I am Pr. Phil Gustafson, a retired Lutheran pastor, ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Master NLP Practitioner with 47 years of ministry experience. My passion is helping clergy and faith leaders rediscover clarity, courage, and confidence during seasons of transition and discernment.
In my coaching, I help clients connect their spirituality and faith to life’s challenges so they can move from feeling stuck or uncertain toward becoming centered, resourceful, and renewed. Drawing from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), faith-based insight, and decades of pastoral experience, I accompany pastors and ministry leaders as they transform challenges into opportunities for growth, clarity, and deeper purpose.
One focus of my practice is Pastoral Identity Erosion, or P.I.E. P.I.E. describes the gradual distance that can develop between who a pastor is and how they are serving. Years of expectations, responsibilities, conflict, and adaptation can accumulate until ministry feels heavier, the pastor’s own voice grows quieter, and questions about calling begin to emerge.
P.I.E. is a lens for reflection, not a diagnosis—and it does not automatically mean it is time to leave ministry. Through confidential coaching, I help pastors explore what is happening, reconnect with their identity and calling, and discern whether their next faithful step is to stay, reshape how they are serving, or transition.
As a WHY.os Coach, my own purpose framework is:
- WHY – Better Way: I am driven to help others discover a better, more faithful way forward.
- HOW – Challenge: I challenge assumptions and patterns that may be limiting growth or obscuring new possibilities.
- WHAT – Trust: I create safe, confidential spaces where leaders can tell the truth, explore difficult questions, and do their most authentic work.
I live in Sun City, Arizona, and serve as the Grand Canyon Synod Coach Coordinator. In this role, I help connect clergy, lay leaders, congregations, and ministry teams with coaches whose gifts align with their particular needs. I also continue my private coaching practice through FaithMindset Coaching.
My credentials include:
- ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
- Certified ELCA Coach
- ELCA Segment 1 and Segment 2 Discipleship Coach
- Master NLP Practitioner and NLP Coach
- Certified WHY.os Coach
- MBTI Certified Practitioner
- Imposter Syndrome Coach
I have accompanied pastors and church leaders in a wide variety of contexts—from revitalizing ministries and beginning new calls to navigating burnout, challenging relationships, pastoral identity erosion, and recovery from toxic environments. My coaching is rooted in trust, grace, and transformation, helping leaders listen more deeply and discern the better way God may be calling them toward.
