Meet Pastor Brian Duley, recent graduate from MissionFiT’s “ReStart Your Heart” Program!

 

Pastor Brian Duley's FiT-Testimony, headshot of Brian with Carolina blue sky background and city of Charlotte skyline, Brian is in a black jacket

Brian Duley: Husband to an incredible woman who couldn’t do this life without.  Father to three beautiful daughters, and one amazing son (yes, the reign of Barbie was finally broken in our home…WE HAD A BOY!)  Senior Pastor to an amazing community called NIKAO Church, a three-year old church plant that desires to help people “Know God & Live Out His Heart” which we believe is “WE greater than me”.

 

“My goals and passions are to FINISH WELL, and for my wife and kids to love Jesus and His Church, and to say that Dad was an even better man off stage than he was on it. The MissionFiT experience was instrumental in providing me with some very important take-aways.  My wholeness is connected to my wellness. That it’s not enough to steward my time, talent, and treasure well; but that I must also steward my temple well. That self-care and fitness is not selfish, but is one of the best gifts I can give my family, church and my God.  That I need to start my preparation for Sunday with healthy eating earlier so that I am building up daily to break down on Sunday.”

 

…….

 

I am a creative, driven, visionary with a desire to serve other people and genuinely help others experience the love of God.  Like many pastors, that drive can go beyond healthy into pouring my life into the ministry, caring for God’s people and the Church, while neglecting myself.  Care-taking others can become consuming and the healthy desire to serve people can quickly become a people pleaser issue.

 

Pastor Brian Duley's FiT-Testimony, 4 squares of church pictures from Nikao Church in University City

 

As a very analytical thinker dealing with complex ministry environments with people decisions and difficult daily situations, I face high stress events that don’t play well to my God given strengths especially when they make it into the realms of worry and anxiety.  Couple this with a new church and four kids, I needed to be healthy and whole. However, I slowly took the opposite approach. Too much Panera Bread and Starbucks (what church planter doesn’t have an office at both of these locations?) with too many late nights and no time for health didn’t position me well for the growth that would take place in our home and our church.

My goals and passions are to FINISH WELL!

And for my wife and kids to love Jesus and His Church, and to say that Dad was an even better man off stage than he was on it.  That the people who work closely with us in ministry respect us more and want to be more connected than when they were simply on the outside of inner workings. Thus, impacting, deeply, as many people as possible for Christ.  All of this requires a healthy and whole me. I’m grateful to MissionFiT for helping restart my heart so that those nutrition, exercise and self care issues that I was neglecting wouldn’t one day negatively impact my goals and success.

 

When I think of my fitness journey the words that come to mind for me are “needed”, “survival”, and “a must”.  

My fitness started out positively with an active lifestyle and good physical shape, THEN I started a church and had a fourth child which began the downward spiral of stress, overwork, and lack of sleep–a vicious cycle for burnout and an unhealthy situation.  Of course, this was followed by two concerned doctor’s physicals and a 30-pound weight gain including a series of constant headaches and dizziness.

 

The MissionFiT Program was instrumental in providing me with some very important take-aways.  My wholeness is connected to my wellness. That it’s not enough to steward my time, talent, and treasure well; but that I must also steward my temple well.  That self-care and fitness is not selfish, but is one of the best gifts I can give my family, church and my God. That I need to start my preparation for Sunday with healthy eating earlier so that I am building up daily to break down on Sunday.  As a result of my diligence in following the MissionFiT Program, I’ve lost 11 pounds already, crushed my fitness test and regained the vital energy I needed to preach and teach God’s Word multiple times a Sunday, lead well, and love my family passionately.  

 

Pastor Brian Duley's FiT-Testimony, Brian smiling with his family of 6 outside on a sunny day

 

The personalized care that the staff provided to us is one of my favorite aspects of my experience with MissionFiT.  As a shepherd, our calling is to care for others, while often neglecting to take care of ourselves. MissionFiT’s team of instructors and members genuinely care about YOU as the caregiver. They pray, encourage, motivate and help keep you accountable…all while understanding the demands of Pastoring.  Another positive aspect of my MissionFiT experience has been my understanding of the interrelationships of the physical, nutritional, spiritual and soul components of our lives and the role that each plays in our general well-being.

 

As you’ve probably gathered through my introduction, I am very motivated to make the necessary lifestyle changes because the calling of God on my life deserves all of me!  The investment that MissionFiT has made in me personally also motivates me so much that I want to reaffirm their belief and commitment to me by achieving all of the fitness and nutritional goals laid out for me.    

 

Pastor Brian Duley's FiT-Testimony, Brian and his wife Tamika pointing to their vast improvement on their workout test at graduation

 

I feel that the connection between faith and health is inexplicably and incredibly linked beyond the understanding of most.  

We tend to assume spiritual in one bucket, with physical in another. Beyond just physical training and teaching spiritual discipline, the faith and health connection is very effectively conveyed in the MissionFiT Program.  A balanced, Bible-based approach and understanding serves as the basic foundation.

 

Generally speaking, the health of pastors is very important.  The stressors of Pastoring, the set up of the ministry, the serving of others, and the way many Pastors are wired makes a perfect storm for burnout, sickness and failure.  Without being physically fit, it will be hard to manage well and maintain wholeness during the cycles and seasons of intense stress and situational leadership.

 

Pastor Brian Duley's FiT-Testimony, Brian in a black sports coat writing on a whiteboard, teaching in a Sunday sermon

 

Would I encourage someone else to begin a fitness journey?  Absolutely, from a Biblical perspective, it literally is the ROOT of all of the Fruit issues.  

Changing fitness habits will reduce stress levels, and accordingly improve sleep habits while making one feel more rested and refreshed.  With more energy and stamina, comes decreases in aches, pains, and sickness. My fitness journey has renewed my confidence and given me the clarity and hunger for the future life and calling God has for me and the many people He has called me to reach.

 

Pastor Brian Duley's FiT-Testimony, Brian sleep in bed with his 4 kiddos on Father's Day snuggled up in the blankets

 

 

For more Charlotte Pastor FiT-Testimonials, visit our FiT-Bits Blog.