OUR STORY
How The Authentic Pastor Began
Tim Eldred spent over three decades in ministry — pastor's kid, youth leader, senior pastor, you name it. He walked with thousands of pastors, taught them, trained them, watched them pour everything into their calling. But a few years back, he hit a wall. Not a crisis or moral failure. Just the slow wear and tear that happens when you give everything to ministry without knowing how to sustain yourself in it. He was burning out.
He looked for help. Conferences offered growth strategies. Books offered productivity tips. Retreats offered temporary rest. But nothing addressed the actual problem — the patterns making ministry unsustainable in the first place. What he needed didn't exist. So he built it.
The Authentic Pastor started as one man's answer to a problem he couldn't find help for. It's grown into a team of experienced ministry leaders who believe pastors and churches deserve something better. Today, that team works with leaders at every stage — not just the ones in survival mode, but the ones who are leading well and want to go further. The problems are different. The approach is the same.
WHOLECARE™
What Makes Us Different?
Most resources treat symptoms — and after decades of working with pastors and churches, we kept seeing the same thing. A church in conflict wasn't just a communication breakdown. A stagnant ministry wasn't just a strategy problem. Everything was connected.
So we developed WholeCare™ — a framework built specifically for ministry leaders that looks at your life, your leadership, and your ministry as one integrated whole. It starts with the person and works outward into the systems, structures, and culture of the ministry you lead.
Tim Eldred
FOUNDER | CEO
Tim spent over three decades in ministry as a pastor, coach, and author. He's taught more than 20,000 leaders through training seminars, and his books on spiritual formation and leadership have been used by over 600,000 people in 90+ nations. Known for thinking outside the box and breaking traditional ministry models, he founded The Authentic Pastor and developed the WholeCare™ framework. He wrote Ministry Cancer: Dying to Serve. He's married to Cindy, dad to two adult sons, and makes his home in rural Central Michigan.
Brian Aaby
CHIEF STRATEGIST
Brian has spent over 20 years helping pastors and churches take their next right step—figuring out where they're going and how to actually get there. He's led in local church ministry, founded Youthmark, served with Youth Specialties and Slingshot Group, and coached leaders across the country. Now he's helping build The Authentic Pastor, bringing the same clarity and practical wisdom to everything we do. He's married to Elisabeth, dad to three kids, and you'll usually find him hiking in the Pacific Northwest or catching a baseball game somewhere.
Dr. Jeff Gill
ACADEMIC DIRECTOR
Jeff has spent over four decades in ministry—20 years as a church planter and lead pastor, 16 years as an Academic Dean and Professor of Pastoral Studies at a seminary, and six years as a discipleship pastor. He holds a D.Min. and Ph.D. in educational leadership, and his expertise bridges the academic and practical sides of ministry. He's built teams, developed curriculum, mentored leaders, and understands both the weight of pastoral life and the need for honest support. He brings credibility in places where theory meets reality.
Jeff Noel
PASTORAL COACH
Jeff has spent 40 years in ministry, most of it as a lead pastor. He's a pastor's kid who grew up in the church and has led congregations ranging from 70 to 1400—small staff to large, healthy cultures to toxic ones. He spent eight years with Harvest Prayer Ministries and over two decades on the Board of Directors for the National Day of Prayer. Jeff is the person pastors turn to when they need someone who genuinely sees them and understands what they're going through. He has one daughter, Marie, a veterinarian in Nashville.
Dr. Ken Castor
LEADERSHIP EDUCATOR
Ken has spent 35 years in NextGen, interim, and executive pastoral ministry across the US and Canada, along with faculty roles in higher education. He holds a D.Min. from Trinity Western University. He's the general editor of the Make a Difference Youth Bible and helped edit the award-winning Jesus-Centered Bible. He's authored multiple books and founded NEXT Ministry Conferences. Ken takes complex ministry concepts and translates them into practical tools pastors can actually use. He and his wife Kathy live in Minnesota with their brilliantly witty and sometimes freezing family.
Jim Probst
MINISTRY STRATEGIST
Jim has spent over 25 years in pastoral ministry, including roles as Executive Pastor at large churches where he's led teams of 30-45 people and built strategic planning systems. He's developed leadership training programs, grown ministries from the ground up, and established sustainable structures for staff and volunteers. He holds a Master's in Spiritual Formation from Lincoln University and has co-authored multiple books. He's trained in Culture Index Administration and is known for equipping leaders and building sustainable ministry systems. His mission: "Success is successors."
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