Advisor Helps Strengthen His Community One Sermon at a Time
For Scott Heidema, an Oppenheimer financial advisor based in the Grand Rapids branch, philanthropy is part of his daily life and routine. Scott has been a minister at his local church for almost 30 years. After his day as a financial advisor is over, Scott serves a congregation of 150 people in the evenings.
Since 2017, over five million people have been displaced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of political instability and armed conflict. The country also hosts over half a million refugees from neighboring countries. In the last three years, 30 people from the Congo have immigrated to Grand Rapids and joined Scott’s congregation.
As they acclimate to life in the United States, Scott invites them to his sermons. He helps them settle down and find their place within the community. One of the most rewarding things, Scott says, is working alongside one of his congregants who served as a minister in the Congo. His congregant helps to translate his sermons into Swahili for the other Congolese people. Scott hopes that he will start giving his own sermons soon. Creating unity and promoting global citizenship can strengthen one’s community, just as Scott does in his.