I am just not that important in the grand scheme of things. This website, and my stewardship calling, is not about me. It is merely my opportunity to use the many and wonderful gifts, talents and blessings God has given to me for His greater glory, for my salvation and on behalf of my Orthodox Christian Church. I am only a servant for whatever work God or the Holy Spirit has in mind. I am blessed to share whatever I can with you.
My WHY is to help people, parishes and church organizations discover and live their stewardship callings so that they may have a good account before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
In case it matters to you, by education, I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Northwestern University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Goizueta Graduate School of Business Administration at Emory University and a Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law, all with honors.
I am also currently pursuing a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, with a concentration on Servant Leadership, at Regent University School of Business and Leadership.
I am blessed with a loving and supportive wife of over 41 years, the two most amazing daughters in the world (who I love unconditionally and with all my heart), each of whom are pursuing their own unique stewardship callings with passion and faith.
Dr. Alexis Marianes is living her calling by tirelessly working to study and save God’s creation and creatures in jungles and native habitats all over the globe.
Eliana Marianes is living her calling by bringing joy, laughter, sorrow and all of life’s emotions to audiences all over as a professional actress.
By day, I was a partner in the two great 1,100+ lawyer international law firms McGuire Woods LLP and Troutman Pepper, where I was honored to manage the Atlanta office and practice in the areas of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, business succession planning and church matters. And by the grace of God, after an amazing 36+ year career, I was able to “retire” from the full-time practice of law so that I could “refire” and work full-time for free. I am now blessed to be able to donate all of my remaining time to my Stewardship Calling ministry and the service of Christ’s church.
And while I studied psychology of humans, organizational behavior and strategic planning in graduate school, it is the over 36 years of hands-on experience working with all types of people and national and local nonprofit organizations, Christian churches and schools, parishes, Metropolises, Dioceses, Archdioceses that have prepared me for this calling.
Indeed, by the grace of God, I have been honored to have completed strategic plans that cover over 26% of Orthodox Christians in the United States.
I have also been blessed to work on capital campaigns that raised over $100 million, annual campaigns that raised over $25 million and have worked with some of the best stewardship, fundraising and strategic planning consultants around. But more importantly, I have been privileged to dedicate a significant portion of the last 36 years, and every available weekend for 15+ years, and full time since January 1, 2017, traveling over 425,000+ miles all over the United States (not counting daily ZOOM programs to countless more) to work with national, regional and individual church communities, clergy and faithful to understand and implement true stewardship, engaged discipleship and consensus vision and strategic planning in their own lives and the lives of their parishes.
And whether it was serving on the Board of Directors of the United Way, Archdiocese Council, Metropolis Council, numerous parishes, schools and other Christian ministries, chairing Christian school boards or conducting servant leadership, strategic planning, stewardship, engaged discipleship or effective communications training for Christian organizations, schools and churches, all these wonderful experiences have, by the grace of God, robustly prepared me to share with others what I have studied and learned.
God has truly blessed me and I am honored to “pay it forward.” I hope this totally free website starts to repay that great debt for God’s greater glory and for the salvation of my soul.
Let me hear from you with your questions, comments and suggestions. You can reach me at either Bill@stewardshipcalling.com or through my BLOG on this website. And, as always, I welcome your prayers. May God bless you as you pursue your own unique stewardship calling, and I pray that you:
“Stay on The Path and enjoy the journey.” “SOTPAETJ”
Copyright © Bill Marianes – Stewardship Calling 2008-2024