Something strange can happen when a pastor walks into a room with a very wealthy person.
We change.
We may become overly impressed, overly cautious, overly agreeable, or suddenly very interested in making sure they know how important our ministry is. Sometimes we do the opposite. We become distant because we don't want them to think we want something from them.
Either way, we're acting weird.
And wealthy people can feel it.
Here's what I've learned: the size of someone's portfolio should never determine the way you pastor their soul.
A person with $100 million needs the same things from their pastor as someone with $100. They need truth. They need prayer. They need encouragement. They need someone willing to challenge them. They need a pastor who sees them as a person—not as a potential gift.
The problem is that money carries influence. And influence can intimidate leaders who aren't secure in their own calling.
Remember this: they may have more financial authority than you do, but God has entrusted you with spiritual authority.
Don't surrender that.
That doesn't mean becoming arrogant or trying to prove you're unimpressed. That's just insecurity wearing different clothes. It means walking into the relationship knowing who you are and why God put you there.
Some of the wealthiest people I've met are surrounded by people who want something from them. Their phone rings because somebody needs something. Invitations come because somebody wants access. Relationships can become transactional very quickly.
Then their pastor walks into the room.
We should be different.
Ask about their marriage. Ask about their kids. Ask what they're praying about. Learn their story. Celebrate what God is doing in their life. Challenge them when necessary. Pray over their business. Be there when things fall apart.
Pastor them.
Ironically, when you stop chasing their resources, you often gain something far more important—their trust.
And trust is the currency of every meaningful relationship.
A pastor who genuinely loves people eventually earns the opportunity to talk about everything that matters—including money.
So the next time you sit across from someone who could write a seven-figure check, remind yourself:
You're not sitting across from a bank account.
You're sitting across from someone Jesus died for.
Pastor the person. God will take care of the portfolio.