Soul Shepherding

What Soul Shepherding does

Soul Shepherding, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit religious organization headquartered in Irvine, California, founded in 2009 by Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere. It serves pastors, missionaries, ministry spouses, and Christian leaders through a portfolio of services built around a proprietary "Jesus-centered psychology" approach that integrates clinical psychology with spiritual formation. Core offerings include one-on-one spiritual direction sessions, leadership coaching delivered via the PEGS model (Prayer, Empathy, Goals, Steps), 5-day residential or online Institute retreats, and sabbatical coaching, alongside two certification programs (Certificate in Spiritual Direction, Certificate in Coaching). The organization also publishes digital products on a Kajabi-powered learning platform (Sabbatical Guide, Enneagram & Emotions Course, Lectio Divina, Emotional Intelligence and Healing Prayer bundles), three books (Journey of the Soul, Deeply Loved, Your Best Life in Jesus' Easy Yoke), the Soul Talks podcast, weekly devotionals, and an e-commerce shop at shop.soulshepherding.org.

The business model blends earned program revenue with donations typical of a faith-based nonprofit. Pricing is structured around individual sessions at $90–$150, Institute retreats at $1,325–$1,425 per person, Healthy Pastor Care organizational packages priced at $950 (12 spiritual-direction sessions) and $1,800 (annual leadership coaching) per pastor, online courses at $24.99–$149, and a financial-assistance program for pastors and missionaries with demonstrated need. Distribution runs through a self-serve Kajabi storefront, a directory of 40+ certified spiritual directors and coaches across the US, in-person and Zoom-based retreats, and direct enterprise sales of Healthy Pastor Care packages to churches and ministry organizations. Marketing is content-led across a blog, podcast, email devotionals, and active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter/X, and YouTube, supplemented by church-leader testimonials and partner referrals.

The organization is ECFA-accredited, operates a global practitioner network with ministry presence in Mexico (two annual retreats serving 60+ pastors), India, the Philippines, and Singapore, and offers dedicated Spanish-language resources for Hispanic church leaders. With 11–50 employees and over 30,000 pastors and leaders guided in sabbatical planning since founding, the ministry combines clinical expertise, a proprietary content library of 300+ resources, and a distributed human-coaching model as its core operating assets.

Name

Soul Shepherding

Legal name

Soul Shepherding, Inc.

Website

https://soulshepherding.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soul Shepherding is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2009 by Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere that delivers Jesus-centered psychology spiritual direction, coaching, retreats, and certification programs to pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders in the US and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pastoral Care Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs (EDAIAGAI), Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB)

Keywords

• Pastoral care services
• Spiritual direction coaching
• Christian leadership coaching
• Minister wellness programs
• Spiritual formation retreats

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institute Retreats: 5-day residential retreats featuring teaching, experiential learning, solitude, and community. Pricing at $1,325-$1,425 per person with group discounts available.
2. Individual Coaching and Spiritual Direction Sessions: One-on-one sessions with certified spiritual directors and coaches, priced $90-$150 per session. Includes leadership coaching, spiritual direction, and sabbatical coaching.
3. Online Courses and Programs: Digital courses including Sabbatical Guide ($149), Enneagram & Emotions Course, Lectio Divina course, and various bundles priced $24.99-$149.
4. Healthy Pastor Care Program: Annual wellness packages for groups of pastors including retreats, spiritual direction (12 sessions for $950), and leadership coaching ($1,800).
5. Donations: Nonprofit ministry accepting donations to support operations and scholarships for pastors in need.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soul Shepherding is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry that provides spiritual direction, leadership coaching, and emotional health programs for pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders. The organization delivers one-on-one sessions with trained spiritual directors, multi-day Institute retreats, certification programs for aspiring spiritual directors and coaches, organizational wellness plans (Healthy Pastor Care), digital learning courses, and a library of books and devotionals. Its approach, called "Jesus-centered psychology," integrates clinical psychology with spiritual formation to address burnout and emotional health in ministry leaders.

Product overview

Soul Shepherding is a ministry organization offering a portfolio of services centered on Jesus-centered psychology for emotional and spiritual health. Core offerings include spiritual direction sessions with trained directors, Soul Shepherding Institute Retreats (5-day gatherings), leadership coaching, and sabbatical coaching. The organization provides two certification programs: Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Certificate in Coaching. Digital products include the Sabbatical Guide Program (online course with tools and coaching), the Enneagram & Emotions Course, Lectio Divina course, and Emotional Intelligence and Healing Prayer bundles. Additional offerings include the Healthy Pastor Care program for organizations, Spanish-language resources, the Soul Talks podcast, email devotionals, and published books including Journey of the Soul, Deeply Loved, and Your Best Life in Jesus' Easy Yoke. Services are delivered through an online directory, the Kajabi-powered learning platform at learn.soulshepherding.org, and a storefront at shop.soulshepherding.org.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soul Shepherding Institute: Retreat program featuring teaching and guided experiences in Jesus-centered psychology
• Healthy Pastor Care
• Sabbatical Guide
• Lectio Divina Course
• Enneagram & Emotions Course
• Soul Talks Podcast

Products and services

• Spiritual Direction Sessions One-on-one spiritual direction sessions delivered by trained spiritual directors for pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders seeking spiritual formation and emotional health support.
• Institute Retreats Five-day intensive retreats that provide soul care training and spiritual refreshment for pastors and Christian ministry leaders, available in-person and online.
• Leadership Coaching Coaching engagements for pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders using the proprietary PEGS framework (Prayer, Empathy, Goals, Steps) to address leadership challenges and personal growth.
• Healthy Pastor Care Comprehensive organizational wellness plan for groups of pastors and missionaries, bundling retreats, spiritual direction, and leadership coaching at discounted group rates; priced per pastor for churches and ministry networks.
• Soul Shepherding Membership Annual subscription membership that gives pastors and Christian leaders ongoing access to a library of soul care resources, content, and member benefits.
• Spiritual Direction Certification Multi-stage certification program that trains Christian leaders to become spiritual directors through the Institute, with required clinical and ministry experience and supervised practicum.
• Coaching Certification Certification track that trains pastors and Christian leaders in the PEGS coaching framework, equipping them to coach other ministry leaders professionally.
• Soul Shepherding eBooks and Devotionals Digital and print books, devotionals, and resources authored by the Gaultieres covering emotional health, spiritual formation, and pastoral soul care.
• Sabbatical Guide Program Online guided sabbatical program that walks pastors through planning, structuring, and returning from a ministry sabbatical, including coaching support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 pastors and leaders guided in sabbatical planning and experience
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability)coreOthersSoul Shepherding, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry accredited by the ECFA, demonstrating financial accountability and transparency standards required for nonprofit status.
• Mexico Church NetworkregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoul Shepherding organizes two annual retreats for 60+ pastors and churches in northern Mexico, providing training in Jesus-centered psychology, spiritual disciplines, and ongoing support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ChurchLeaders.com: ChurchLeaders.com is a digital content and resource platform serving pastors and church staff with articles, courses, and tools. It is comparable as an emerging content-led player reaching the same pastor audience via online resources, though it lacks Soul Shepherding's retreat and certification offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Outreach: Outreach is a larger established provider of resources, curriculum, and training for church leaders and pastors. It is comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same ministry-leader customer base with overlapping training and resource offerings, though at much greater scale.
• Focus on the Family: Focus on the Family is a large Christian nonprofit with pastoral care, counseling referrals, and clergy wellness resources. It is comparable as a broad incumbent serving pastors and families, with overlap in counseling and leader-care offerings, but at significantly greater organizational scale.

Direct peers

• Renovaré: Renovaré is a Christian spiritual formation nonprofit (founded by Dallas Willard) that trains leaders in contemplative spiritual practices. It is highly comparable because it serves an overlapping audience of pastors and Christian leaders, offers similar retreats and formation resources, and shares the spiritual formation + emotional health integration approach.
• PastorServe: PastorServe provides pastoral coaching, counseling, and crisis intervention exclusively for pastors and ministry spouses. It is directly comparable as a peer organization serving the same narrowly-defined pastoral wellness segment with coaching and care services.
• Peacemaker Ministries: Peacemaker Ministries offers biblical conflict resolution training, counseling, and coaching for pastors and churches. It is comparable because it combines counseling/coaching methodology with Christian theology, targeting a similar ministry-leader customer base.
• Dallas Willard Ministries: Dallas Willard Ministries carries forward the spiritual formation legacy of philosopher Dallas Willard, teaching spiritual disciplines to pastors and leaders. Soul Shepherding lists it as a partner organization, indicating close alignment in audience, theology, and methodology.
• Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF): CCEF provides biblical counseling training, resources, and conferences for pastors and ministry leaders. It is directly comparable because it sits at the intersection of clinical counseling expertise and pastoral ministry—mirroring Soul Shepherding's Jesus-centered psychology positioning.
• Upper Room / Upperroom: Upper Room is a global Christian spiritual formation ministry offering retreats, publications, and soul care resources. It is comparable because it delivers retreat-based spiritual formation for laity and leaders with comparable content and spiritual direction offerings.

Others

• Christianity Today: Christianity Today is a faith-based media organization publishing content, podcasts, and resources for pastors and Christian leaders. It is comparable as a thematically adjacent ecosystem participant reaching the same audience, though its business model is media/advertising rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SoulShepherding
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/billgaultiere
• Facebookfacebook.com/soulshepherding
• Instagraminstagram.com/soulshepherding
• Pinterestpinterest.com/soulshepherding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soul-shepherding-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soul Shepherding