Why Generational Faith Matters to Hobby Lobby’s CEO

Published: May 1, 2026

By Michaela Gordoni

Hobby Lobby’s CEO, David Green, has led his business and his life in a way that gives God glory — and part of that is thanks to his mom and dad.

His mom would often ask him, “David, what are you doing for the Lord?”

That question shaped his life.

“I think not only that question that she would ask me from time to time, but just the way she and my dad lived their lives, and then my five brothers and sisters being in the ministry full time really shaped my life,” he told Movieguide®.

Whenever he told his mom of his successes, her response would always be to ask that question.

It influenced Green’s enormous decision to give back half of his company’s profits to things that glorify God.

He doesn’t look at himself as the owner of Hobby Lobby. He’s sees himself as a steward of what God has given him.

Green recently wrote a book with Bill High called The Legacy Life: Leading Your Family to Make a Difference for Eternity. The book calls “us to a biblical view of ourselves and our families—a generational mindset,” the description explains.

He wrote it because he believes more than any financial legacy, leaving a spiritual legacy is what’s most important.

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“Leave a legacy that helps them for their eternity,” Green said. “If I love you, I care where you spend your eternity, not just how you’re comfortable here and now, because life is nothing but a vapor, but eternity is forever. So if I love you, I’m going to affect you. I’m going to affect my kids. I’m going to affect everybody I can for eternity, not just the here and now—what the Bible says is nothing but a vapor.”

Green’s parents left him a great spiritual legacy and believes they have impacted so much of who he’s become.

“I think what helped us shift was our parents,” Green said. “We knew what was important to them. My mother loved the Lord, had children who served the Lord, and had a strong marriage.”

He added, “On her dying bed, she said, ‘Do you see them? Do you see them?’ And she was seeing angels.”

The Daily Citizen reported that the Green family has given over $500 million to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. But from church donations to organizations like One Hope, Every Home for Christ or the YouVersion Bible App, the generosity of Hobby Lobby spreads far and wide across the world.

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