It started with a serendipitous 1992 lunch meeting. Investment advisor Stephen Hammond was chatting with his cousin, college professor and author Dr. Keith Hamon, about the financial struggles facing Christian families.
In that conversation, Keith suggested a groundbreaking idea – launching a mutual fund or investment advisory service incorporating biblical financial principles and stewardship. At the time, nothing like this existed to guide Christians in navigating the complex world of investing in alignment with their faith. No available stock portfolios or funds applied ethical screens based on Christian values.
Stephen’s first reaction was tentative curiosity. “You’re right Keith, maybe God is calling me to do something like that.” Little did he know then that he would soon be a pioneer in the field of biblically responsible investing.
Over the next year, Stephen spent much time in prayer and introspection about this concept. He sensed the Holy Spirit confirming Keith’s initial prompting. The more he reflected, the more he felt God orchestrating a divine calling to meet this need.
As Stephen describes it, “The Lord seemed to keep directing me to help Christians become faithful stewards.” In 1993, compelled by spiritual conviction and seeing no one else stepping up to fill this gap, Stephen founded one of America’s very first fee-only investment firms to emphasize biblically aligned stewardship in how it managed portfolios.
Over two decades later, Christian Values Investing continues leading the field of faith-based investing, empowering believers to steward resources in ways that honor God. It all traces back to a lightbulb moment over lunch, when Keith first articulated a vision from God that Stephen carried forward. When believers seek the Lord’s wisdom and follow His calling, even a casual conversation can spark something with eternal impact.
In Christ,
Stephen H. Hammond
President
AUTHOR BIO
Stephen H. Hammond, president and founder of Christian Values Investing Inc., established the first “fee-only” Biblical responsible investment advisory firms in 1993 to help Christians align investments with their values and better manage finances from a biblical perspective. He graduated from Georgia Southern University with a finance degree and worked in the Investment Banking industry before joining Merrill Lynch in 1988. Stephen is a published author and speaker, a spirit-filled Christian who traces his faith heritage to preacher ancestors. In 2005, he established the nonprofit Covenant Financial Ministries to teach biblical stewardship principles and money management. Stephen has decades of experience in money management and financial planning. and serves with Kingdom Advisors and the National Association of Christian Financial Consultants. He has appeared on radio and television, spoken at churches, and authored books including Mission Possible: An Investment Guide for Christians and The Successful Life Manager. He married Angela in 1990, and has two children.
