Ron Blue is a pioneering Christian financial planner, longtime CPA, and founder of the firms and ministries that helped shape today's faith-based financial movement. After growing up in Indiana, studying at Indiana University, and working for KPMG in New York, Dallas, and San Francisco, Ron returned home to start his own CPA firm in 1970. That firm would grow into one of the top 50 accounting firms in the country, and later, Ron would go on to launch a fee-based financial planning firm for Christians, work closely with Campus Crusade (Cru), and help birth Kingdom Advisors and related initiatives that now influence thousands of advisors and families around the world.
In this episode of The Wow Factor, Brad sits down with Ron to trace how a rigid religious upbringing, an intense drive for success, and a quiet conversion moment on the way to a golf game all led to a radical decision to walk away from a thriving CPA practice and follow God's call to Atlanta. Ron shares how that step of faith, a series of "turning points" he only recognized in hindsight, and a growing conviction that there's no such thing as an independent financial decision laid the groundwork for Christian financial planning, national-level generosity, and ultimately the founding of Kingdom Advisors.
"Everything turned when I realized it all hinged on the resurrection. If the resurrection happened, Christianity is true and I had to respond to that." - Ron Blue
"There's no such thing as an independent financial decision. Every choice you make with money touches your family, your future, and your ability to give." - Ron Blue
"I really believe the church is the next frontier for biblical financial wisdom. We're just now seeing how all these years of proof-of-concept were preparation for serving the local church." - Ron Blue
This Week on The Wow Factor:
• Ron's Indiana roots, early success track, and what drew him to the "big time" at KPMG in New York
• Leaving a secure global firm to start a CPA practice in Indianapolis and realizing most work was really counseling around money and taxes
• Childhood legalism, the soapbox derby story, and how early church experiences shaped his reaction against faith
• Ron's journey from "success first" to wrestling with the resurrection and praying to receive Christ alone in his car
• Moving to Atlanta after a clear call from Philippians 3 and a literal "For Sale by Owner" sign in the attic
• How a time-based CPA model became the blueprint for a fee-for-advice Christian financial planning firm
• The "first million-dollar giver" and the early financial plan that proved generosity could increase cash flow
• Being let go by the board of the firm that bore his name—and why that painful moment was a turning point
• Practical stories of cash-in-hand generosity to families, single moms, and unseen workers
• Ron's vision for serving local churches through trained Kingdom Advisors and holistic financial discipleship
Ron Blue's Word of Wisdom:
Ron believes the local church is the next major frontier for biblical financial discipleship. After decades of proving that faith-based financial principles work, he sees churches uniquely positioned to help people understand stewardship, generosity, and calling at every life stage.
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