Business Expert Rick Betenbough Visits Liberty’s School Of Business To Share His Life Story With Students

Liberty University’s School of Business welcomed Rick Betenbough as a guest speaker to share his journey as CEO of Betenbough Companies and co-founder of Betenbough Homes. Betenbough flew in from Texas to speak to Liberty’s business classes about how he navigated his rise in the field and professional life as a Christian. 

He described his experience starting his first business with his dad, Betenbough Homes, a home building company. It opened in 1992 and grew exponentially. In 2020, the company was just shy of making $300 million from closing on under 1,400 homes. 

Betenbough said he drew inspiration for the work from Genesis 2:19 and other verses applying them to his life and business. 

“God invited us to take charge, not to own, but to take charge and take care of His creation,” Betenbough said. “(That’s) our work. I wanted to serve God as high as I could. I wondered if I could serve Him fully in the marketplace. I believe I can because he is a worker himself.”

Betenbough drew inspiration from the Hebrew word, Avodah, which means work, worship and service. 

“Our work, your work is avodah. At our company, it’s a seamless life of work, worship and service,” Betenbough said. 

Betenbough said that the marketplace is where he drew close to God and where he felt it was where he could best serve Him. 

“Business is about solving problems. A profit can derive from it. People can be employed.  That is an amazing thing to do, and that drives the world,” Betenbough said.

David Brat, Liberty University’s Dean of the School of Business for the past two years spoke highly of Betenbough and the student’s response to his story. 

“Rick Betenbough is a rare gem. He decided along with his father, very early on to initially give his entire business to God. That is rare,” Brat said. “Not only did he give his business to God, but he also gave his business to his employees through an (Employee-owned Stock Option Program), where the employees actually own and run the firm,” Brat said. “Rick firmly believes because of those moves, God blessed him and his business. He shared the deep, emotional pain and triumph of living the Christian life with students in a way that was remarkable. The student feedback was overwhelmingly positive.” 

Dean Brat noted that Christians should balance work while being a witness to others in the professional environment. He said that Betenbough employed many nonbelievers is aware of the impact the business made on them.

“God has made us each uniquely in His own image, there is no formula for sharing the faith. But that is part of your spiritual growth, and you will develop who you are as a person, whether you are quiet or loud or a leader or shy,” Brat said. “You will still do great things to follow the great commission as you spread the gospel in ways that God shows you in your life.”

Emily Robertson is a News Reporter. View her LinkedIn profile here.