Center for Ministerial Health: easing the burdens of pastors

The Church will only be as healthy as her ministers. We invest in Texas Baptist ministers to encourage them towards excellence so they can be their best to serve the Lord and His people.

Pastor Bert Sigala has faithfully served Primera Baptist Church in Waxahachie for five years. Sigala also worked as a teacher, but after three years of balancing pastoring and teaching, Sigala felt that he did not have enough time to fully devote himself to his ministry, so he stepped away from teaching.

The church, excited about Sigala’s passion, offered him a full-time salary later in the year. The Sigalas were able to pay their bills each month, but they were unable to pay off the debt they had incurred from losing his teaching income.

“It was on my mind all the time. We were able to cover our bills, but we weren’t able to pay off the [debt],” Sigala said.

Sigala found the Center for Financial Health (CFH), a ministry of the Center for Ministerial Health, on the Texas Baptists website. The CFH provides support for pastors through grant funds, low-interest loans and financial literacy resources. One of those grants is the Ministers Financial Health Grant, a matching grant designed to help Texas Baptists pastors struggling with debt and bills.

Sigala and his wife, Janala, were relieved to discover that there was a resource that would guide them out of the mounting debt. He reached out to Director Tammy Tervooren, who guided him through the application process. As part of the process, Sigala was connected to a financial counselor.

Thanks to the grant and the financial counseling they have received, the Sigalas finished paying off their credit card debts in the summer of 2020. Sigala found peace through the grant and financial counseling. Instead of wondering how his family will manage their debt, he is able to focus on Bible studies, sermons and ministry for his congregation.