35+ YEARS IN MINISTRY.
25+ YEARS HELPING CHURCHES GROW.
David has spent nearly four decades inside the local church, not studying it from the outside, but living it.
david dendy
Ecclesiastes reminds us there is a time for everything, a time to build, a time to lead, a time to laugh, a time to step boldly into what God has prepared.
As the Senior Pastor of Mountain View Presbyterian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, David leads a congregation every single week while simultaneously coming alongside churches across the nation to help them grow, lead, and fund what God is calling them to do.
People hear "Las Vegas pastor" and they usually have questions. David has a ready answer: "Job security." Shepherding a congregation in one of America's most famously secular cities has a way of keeping a pastor humble, sharp, and genuinely grateful for every Sunday. It also provides endless material, both in the pulpit and on the stage.
David grew up in Orange County, California, graduated from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, and earned his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), his pastoral journey has taken him through churches in Augusta, Georgia, Houston, Texas, and Klamath Falls, Oregon. Before landing in Las Vegas, where he currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Mountain View Presbyterian Church, David held the position of Vice President of Philanthropy for the University of Dubuque (UD) and the UD Theological Seminary.
Over the course of his pastoral journey David has had the privilege of leading multiple congregations. In addition to his pastoral leadership, he has shepherded 107+ churches through capital campaigns, raising more than $250+ million over 25+ years. The number he cares most about is not the dollars raised but the number of lives changed. The moment a campaign closes, when the congregation looks at what they accomplished together and says, “We did this,” is why David does this work.
Away from the pulpit and the consulting work, David is a husband and father. His wife Julie and their two children, Faith and Joshua, both grown now and making their own way in the world, are the heartbeat behind everything he does. (They are only five months apart in age. David will tell you freely: that is a story worth asking about.)
David is also the author of 16 published books, including his signature title Seeing God at Work Every Day: The Forty Day Challenge and Laugh Often and Fear Not!, a biblical exploration of how laughter leads to fearless living. His full library, including his iWitness daily devotional series, is available on Amazon.
David did not arrive at church consulting by accident. He arrived because he understood, from the inside, what growing churches actually need: someone who has navigated a board meeting and a benediction in the same week. Someone who knows the theology of stewardship is not just a chapter in a textbook. It is the lived experience of asking people to give generously, faithfully, and joyfully toward something bigger than themselves.
From Episcopal and Presbyterian congregations to non-denominational and community churches, from campaigns of $500K to multi-million-dollar goals, the work has always been the same at its heart: helping a congregation recognize their moment and step into it with confidence.
DUAL PERSPECTIVE IS RARE.
David Dendy is not an outsider with a spreadsheet. Most fundraising consultants understand campaigns. Most ministry advisors understand church culture. David understands both. The spreadsheet and the sermon. The vision and the vote. The board meeting and the benediction.
His approach is different from secular fundraising firms because it honors the unique dynamics of church life:
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The theology of stewardship
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The importance of congregational unity
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The spiritual rhythm of asking and giving
He does not just help churches raise money. He helps congregations discover that generous, fearless giving flows naturally from a church that trusts in God's provision.
The Pastoral Authority
An ordained pastor with 35+ years of active ministry and a congregation he leads every Sunday. His experience is not theoretical, it is lived and current, which matters enormously when navigating the spiritual, relational, and financial complexity of a church capital campaign.
The Proven Results
One congregation raised close to $11 million over three consecutive campaigns, starting with an annual budget under $200K. Another exceeded a goal many considered impossible, raising $4.25 million. Another set a goal of $1.75 million and finished at $2.9 million. This is a pattern built on deep understanding of church culture, stewardship theology, and the congregational dynamics secular consultants consistently underestimate.
A Shepherd Among Shepherds
David knows what church leaders carry because he carries it too. That insider perspective shapes every recommendation he makes. Success is not measured by dollars raised alone, but by what happens to a congregation on the other side: unified, energized, and confident in what God is calling them to do next.
The Faith-First Approach
Most church fundraising processes are driven by pressure and urgency. David's is driven by joy, trust, and fearless faith, creating an experience strengthening the congregation rather than straining it, and producing generosity lasting well beyond the campaign.
"I was the Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena when David became our Capital Campaign consultant. What followed was nothing short of a miracle. In three consecutive three-year campaigns, that little church, with an annual budget under $200K, raised close to $11 million dollars. We could never have done it without David. He organized teams, delegated leaders, created a timeline and inspired our congregation to accomplish what many thought was impossible. He taught well and led lovingly, but in the end, it was his faith in God and in us that bore the fruit. In the process David became a good friend and a member of my family. I had the honor of baptizing David's son. Should you like to know more, I would love to talk."
William MacIlmoyl, "Father Mac" | Grace Episcopal Church, St. Helena, CA
Funds Raised: $10.9 Million
"We are deeply grateful for the leadership and expertise David brought to our Pave the Way capital campaign. His guidance in volunteer training, messaging, and donor engagement gave our leaders both confidence and clarity. As a result of his steady counsel and encouragement, our parish not only met but exceeded our fundraising goal. Believe it or not, David actually made this process fun. I would wholeheartedly recommend David Dendy to any church seeking a thoughtful, joyful, and effective capital campaign consultant."
- Father Seth Donald | Christ Episcopal Church, Covington, LA
Funds Raised: $2.9 Million
"David has led two extraordinarily successful campaigns for two different congregations I have served, exceeding ambitious goals many deemed impossible. He leads with conviction and helps each contributor understand the profound spiritual dimensions of generosity. Simply the best campaign consultant out there. I would choose him again and again."
Reverend William Miller | Saint Cecilia's Episcopal Church, Round Top, TX
Funds Raised: $4.25 Million
"David Dendy dramatically exceeded our expectations for a campaign consultant, and thanks to his inspiring leadership, we exceeded our campaign goal of $1.75 million. David is spiritually grounded, well-organized, and is a real joy to work with. I cannot recommend him highly enough."
Father William Miller | Christ Episcopal Church, Covington, LA
Funds Raised: $1.76 Million
THE LAUGH OFTEN AND FEAR NOT PHILOSOPHY
“When churches learn to laugh often, to hold their vision not with pressure but with joy, they learn to fear not. And that’s when God-sized dreams become reality.” - David Dendy
In 2004, something shifted for David. Standing at the benediction one Sunday, he realized laughter had been showing up in his sermons not as a distraction from faith, but as a doorway into it. Humor was not undermining the message. It was making the message land.
Nearly 1,000 sermons later, that conviction has only deepened. Laughter reduces fear. Fear is the single greatest obstacle to growth, in individual faith journeys and in church vision. When people genuinely laugh together, walls come down, trust builds, and generosity follows naturally.
That is not entertainment strategy. It is biblical truth.
The philosophy works on two levels simultaneously. For individuals, laughter creates a safe entry point for spiritual conversations, breaking down the walls fear builds around the heart. For churches, approaching vision and fundraising with joy rather than pressure produces something remarkable: congregations discover generous, fearless giving flows naturally from a community rooted in trust in God's provision.
Laughter leads to fearless living. Fearless living leads to generous giving. Generous giving advances God's mission. None of it rests on David's strategy or a congregation's effort alone. It rests on a conviction running underneath everything: what feels impossible to people is possible with God. David has watched this play out across 107+ churches and thousands of individual lives. Time and time and time and time again.
Proverbs 17:22
"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4
"There is a time for everything... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance."
Psalm 126:2
"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations: the Lord has done great things for them."
Matthew 19:26
"With God all things are possible."
THE PROFESSIONAL STAND-UP SPEAKER & PASTOR
David combines pastoral warmth, real-world ministry experience, and a genuine love of stand-up to deliver keynotes helping people laugh, exhale, and see what they could not see before. Each speaking opportunity is built on a single conviction: that a well-timed laugh opens doors nothing else can.
His "Laugh Often and Fear Not™" philosophy is not a catchphrase. It is the theological and practical engine behind everything he does, in every room he walks into and every church he serves. Whether addressing church leadership, community organizations, or business groups, David brings his ability to infuse laughter into any topic, not just to entertain, but to transform perspective by reducing fear and increasing trust.
In 2019, David began performing stand-up as a natural extension of his ministry. A genuine love of comedy meeting a deeply held conviction: laughter has a unique power to reach people where nothing else can. His material comes from real life, and real life, it turns out, is funnier than any script he could write.
If you are interested in booking David for speaking or stand-up, reach out to start the conversation.
David's style and audience engagement ranks as the best of the best
"David Dendy is an outstanding speaker, inspiring author, and impactful coach. His keynote speeches feel like he is talking to each person individually. He delivers his programs with excitement and enthusiasm. The result of his presentations are that it changes peoples' lives with his message of hope and inspiration. In over 30 years of being a member of the National Speakers Association, I have watched many of the best speakers in the world. David's style and audience engagement ranks as the best of the best. Anyone who hires David to speak at their event will be changed for the better from his wisdom and knowledge."
Robin Thompson | National Speakers Association
We left feeling inspired and appreciative of his ability to relate so genuinely to our work
"David Dendy delivered a powerful and engaging presentation to our group of funeral directors. His lively presence immediately connected with the audience, while his professionalism and depth of knowledge were evident throughout. He spoke with a personal touch resonating with each of us, making the experience both meaningful and memorable. We left feeling inspired and appreciative of his ability to relate so genuinely to our work."
Julie McMurray, Funeral Director | Palm Mortuary
David was one of the most memorable retreat speakers we have had
"David spoke at our 'Ridin on Faith' Men's Retreat for Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, around 100 men from all walks of life and various stages of their faith journeys. His message was based on Mark 2:1-12, and the driving point was to 'take up your mat', to carry your troubled past as evidence and testimony to the miraculous forgiveness, healing, and renewal that God has done in your life. Years later, it's still fresh on my mind. The barn was filled with simultaneous laughter from David's hilarious stories, but tears and joy were also present as men's hearts were moved closer toward Christ. David was one of the most memorable retreat speakers we've had in the many years we've been holding our retreats."
Clint Harrington, Group Leader | FIND (Fellowship IN Discipleship)
IT ALL COMES BACK TO THIS.
Whether David is leading his congregation on a Sunday morning, coming alongside a church through a capital campaign, speaking at a leadership retreat, or performing stand-up, it all comes back to the same conviction.
Laughter leads to fearless living. Fearless living changes everything.
David has lived this philosophy for 35+ years. It shows up in how he leads, how he runs a capital campaign, and how he helps a church find its vision. Joy is not pretense. It is the point.
Laugh Often and Fear Not™ is the lived philosophy guiding everything David does, born from a truth he has seen connect people to their faith, to each other, and to what they never thought possible.