Zach Gilliam ’09
Posted on: December 2, 2025
Serving the Lord inside and outside the church walls.
After nearly two decades in finance and church leadership, Zach Gilliam (’09) said he often thinks back to Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
“I’ve quoted that proverb more than any other Bible verse,” Gilliam said.
“I couldn’t have known that the day I got accepted into grad school for history is the day we’d find out we were pregnant with our first child,” he said. “I couldn’t have imagined that getting a job at Wachovia bank would have resulted in a 20-year career that I enjoy and love. You make plans. You put one foot in front of the other. And then you trust the Lord to direct your steps.”
Gilliam, who serves as both a Managing Partner at Yield Private Wealth and a lay elder at Ridgewood Church in Greer, said he felt a call to missions during high school.
“I had the goal of being an employed somewhere, but I also wanted to find the time to serve God’s kingdom through missions in some way,” Gilliam said. “I always had the feeling that I did not want to be a burden on the local church, financially or otherwise.”
Gilliam studied history at NGU with the hopes of landing a teaching job that would free up his summer months to do missions.
“I knew whatever I ended up doing, I wanted to do it well. I wanted to be a good history teacher. I wanted to be a good student at North Greenville.,” he said. “Most of my electives were Christian Studies courses. I was able to take PTRW rather than a history writing course, and that qualified me to be able to take other Christian Studies courses as electives.”
After graduation Gilliam started a family and began working in a bank. That job turned into a career, which opened more doors for ministry.
“I spend a lot of time trying to balance what it means to be a good husband, a good father, a good business owner, a good elder, and a good church member,” he said.”It often feels like I’m a jack of all trades and a master of none—mediocre at everything and not great at anything.
“On the other hand, there’s a call to put your hand on the plow and to labor. For some folks, they get the opportunity to do that full time in ministry, but for most people, it’s going to look like paying more attention to how your time is used. You do have capacity to serve the Lord.”
Gilliam stressed that ministry and missions isn’t a job designed exclusively for Christian Studies majors.
“You don’t have to be a Christian Studies major to do ministry. That’s so far from the truth. The Bible was written for you. The call is for you. Make disciples and baptize them,” Gilliam said.
“We have to know the Bible. We have to love Jesus,” he said. “Then, you take that and figure out what it means for wherever God has placed you. Whether that’s owning a wealth management business, being an accountant, a janitor, or a construction worker—you take that love for Jesus and figure how you can push back against the fall in your environment.”
Gilliam encouraged others to ponder the legacy they will leave and what they did to serve the Lord.
“Something that has always helpful for me is to have a perspective on life as if I’m looking backwards on my death bed,” he said. “I want to always be asking the question: what did I do that had the most impact or meaning in this life. I probably have maybe two generations that will remember me, so what things can I be doing to have a lasting impact?”
