Timothy Plan Identifies God-Honoring Investments for Christians Worldwide
December 20, 2021
ORLANDO, Fla.—People from all walks of life have found their way to Timothy Plan, the pioneering family of biblically responsible mutual funds and ETFs.
“There are lots of socially conscious funds that don’t account for moral issues,” says Art Ally, Timothy Plan founder and president. “ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) is a big movement.”
Sometimes, people learn about Timothy Plan on the radio from interviews with Art Ally. Others hear about it from popular radio finance show host Dan Celia of Financial Issues Stewardship Ministries.
For instance, at a home school conference, Celia was presenting a breakout PowerPoint session on behalf of Timothy Plan. He listed some funds that were “socially filtered” but which are “very different from moral issues that we filter.”
As a particular fund popped up on the screen along with some of the immoral causes it backed, a woman in the audience broke into tears.
“That’s the primary fund in my husband’s medical retirement fund in a pediatrics office,” she said. “We had no idea that we were investing in and profiting from abortion. Here we are trying to save lives and bring new life into the world.”
She and her husband vowed to move their money to funds filtered for companies that don’t make money off abortions.
ESG rates factors like how companies approach climate change, sustainability, diversity, inclusion, consumer protection, corporate structure and animal welfare. But it does not encompass the kind of moral issues Timothy Plan filters.
There’s even an investing category geared to “sin stocks.” Called “vice funds,” these specialize in companies that profit from alcohol, tobacco, gambling and other ventures that Timothy Plan and other Biblically Responsible Investing firms filter out.
The fact that Timothy Plan has an entirely different focus—pleasing God and being a good steward—is what attracts Christian investors. In fact, Timothy Plan’s investment specialists get to do some things unheard of in other offices.
“Many times, when we call somebody, we don’t know of an immediate death in the family,” Ally says. “Or they’re going through something else that’s difficult. We get the opportunity to pray for them and put them on a list for morning devotional prayer. We get to have Kingdom impact.”
It’s not always easy to persuade financial advisors—even Christian ones—to sell Timothy Plan to their clients. The idea of filtering out some stocks “can be a big roadblock,” according to Ally.
“It can be a lightning rod,” he says. “They don’t want to offend. But we encourage them to see it more like a mission field, not that we’re judging anybody. Even non-Christians can relate to some of the filters. Take someone who had alcoholic parents who saw their family torn apart. They’re open to not wanting to profit from alcohol.
“When we discuss their goals, sometimes I ask, ‘Is there anything you don’t want to invest in? Ninety percent of the time, they ask, ‘what do you mean by that?’ Then I can offer them options. Some advisors take it all the way, converting all over to BRI, and others move some of their investments into the filtered funds.”
Timothy Plan always has someone—not a machine—answer the phone during business hours because every caller may need to talk to someone who can share the love of Christ with them.
“People are broken,” Ally says. “We need to service them differently.”
Since 1994, Timothy Plan has existed to help advisers and investors achieve their financial goals through a pro-life, pro-family approach to investing—not only to benefit the investor but the broader culture. Timothy Plan is firmly committed to running a mutual fund company with the integrity, excellence, and wisdom that brings honor and glory to our Lord Jesus and is a beacon for Godly stewardship in the financial community.
The first of its kind, Timothy Plan is a family of mutual funds that filters its funds to ensure that no money is invested in companies that are supportive of ideals that are contrary to their biblical, moral imperative. In 2019, Timothy Plan celebrated 25 years as founders of helping Christians achieve their financial goals while investing in a biblically and morally responsible manner.
Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. Before investing, carefully consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the investment company. This and other important information can be found in the fund’s prospectus. To obtain a copy, visit timothyplan.com or call 800.846.7526. Read each prospectus carefully before investing.
Mutual funds distributed by Timothy Partners, Ltd., member FINRA. ETFs distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC, MEMBER FINRA. Timothy Partners, Ltd. is not affiliated with Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
For more information on Timothy Plan, visit timothyplan.com or connect on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vimeo or YouTube. View the media page for Timothy Plan here.
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To interview Timothy Plan Founder and President Art Ally, or a Timothy Plan representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
