Meet Ken Ingold | Pastor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ken Ingold and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ken, do you have a budget?
My wife, Pam, and I have used Excel spreadsheets to track our budget since 1994. It is very interesting to look back, 30 years ago, at our income and expenses, and wonder how we ever made it. But we did!

Every December we sit down and go over our expenses for that year and anticipated income and expenses for the upcoming year and establish our new budget. Because we each work and are responsible for separate budget items, we actually keep separate budgets and track them individually. Pam is a bit more precise in that she enters her income and every expense to the penny. Me, I choose to round off and enter income and expenses to the dollar. Her income and average monthly expenses are included in my spreadsheet in order to have a master budget that contains all of our income and expenses.

Our budgets includes our salaries and any miscellaneous income we might receive (gifts, refunds, etc.), then list all of our expenses as separate line items: housing expenses (mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, utilities, housekeeper, lawn maintenance, security company, pest control, cell phone, water and sewer, window cleaning, HOA, cable and internet). We have a line item for household expenses and home improvements (cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, plumbing, electrical, furniture, paint, etc.). Next is auto expenses (car payment, insurance, license plates, gas, maintenance and repairs). Of course there are line items for groceries, gifts, entertainment, travel, life insurance, health insurance, medical expenses, clothing, gifts, health and hygiene.

Two important line items I have not yet mentioned are savings and charitable contributions (including tithing to our church). We choose to live by the 80-10-10 plan, which means 10% of our Gross income (prior to taxes) goes to savings and 10% of our gross income is tithed to our church. We also support some missionaries and other ministries, but that comes out of the 80%, which is what we live on. We believe this is honoring to God and is a value we choose to live by.

Setting a budget is important, as it provides a foundation by which to guide our financial choices. We prefer that we control our finances rather than having our finances control us.

For Pam and me, we are intentional about keeping our budget up to date and talking regularly about how we are doing relative to our budget. We have an unwritten rule that neither of will ever spend over $100 without conferring with the other. If we need to transfer money from saving (not the 10% we have put away, but funds we put into savings to cover unexpected expenses) we always inform one another, even though all of our accounts are joint accounts and easily accessible. We believe it is better to communicate up front rather than finding out after the fact.

We are not perfect in managing money, but by setting a budget and communicating regularly, money rarely causes a conflict in our marriage. With all the things in life we cannot control, it feels good to have a handle on this particular area that can, and has, caused great challenges in many marriage relationships.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I felt the Calling to full-time vocational ministry, went back to school, and ultimately received my Master of Divinity degree in 1994. After interviewing with two churches in Tucson, Arizona and one in Columbus, Ohio, I, instead, accepted a transfer within the Title Insurance company in which I was employed, to accept a position as Sales Manager in San Diego. We began attending The Church at Carmel Mountain, which later became The Church at Rancho Bernardo. In 1997, The church asked me to join their staff as Executive Pastor. I have been blessed to serve here at the church in various roles from that day forward.

We, as a church, went through a change of leadership 8 years ago when our Founding and Senior Pastor retired. Since then, with younger leadership, the church continues to thrive and is reaching the next generation, My wife, Pam, and I feel it is a privilege to invest in, minister alongside, and mentor the next generation of leaders.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were to visit, the week would look something like this:
1. A trip to Coronado Island and the Hotel Del, probably with a drink out on the patio and a walk along the shoreline.
2. A hike on the trails at Torrey Pines State Beach.
3. A visit to Barrio Logan including breakfast at Los Quatro Milpas
4. Happy Hour at C Level Lounge
5. Ice Cream at Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream
6. Balboa Park (Possibly museums or just walking the grounds)
7. Cabrillo National Monument – a great look at San Diego’s History
8. Lunch at Hodad’s in Ocean Beach
9. Visit the Farmer’s Market in Little Italy on Saturday
10. Sunday morning church at The Church at Rancho Bernardo

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I want to thank my wife, Pam, for being the love of my life. As we approach 45 years of marriage, I am beyond grateful for her love, support and encouragement.

Secondly, I want to thank my friend and accountability partner, Bill Besalski, for being there for me to talk through any and all issues, and challenging me to walk more closely with Jesus.

Finally, The Church at Rancho Bernardo, with whom I have been employed for 27 years. Thank you for allowing me to utilize my giftedness and for being a light in our community.

Website: https://www.thechurchrb.org

Instagram: thechurchrb

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