When Pastor Gary Underwood first connected with architect Dan Keiser in 2011, his church was growing quickly and exploring possibilities for expansion.
Through a mutual friend, Gary connected with Dan, hoping to find an architect who could help them navigate new space needs. What he didn’t expect was to meet someone who understood the ministry behind the building.
“Dan showed up and listened,” said Gary. “He wasn’t just thinking about the physical design, he understood church and people. He knows the needs, the possibilities, and he takes the time to really hear you.”
That posture of empathy stood out to Gary, whose congregation in Delaware, Ohio, was in a season of both excitement and strain. As the church explored how to add lobby space, increase seating, and possibly purchase an adjacent property, a years-long legal battle was unfolding in the background, which would eventually halt their expansion plans.
“Even if we had wanted to do a big project with Keiser Design, we weren’t able to get financing because of the lawsuit,” said Gary. “But Dan was great through it. He helped us think through our options and encouraged me personally when everything felt uncertain.”
For Gary, that season was a reminder that pastors often face challenges behind the scenes that few ever see, the kind that weigh on them personally and often test their faith. “Pastors need peer friends,” he said. “They need people they can talk to, who aren’t expecting them to always be ‘Pastor Dave’ or ‘Pastor Gary.’ They need spaces and relationships where they can just be real.”
Years later, that realization became the foundation for Love Pastors, the nonprofit Gary founded to support the relational and spiritual health of pastors. After years of leading churches and serving as a regional pastor liaison with Compassion International, Gary had spent countless hours talking with pastors across the Midwest, listening to their challenges, frustrations and burdens especially in the wake of the pandemic.
“When COVID hit, everything changed,” Gary said. “Pastors weren’t talking about missions trips or projects anymore. They were asking, ‘How do I survive this season? How do I care for my church when I’m running on empty?’ I became like a counselor for many of them, and that’s when God began moving me to start Love Pastors.”
Gary began meeting regularly with a small group of pastors in Canton, Ohio. After several months, the group members affirmed Love Pastors was a calling that met a real need — and that Gary was uniquely equipped to show up for pastors in the ways they needed most.
“Our whole idea is to be the proactive friend who checks in on a pastor twice a month whether he likes it or not,” Gary said with a laugh. “Pastors have to lead everyone else: their staff, their families, their communities. But who’s leading and caring for them? We just want to show up and be a brother or sister in Christ who says, ‘How are you, really?’”
When Gary announced the official launch of Love Pastors, Dan was one of the first people to reach out. “He told me he really resonated with the idea,” said Gary. “He knows a lot of pastors and understands their pressures. He’s connected me with pastors and Christian school leaders he knows, and I’ve connected him with churches up here in northeast Ohio. We share the same heart for encouraging church leaders.”
For Gary, Dan’s genuine care for pastors is what sets him apart. “Dan is humble, approachable, caring, and loves the church,” he says. “He’s not salesy. He really does care about what’s best for the body of Christ, and he understands the cares and concerns of a pastor.”
At the heart of their friendship, whether through architectural guidance or through soul care, Dan and Gary share a commitment to strengthening the individuals who lead the church.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Gary, and offering any advice I can to the pastors he serves,” said Dan. “We have found great synergy, because KDG and Love Pastors both exist to build something that lasts — not just physical structures, but church communities that support those who lead and serve others.”
At KDG, we believe the most meaningful work often begins long before the first drawing is ever made. Learn more about our work with other mission-minded clients.
