Designation
The Certified Kingdom Advisor® Designation offers training and distinction to financial professionals who want to go deeper with their clients—and their career. With this certification, financial advisors can elevate their practice to a higher level of expertise and understanding, as well as offer their clients peace of mind and purpose in stewarding their wealth.
Benefits to You:
Attaining the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation allows you to confidently integrate technical expertise and biblically wise counsel in your financial advising role. The designation sets you apart as a financial professional who has pursued faith/work integration to the highest credentialed level in the financial advising world.
Benefits to Your Client:
More and more Christians are discovering that the worldview of their financial advisor is of critical importance. The Certified Kingdom Advisor® provides a principled class of Christian financial advisors who have been trained in biblically wise financial advice to men and women seeking biblically wise financial counsel. Additionally, Kingdom Advisors maintains a nationwide, searchable database of advisors available to the public.
CKA® Disciplines as Defined by Kingdom Advisors
Note: The CKA® designation cannot be issued to Development Officers, Stewardship Pastors, Loan Officers or Real Estate Agents, and as such, these disciplines are not listed on our website in the CKA® search directory.
Financial Planner
Type of Practice: Comprehensive Financial Planning
Experience Requirement: 10 years full-time experience* OR one of the following professional designations: CFP®, ChFC®, CPA/PFS (Canada: RFP, PFP, CIM, CSWP)
Definition: The process of determining whether and how an individual can meet life goals through the proper management of financial resources. Financial planning integrates the financial planning process with the financial planning subject areas outlined by the CFP® Board of Standards:
- Financial statement preparation and analysis (including cash flow analysis/planning and budgeting)
- Insurance planning and risk management
- Employee benefits planning
- Investment planning
- Income tax planning
- Retirement planning
- Estate planning
*If you do not hold one of the above designations for this discipline, you are required to submit a copy of a comprehensive financial plan that you have produced for one of your clients along with your Certified Kingdom Advisor® application. Please remove the clients’ names, Social Security Number, etc., when you submit the plan.
Accountant
Type of Practice: Personal Income Tax / Corporate Income Tax
Experience Requirement: CPA, EA (Canada: CGA)
Definition: An Accountant/Tax Professional is either a Certified Public Accountant who has been licensed by the respective agency responsible for professional licensing in their state or an Enrolled Agent who has demonstrated technical competence in the field of taxation and is licensed by the federal government.
Investment Professional
Type of Practice: Investment Management
Experience Requirement: 10 years full-time experience OR one of the following professional designations: CFP®, ChFC®, CPA/PFS, CFA®, CIMA, AAMS® (Canada: RFP, PFP, CIM, CSWP)
Definition: An investment professional provides professional expertise to the management of investment assets held in retirement accounts, trusts, individual and joint accounts. This type of advisor is registered with the SEC/CSA or State and “flat fee” paid for advice, or they are registered with a Broker Dealer and paid on a commission basis.
Insurance Professional
Type of Practice: Life or Long Term Care Insurance Planning and Sales
Experience Requirement: 10 years full-time experience OR one of the following professional designations: CLU®, FIC
Definition: An insurance consultant helps people find adequate amounts of insurance coverage at competitive prices. This type of advisor can be captive, career, or independent.
Lawyer
Type of Practice: Estate, Wills, Trusts, Planned Giving, Business Succession, etc.
Experience Requirement: JD (Canada: LL.B)
Definition: An attorney is a person who has passed the bar exam in their state and is licensed to practice law in that state. Those attorneys who are most involved with Kingdom Advisors tend to be proficient in the area of gift and estate planning, business succession planning, income tax planning, business law, family partnerships, and corporate reorganizations.
Earning the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation is only a few simple steps away.
Next Steps:
Step 1:
Enroll in and complete the CKA® Educational Program and take the tests accompanying each session. You are required to complete the CKA® Educational Program within six months of registering for the course. (Canadian-based advisors enroll in and complete Kingdom Advisors Core Training – 2nd Edition and take the tests accompanying each session.)
Step 2:
After successfully completing the CKA® Educational Program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, which will allow you to sit for the CKA® Program Proctored Exam. The exam is delivered online and monitored by live proctors. Applicants for the designation must receive a 70% passing grade on the proctored exam. There is a charge of $199 to take the proctored exam.
Step 3:
Complete the Certified Kingdom Advisor application*. Applicants must either hold one of the following industry approved designations: CFP®, ChFC®, CPA, CPA/PFS, EA, CFA, CIMA®, AAMS, CLU®, FIC, JD, or hold 10 years of experience in the discipline in which applying for the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation. These disciplines include insurance, investments, accounting, law, and financial planning. Visit this page for the specific requirements for each discipline. The CKA® designation cannot be issued to Development Officers, Stewardship Pastors, Loan Officers or Real Estate Agents, and as such, these disciplines are not listed on our website in the CKA® search directory.
*Please note a $50 application fee is required.
Step 4:
Maintain active status as a Certified Kingdom Advisor®* and maintain ongoing annual compliance requirements. Annual renewal requirements include completion of 10 hours continuing education with Kingdom Advisors, Inc., active Kingdom Advisors membership, and completion of an annual renewal online.
*Please note that Certified Kingdom Advisor® membership dues are $495 annually ($135 difference from Professional dues).
The central mission of Kingdom Advisors (“KA”) is to benefit the public by granting the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation and upholding it as the standard of excellence for biblically wise financial advice. As part of that mission, we require all Certified Kingdom Advisor® designees (“CKA Designees”) to remain in substantial compliance with a set of ethical principles, rules, and standards in order to use or to continue to use the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation.
In order to oversee such compliance, KA has established a set of disciplinary procedures to oversee the investigation of potential violations of such principles. These procedures include the review of complaints. If you make a complaint, it will be considered according to that procedure. A formal complaint must be submitted in writing, signed, and with an affirmation that every statement made in the complaint is true to the best of your knowledge. Please download the Kingdom Advisors “Procedures for Reporting Ethical Violations” and "Kingdom Advisors Disciplinary Procedures” on this page for complete details.
Complaints against a Certified Kingdom Advisor® can be submitted via email or in writing:
Kingdom Advisors, Inc.
3301 Windy Ridge Parkway SE, Suite 50
Atlanta, GA 30339
Scott Lucas, CFP®, CKA®, CES
Wealth Advisor
I love collaborating with clients to apply a principle and seeing the light in their eyes as God honors our efforts to work together. Nothing revs my engine more.
Andy Ferguson, CKA®
Financial Planner, Generational Wealth Planning
I'm so clear on my calling and purpose now. For the first time in my life, I’ve embraced God’s calling to serve him in the financial industry.
Nathan Fulks, CKA®
Managing Partner & Financial Advisor, Family Wealth Partners
As a CKA®, I never feel alone as a faith-based Christian advisor because I’m part of a network of advisors where iron sharpens iron.
Chelsea Rude, CKA®
Financial Advisor, Rude Wealth Advisory
My view of who I am and my role as an advisor has changed. Now I see my greater role as a disciple maker. My work as an advisor has been transformed to a higher purpose.
Eric Dunavant, CFP®, CKA®
Dunavant Wealth Strategies – Mandeville, LA
No one else is touching this. It has created the foundation I needed to transform my practice.
John Moore, CKA®
John Moore & Associates, Inc. – Albuquerque, NM
Core Training was the most meaningful thing I have done in my career. It completely changed the way I was framing my advice. The transferrable concepts I learned have allowed me to communicate more effectively with clients while providing tools for the financial strategy we use in our own family.
Floyd Green, CFP®, CKA®
Cornerstone Wealth Management – Raleigh, NC
The Core Training enables a person to get beyond the ability to catalog bible verses about money and possessions. It helps him/her learn how to apply the truths of Scripture to his own life and clients’ lives.
Jerry Black, CKA®
Legacy Planning Group, Inc. – Suwanee, GA
It's when I participate in a conference call, attend the annual conference, fellowship with my peers in our local study group that I realize how much I can learn and yet at the same time come away feeling encouraged, challenged, motivated to more fully commit to bringing life changing transcendent principles back to my family, clients, church and community.
Bardie Wolfe, CFP®, RICP®, CKA®
Peak Financial Management – Broomfield, CO
Pursing the Certified Kingdom Advisor designation has helped me hone my skills and communication with clients…I find it imperative that I help followers of Christ understand what our Lord is revealing to us about our money. I am better able to speak comfort and confidence through my financial advice, knowing our Lord is our provider.
Bruce Synder, CFP®, CKA®
Snyder Financial Group, Inc. – Tampa, FL
I knew the how, but through the Kingdom Advisors training, my counsel now centers around the why. KA keeps me focused and intentional about how and why we impact Kingdom work.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Application:
What are the professional requirements to apply to become a Certified Kingdom Advisor®?
Applicants must either hold one of the following industry approved designations: CFP®, ChFC®, CPA, CPA/PFS, EA, CFA, CIMA®, AAMS, CLU®, JD or hold 10 years of experience in the discipline in which applying for the Certified Kingdom Advisor® designation. These disciplines include insurance, investments, accounting, law, and financial planning. Visit this page for the specific requirements for each discipline, as well as additional information for Canadian applicants.
What are the educational requirements to obtain the CKA® designation?
You are required to complete the University-based CKA® Educational Program and pass a national, proctored exam.
What are the required references?
There are three required references as a part of our current application. We require a pastoral reference and two client references from non-family members who have known you for at least two years. In addition, you must have served your client references within the past two years.
What if I don’t know my senior pastor or haven’t been at my church for two years?
We recommend getting a reference from someone in a church leadership position that has known you for at least two years (i.e. Small Group Leader, Community Service Director, Associate Pastor, etc.).
I don’t work directly with clients, but I meet the professional requirements. Can I still apply to become a Certified Kingdom Advisor®?
If you meet all our application requirements, you would be eligible to become a Certified Kingdom Advisor®, but you would not be able to be published in our directory for the general public considering your current role. The goal of our directory is to connect the general public with our Certified Kingdom Advisor®, their potential advisors.
What is the Certified Kingdom Advisor® application process?
You may complete the application process on-line. Once complete, our Certification Review Board reviews your application and considers it for Certification. Typically, we will have your application status completed within 4-6 weeks from the time we have your completed application and references. Once an applicant is approved to be a Certified Kingdom Advisor®, we post their listing in our Certified Kingdom Advisor® directory.
Certification Renewal:
I already paid my member dues, why did I receive a notice for renewal?
If you are a Certified Kingdom Advisor®, you may have received a notice to renew your Certification designation which is a separate annual renewal process from your membership renewal. The CKA® designation requires an annual update.
What is the difference between Certified Kingdom Advisor® renewal and Kingdom Advisor membership renewal?
We have two renewal systems in place at Kingdom Advisors. One is for membership with Kingdom Advisors (this is connected to membership dues). The second is to facilitate the CKA® Required Annual Update. We require an annual update to ensure that our Certified Kingdom Advisor® designees are still in good standing with their designations and regulatory bodies, as well as reaffirming core areas of certification.
How do I renew my Certification?
You will receive an email to complete your Required Annual Update. Please visit and complete each section of the renewal. Once the section is completed, you will see a green check mark. Your renewal is complete once you have visited and completed all sections. Please contact Carolynn Miller at CKA@kingdomadvisors.com for questions.
Am I required to obtain Continuing Education?
Yes, you are required to complete 10 hours of Kingdom Advisor Continuing Education prior to your CKA® renewal date each year. Additional hours of continuing education beyond the required 10 hours earned within a certification period may not be carried over to the following certification period.
Hours may be earned according to the table below:
Kingdom Advisors Annual Conference - 10 hours
Kingdom Advisors One Day Conference - 5 hours
Kingdom Advisors Study Groups - 1 hour per meeting
Kingdom Advisors Community Group Calls - 1 hour per call
Kingdom Advisors Core training - 10 hours
Quarterly Economic Review Call with Jerry Bowyer - 1 hour per call
Biblically Responsible Investing: Understanding the Heart of God Course - 5 hours
Missional Marketing Training Course - 2 hours
Incorporating Philanthropic Counsel into Your Advisory Practice - 3 hours
Leading/Participating in a Crown or Compass Study - 5 hours
R3 Coaching - 10 hours per year
Rethinking Wealth - 3 hours per event
Required University-based Training:
How do I sign up for the required University-based training course?
You can visit this page to view current pricing and enroll in the course.
What Universities offer the CKA® Educational program?
The course is currently offered through Indiana Wesleyan University.
Will there be testing with the training?
Yes, there is a proctored exam at the conclusion of the course administered through a national testing service. There is a charge of $199 to take the proctored exam.
Are there residency requirements?
No. The course is designed for busy professionals and may be completed entirely on-line.
Kingdom Advisors | 3301 Windy Ridge Pkwy SE, Suite 50 | Atlanta, GA
30339-8598 | 404.497.7680
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