Leading the Line and the Missions

Food Industry Executives on Faith and Business

At first glance, a fast-paced restaurant may not seem like the most obvious setting for spiritual leadership or eternal impact. But for a group of Chick-fil-A operators and key players who participate in C12 Business Forums, their business is not just about chicken sandwiches or customer satisfaction—it’s about stewarding lives and leading with purpose.

Recently, the C12 Georgia and South Carolina team sat down with several leaders in the food service industry who have been transformed through their involvement in C12. Their stories underscore a powerful truth: Business is a platform. And when leveraged faithfully, it can be one of the most effective tools for ministry.

A Calling, Not Just a Company

One operator, reflecting on his roots as a pastor’s kid, put it this way:

“I don't preach every Sunday in front of my team or my guests, but it's like a flock that God has blessed me with.”

He now views his leadership role through the lens of pastoral stewardship:

“I've got my team that I'm responsible for in our business, but I look at that as a ministry. They are my flock.”

In the high-turnover world of food service, team members often stay only for a season. That reality could breed indifference—but these leaders choose to see something deeper.

“What we need as leaders is to wrap our minds around that. And C12 helped me with this to say, OK, what is our purpose for people in their life while we have them for this season?”

This question, rooted in the biblical concept of stewardship, is at the heart of the C12 Business as a Ministry (BaaM) framework. Rather than measuring success solely by profit or performance, these operators have learned to ask: How are we caring for the people God has entrusted to us today?

Moving From Job to Purpose

For many of these leaders, their C12 experience has been instrumental in shaping a more intentional culture—one where the workplace becomes a space of transformation.

“When we get our team members and we get our leaders out of this JOB space and they can actually think and feel like they're a part of something that's impacting people, that's where you start making that jump from just a job to business as a ministry.”

Another added:

“We have top leaders that their entire job is to think of business as a ministry, to think of how is what we're doing day in and day out… staying connected to that greater purpose?”



Through the discipline and structure of C12’s monthly Forums, these operators have developed a rhythm of stepping back to recalibrate and re-anchor in their “why.”

Leading at Scale Without Losing the Heart

One of the most significant transitions described was the shift from corporate life into leading a large team in food service:



“I had gone from leading a small team of just a couple people to, in the food service industry, literally a hundred people. And that can be challenging.”

C12 provided practical tools to make that leadership leap.

“C12 gives me the tools I need to help lead not only those hundred people but the seven to eight core leaders that I have… and how to do that in a way that develops them and keeps them focused on our mission, which is to show care and glorify God.”

That mission, "to show care and glorify God", doesn't happen automatically. It requires deliberate structure, leadership multiplication, and constant alignment. Through C12’s 5-Point Alignment Matrix and other strategic planning tools, these operators are learning how to lead with excellence while anchoring every effort to an eternal purpose.

Accountability That Moves Ideas to Action

Business leaders often have access to books, ideas, and conferences, but implementation is another matter. What sets C12 apart is the accountability that turns good intentions into real change.

“At C12, they will hold you accountable to, hey, you said you were going to use that. You said you were going to do this—did you?”

Another leader reflected on the impact of C12’s structure:

“Outside of my one-on-one time with my operator, this is probably the most important time I spend every month working on the business.”

One of the most unique tools these operators highlighted is the Balance Wheel—a monthly self-assessment that invites leaders to evaluate not only business metrics, but personal and spiritual health.

“It breaks out your life into key areas… we talk about things from how is our marriage going, how is fitness, how is fun, how is retreat, how are our personal finances.”



In an industry where burnout is common, this level of holistic introspection is both rare and life-giving.

The Gift of Perspective—and Community

“It's always interesting to me that coming in, I can think that the curriculum on the business side maybe isn't super relatable to what I'm navigating day to day, and somehow by the time we're halfway through, there's an application for us.”



The Forum table brings leaders from diverse industries—engineering, construction, accounting, and food service—into one space where wisdom is multiplied.

“It really makes you a more, I think, well-rounded business leader.”

Perhaps the most consistent theme among those interviewed was the deep sense of community they’ve found.

“I just remember them being very welcoming, and I found a place at the table. Eight years now has been absolutely incredible…changed my life.”

Another shared:

“To be able to be in there and share and be vulnerable, it has allowed me to foster and grow relationships with people that I probably would never have met even though they live in the same city that I live in.”

This Is More Than a Sandwich

One leader summed it up like this:

“This is more than just a restaurant. This is more than just a sandwich. This is more than just one guest. We really are connecting to a bigger purpose of care and of creating environments for people where they are welcome and comfortable. And hopefully that leads them to ultimately see the Kingdom through us.”

At C12 Georgia and South Carolina, we are honored to walk alongside leaders like these—those who refuse to compartmentalize their faith, who serve their teams as shepherds, and who are redefining success in the marketplace.



Their journey is a reminder that God is at work in the kitchen, the drive-thru, and the boardroom. And when leaders align their business with a Kingdom mission, even a sandwich can point to something eternal.

To watch the full interview, visit:

 Faith, Business, and Impact: Chick-fil-A Operators on Their C12 Experience

If you’re a leader who is hungry for greater purpose in your business, we invite you to connect with us and explore what’s possible through a local C12 Business Forum.