Paul Milligan: From Poverty to Prosperity

Successful business entrepreneur and the Director of Charis Bible College's School of Business, Paul Milligan. (Click to enlarge)

Paul Milligan watched his dad, DeLoyd Milligan, work hard to provide and gain financial security and stability for his family. Having been raised during the Great Depression and having served in World War II, his father was determined to give his son the foundation he would need to succeed in life. DeLoyd's motivation stemmed from living a life that was either trying to starve him to death or kill him in war.

Paul’s dad instilled the idea that financial security came from discipline and hard work, two things DeLoyd demonstrated his entire life. He taught Paul that working for a good company, giving more than was expected and retiring with enough money to live comfortably should be his goal in life. Paul became keenly aware of his dad’s need to see him succeed. In fact, by the time he was fourteen, Paul’s dad had helped him land an afterschool job at a Western Auto Store. When Paul graduated Salutatorian of his high school class, his dad was thrilled that Paul was on the right path.

Paul sharing a message in 2004, at a church in Lincoln, England.
(Click to enlarge)True to his values and work ethic, DeLoyd retired in 1985 after working in sales for over thirty years. Needless to say, in 1988, when Paul announced that he would be quitting his stable and secure job as the Vice President of a large company to start a new business, Global Technical Service, Inc., his dad was thoroughly disappointed. It wasn’t easy for Paul to go against everything his dad had taught him, but he had begun to receive new revelation from God in the area of finances.

Paul married his wife, Patsy, in July, 1974. The couple lived paycheck to paycheck for years, until Paul heard Andrew and some other radio ministers, who began to build his faith for Paul and his wife, Patsy.
(Click to enlarge)financial freedom. He started seeking God diligently about how He wanted him to manage money. He and Patsy were attending at Baptist church in Arlington, Texas; a church that did not embrace what Paul was learning from Andrew.

Paul remembers being impacted by Andrew’s teaching and became convicted to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. “I was very conflicted over this [baptism] at this time, but there was such an anointing on Andrew’s teaching, I knew it was God.” Knowing that his wife would not approve, Paul waited until he was home alone to attempt to receive the baptism. He got down on his knees in his living room and prayed, but nothing seemed to happen. Paul was not sure whether or not he had received the baptism.
Paul and Andrew. The two first met in the late 1980's. (Click to enlarge)That night, however, things changed. “I literally sat, bolt upright in bed, at about 2 a.m., speaking in tongues—scared my poor wife to death,” Paul shared.

Paul continued to gain revelation of God’s will to prosper His people. Over the past 25 years, as he applied what the Lord showed him, he has purchased or started a total of fourteen businesses. “It was in about 1984 that we began to live the plan God had shown us for debt free stewardship and giving according to his Word. We give thanks to God for revealing to us, at a relatively young age, how to be prosperous according to His plan for our lives,” said Paul.

Andrew invited Paul to be part of AWM's Board of Directors in 2002. (Click to enlarge)

The fruit of Paul’s business ventures are a clear indication to others of his revelation of the Word of God. In 1996, Andrew had known Paul for nearly eight years and was familiar with his success. He asked Paul to review the financial state of Andrew Wommack Ministries. Paul agreed and he helped restructure the ministry's accounting system. His efforts helped Andrew establish solid financial systems within the ministry. In 2002, Andrew asked Paul to join the AWM Board of Directors.

After retiring from business, Paul stepped into full-time ministry. Here he ministers to a group of pastors in Viet Nam. (Click to enlarge)In 2004, after 35 years, Paul retired from the business world, and he moved right into full-time ministry. Paul established Lifewalk International in 2003, the mission of which is to deliver teaching about godly stewardship and financial prosperity and to encourage the Body of Christ to produce wealth to establish the Covenant of God on earth. Paul has ministered in 15 countries, and spent extensive time in Kenya establishing a business school. Paul’s work in Kenya has been so successful that the church, with which he works, built a two-story engineered building that will seat 6500 people, a new bible college and several other facilities that bless the community.

Paul's ministry, LifeWalk International, helped build Word of Faith Church in Kiambu, Kenya. (Click to enlarge)In 2011, Paul accepted a position as the Director of Charis Bible College's School of Business in Colorado Springs. “We are blessed with some incredibly talented and committed students and I genuinely love every one that God has sent,” Paul said. He went on to share his vision for the business students, “My vision for the school is a big one. I believe that God has called an army of business people to create wealth to establish his covenant in the earth through giving to ministries like AWM. I see the day that we have many students of the business school operating by God’s principles in the marketplace, producing wealth and returning seed to AWM to continue the incredible work of this ministry. My desire is that Andrew’s teaching LifeWalk also helped Word of Faith build a Bible college next to the church. It can be seen here during the construction phase. The project is now complete. (Click to enlarge)wash over the earth and that multitudes are brought into the Kingdom of God, saved, healed, delivered, restored and prosperous. This vision requires money and producing wealth is what God has called me to do.”

Paul recalled a conversation he had with his dad before he died in 2002: “My dad asked me if I remembered his objection to me quitting my job to start Global. I said, ‘Sure Dad, I remember; you were very disappointed in me at the time.’ He then said he wanted me to know that he was wrong and that what I had accomplished by starting my own company had changed our family forever,” said Paul.

Paul and his wife Patsy (center), and their family—forever changed by the Word of God. (Click to enlarge)Through his son, DeLoyd Milligan learned that God wanted him and his family to be financially free, not just financially secure. Paul once had to make a tough decision to go against what his dad had taught him, and trust God. Today he has committed his life to making sure others learn the same principles he learned. From beginnings rooted in poverty, Paul and his dad lived to experience prosperity beyond their wildest expectation.

Through building businesses, through ministry and through his own personal life, Paul has seen the faithfulness of God’s provision. His testimony and teaching continue to inspire and give hope to a generation that Paul hopes will one day change how the world views financial prosperity and stewardship.

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