled with a pastoral presence resonates with clients, recently spent several days embedded in a strategic planning session with a client in the Southwest, helping shape not just their financial future but their broader ministry vision. Masters is known for his ability to create deep and lasting client relationships.
Sustainable Ministry
What increasingly distinguishes the team’s work is their focus in two key areas: 1.) aligning clients’ values with their investment portfolios — whatever that uniquely means to them, and 2.) sustainable spending — helping churches understand not just how investments perform, but how to structure withdrawals to preserve their thriving ministry capacity for generations.
“Our team goes above and beyond to bring data analysis and capital market history into these critically important investment strategy and spending conversations,” Masters says. “Pairing or balancing investment strategies with an appropriate level of distribution is intended to help congregations and faith-based institutions sustain mission and ministry and operations of the local church.”
This focus has led to a notable shift in client conversations. Masters says the team is increasingly invited into strategic planning sessions like the one Hitson was part of recently — conversations that look three, five, even 20 years into the future.
“It’s really humbling, exciting and important to be included as a valued voice in those forward-looking discernment conversations,” Masters says. “We are always happy to provide our resources, thoughts and guidance when clients are looking down the road to determine what they need to be doing now to get there.”
A Different Culture
The difference between NCTC’s work and traditional financial planning and investment management firms is distinct. Every dollar entrusted to our care is connected to the church in some way.
NCTC embraces the principle: “Mission drives the money, not the other way around.” For the Client Engagement Team, this means it’s critically important to determine and understand the mission and vision of the client and then construct an appropriate and prudent investment strategy to achieve their purposes.
“Churches, faith-based institutions and people of faith view financial assets and other resources differently, which greatly influences our unique culture, investment philosophy and guidance” Masters says.
The team doesn’t cold-call prospects or engage in aggressive business development efforts. Instead, they respond to warm referrals — primarily from the Presbyterian Foundation’s Ministry Relations Officers, from existing church clients, from other PC(USA) agencies, and from presbytery or synod staff who increasingly view NCTC and the Presbyterian Foundation as their trusted resources for a wide range of support and subject matters. Over the past decade, through this relationship and service-focused culture, NCTC has experienced significant growth. The trust company now serves several hundred local congregations and almost half of the denomination’s Mid-Councils, such as presbyteries and synods.
The team’s commitment to NCTC’s core values — servant leadership, steadfast trust, impactful innovation, intentional inclusion and candid collaboration — shapes their work. “This team does genuinely care about supporting the ministry efforts of our clients, which means we go further and we do more than what many of us experienced in other financial services organizations,” Masters says.
Travel demands remain significant, with team members regularly taking early morning flights and attending late evening meetings to maintain face-to-face relationships across the country. When not in person, it is not uncommon for the team to be on virtual meetings multiple nights each week.
Additionally, they attend both church conferences and financial services industry events, seeking to ensure, as Masters says, “that we remain rooted in the faith and values we share with the church and also continually stay current with industry trends, resources and best practices.”
In an industry often defined by shallow, transactional relationships and emphasis on quarterly profits, NCTC’s Client Engagement Team offers something increasingly rare: financial guidance grounded in shared values, delivered by faithful, skilled and credentialed people who understand that the numbers on a balance sheet represent something far more significant than wealth. They represent and sustain the important work of the church — which is to be the hands and feet of Christ out in the world.
To connect with the Client Engagement Team about your church’s financial and investment planning needs, click here.