Legacy of Faith: Honoring Generations and Family Ministry
About this episode
Pastor David Farina of Calvary Full Gospel Church in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania joins Philip Cameron for a deeply personal conversation about the power of generational faith and what it truly means to build a lasting ministry legacy. David, who served alongside his father for all 50 years of his pastoral ministry, shares how honoring the generation before you becomes the foundation for everything that follows: "Honor is the currency of heaven." David opens up about the moment he received the phone call that his father had gone home to be with the Lord — and how, on the very next day, he heard a word in his spirit: "You're going home to acceleration." That acceleration has defined the last two and a half years at Calvary, now in the process of being renamed Victory Christian Church, a bold step of faith reflecting the church's movement from the cross of Calvary to the victory it represents. Philip and David also challenge the American cultural tendency to cut children off from family ministry at 18, making the case that multi-generational ministry — from David's Italian immigrant grandparents through his own nine grandchildren — is not nepotism but faithfulness. If you are a pastor raising your children in the work of the Lord, this episode is for you. Learn more about Calvary Full Gospel Church at calvaryfullgospelchurch.org.
Part of our Faith collection of conversations.
Quotes worth sharing
“Don't be ashamed of your family serving God alongside you, because they are the main part of your legacy — bigger than the church that you're pastoring, bigger than the name on the church's door. It's your family.”
“Honor is the currency of heaven. And so we've given honor. I'm gonna just simply tell you that I believe that the groundwork has been laid for something absolutely exponential to take place in the house of God.”
“The next day I was on an airplane with my wife, and I heard a voice in my spirit: you're going home to acceleration. And that acceleration is what we've seen for the last two and a half years.”
What's Discussed
Pastor David Farina of Calvary Full Gospel Church in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania discusses the theology and practice of generational legacy in ministry with host Philip Cameron. David recounts working alongside his father for 50 years of pastoral ministry, the emotional moment of his father's passing, and the subsequent season of accelerated church growth. He introduces the church's bold rebranding from Calvary Full Gospel Church to Victory Christian Church, framing it theologically: "Calvary is the reason why we can be moved on to Victory." Both Philip and David push back against the American cultural norm of separating children from family ministry, celebrating four and five generations of faithful families — including David's nine grandchildren — as the truest measure of lasting legacy.
- Forty Years of Friendship and Shared Vision
- Working Beside a Father for Fifty Years
- The Phone Call That Changed Everything
- Hearing 'You're Going Home to Acceleration'
- Calvary to Victory: A Bold Church Rebrand
- Honor as the Currency of Heaven
- Defending Multi-Generational Family Ministry
- Four Generations of Italian Immigrant Faith
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:Hey, my friend. Welcome to Daily Faith. My name is Philip Cameron, and I am absolutely thrilled you have joined us today. We have got a great program. I believe our program is gonna speak to your heart about legacy in your home. The devil, if the devil can cut off your legacy, if he can stop you from seeing the harvest of souls not around the world — I love, we are a mission organization and we reach folk all over the world, but my heart is to see my family saved and in heaven with us.
Philip:It's the promise of God. When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved, and your family. And I want to today — I've got a dear friend. He's like a brother from another mother. 40 years ago, maybe more, I was speaking at PTL and they provided a car for me. And I parked the car and I went out and I came back to the car after I picked up something, and it was raining. So I put on the wiper blades, the wipers in the window. And as I'm looking, this business card is going back and forth, stuck on the window of the car. So I switched the car off outside and picked up this now drenched card. And it was from David Farina Senior. And he says, we love your ministry. Please come and see us.
Philip:And what happened was that day — that just happenstance — if I hadn't showed up at the time, all of our years and years of relationship would never have happened. And I called and ended up being part of this amazing family called the Farinas. And David and I have been friends for over 40 years and have a common vision, a common purpose in these days for the kingdom of God. So you'll be meeting him in a few moments.
Philip:We've got a mission work for the last 36 years. I adopted a wee boy 36 years ago from an orphanage in Romania — dying, sick, hepatitis B, starving — in a place where the heating system didn't work and the roof leaked, and the beds were painted with lead paint. And the horsehair mattresses had no sheets, but they were covered in human waste. And I picked this wee boy up and I said, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but I will not rest until I adopt you. And it took a year for me to adopt him. And we put — there was no toilets in this place. They only used potties.
Philip:In fact, they didn't even have potties. They used coffee cans. And all the bottoms are cut with a rim of the coffee can. And they'd sit there for hours on a blanket on this coffee can as a way of keeping them controlled, like a babysitting tool. And we put new toilets and fixed the roof and remade new beds. And in the meantime, in that year that this took, my heart was completely overcome with the fact that I could change someone's life for eternity just by giving a little bit.
Philip:That's what we're doing for the last 30 odd years. More recently, in the last 25 years, we went to a country called Moldova. In Moldova, when a girl would leave the orphanage at 16, or if they come from a terribly impoverished village or family where alcohol — Moldova is the number one alcoholic country on earth. More people are alcoholics per population in Moldova than anywhere else in the world. And that results in abuse like you cannot imagine.
Philip:And we take these kids in a place called Vara Village. It's the most amazing place. It's a village of six homes right on the largest lake in Moldova. And they come to us with no hope, with the clothes on their back, maybe a little bag with all the possessions in the world. And we have a welcome home party for them and tell them, if you are born, God has a plan — you are not a mistake. And they get their own bed and their own drawers, and they can wear their own clothes, because in the orphanage they just pick up whatever's thrown on the floor. And they come to us and we put them back into school and we share the gospel with them.
Philip:And orphans are turning into sons and daughters. And then they're turning into missionaries. And these amazing kids — that's why it's called the Orphan's Hands — because those orphan's hands go out and evangelize nonstop. In the wintertime, in the summertime, they're the most amazing camps. In the wintertime, we feed widows and poor families, bring them warm clothes, school stuff, and share the gospel and pray with them on their doorstep. And God is turning orphans into missionaries.
Philip:They just sent me a video the other day that has really blessed my heart, and I thought you'd enjoy watching it as well. Watch this.
Philip:Amazing. That's a church group that came to Moldova. And I'd love you to bring your church group. Why don't you get in contact with us and we host you. We have a home especially for visitors that come to be with us. And we take care of all your needs and travel with you and give you the experience of a lifetime. And we have homes where every night you go and you eat in a different home — the girls in the home cook for you. And to watch people coming and seeing hands-on what we're doing — if you go to orphanshands.org, you can get in contact with us and just talk about, we'd like to bring our church, bring a team there. And that group came from Florida and Alabama and Tennessee, I believe. And they were absolutely blown away.
Philip:We're working right now on opening two brand new homes. The homes we have are for 16 years and up. And these new homes are gonna open — both of them will be for kids between the age of five and 16. And we'll take them in from the worst conditions you can ever imagine. A young girl, Maria, was brought to us by a mayor of one of these villages. Please take her out of her family, please. And she was underage. She was 14, and we are only allowed to take 16 and older. And the children's protection found out and said, you gotta put her back. And we drove that girl back to hell. And a week after she was brought back, she was gang raped, literally lost her mind. And we began immediately looking for homes. And we have two homes that we've paid for.
Philip:We lack $200,000 to finish them. And we also lack 300 people giving $1 a day. You can sponsor a home — these brand new houses with young kids in them — for $1 a day. A dollar a day won't change your world, but I can promise you it will change theirs. There are businessmen watching that could include Orphan's Hands in your business giving and make a tremendous difference. Listen, with only one life that will soon be passed, only what's done for Jesus is going to last.
Philip:You can contact us really easy — just Orphan's Hands, PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. You can go to dailyfaith.tv — there's a giving page — or you can dial a live number where a real live person will speak to you: 833, and just dial Daily Faith on the keypad of your phone and someone will pick up the phone. And you can say, I want to be a part of these new houses for these little kids. And by loving others — what you do for others, God will do it for you.
Philip:Today we're gonna be talking about legacy. Why don't you invest in someone who has no hope and say, I can make hope for them, and I'll believe God for a harvest of hope for my family. Money is not your issue. Household salvation is for us. Getting the funds to open these doors for these kids — that's the issue. So we can believe God together in different ways to see the answer come to pass. Please do that today if you would, and I appreciate it.
Philip:I'm delighted to have with me today a dear friend for years and years. We've almost grown up together. And he has a tremendous church that he pastors — it's a legacy church. And they have been part of our mission work since the beginning. Every new dream and hope I've ever had, I've spoken to the folks at Calvary in Fern Hills. And I'm delighted to have with me today my friend David. God bless you, David Farina. How are you doing today?
David Farina:It is so good to be with you. And I've been enjoying watching what you've just shared, and I know we've been a part of a lot of those experiences. And all I can tell you is that when we work together, we see God do great things.
Philip:Absolutely. And here — go ahead.
David Farina:And I am part of that blizzard, snowed-in experience here in the northeast, just outside of Philadelphia.
Forty Years of Friendship and Shared Vision
Philip:How about that?
David Farina:There's about 14 inches outside and it's not finished yet. And my driveway and my street is yet to be cleared. I was supposed to do this from our church office today, and you know what, I couldn't get there. And so from my home office, we get to spend a few minutes together. I'm grateful for that.
Philip:Well, we got in last night flying up from Mobile, and we got in by the skin of our teeth. We landed and it started to snow. And the pilot said, oh my goodness, that was close. And I laid out the longest exhale breath I've ever had done in my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
David Farina:You get on and you're happy when they land and you want to clap for the pilot, right?
Philip:Well, he did a great job. I will say that. I will say that you and I are the recipients of heritage. My father, Simon Cameron, started me off in the journey I'm in today. And your dad, David Sr., did the same thing. He started a church in Fern Hills. And both of our fathers are now in heaven enjoying their reward. And you and I have been left behind to keep pushing and driving the vision forward. Now, what we've done since my dad passed has been 25 years — he couldn't even understand and grasp with his mind how God has opened and grown our ministry. And the same thing's happening with you guys in Fern Hills. But the importance of recognizing the legacy gives us the foundations to step forward on, doesn't it?
Working Beside a Father for Fifty Years
David Farina:Yeah. What's so amazing about this is the plan of God and how it unfolded. I've got to tell you that there was always an understanding of what was coming. But once it really began, how God equipped it in the process — and I'm grateful for it. My father has been gone about two and a half years, but I worked beside him for the entire 50 years that he pastored our church. And in that process, I learned a lot. I wasn't there full-time during that process, but I learned a lot. I learned what it was to be able to see people come to know the Lord, love people into the kingdom, share with them the gospel, see the life-changing experiences take place, and then begin to equip them and launch them to be able to help in that process.
David Farina:And we are seeing today fruits of many things that were sown years ago in people's lives that are actually employees of our church, teachers of our school and our daycare. They run our sound technology, help us in the office. And it was begun in the simplicity of somebody getting saved, somebody committing themselves to the Lord. And then that development process took place. It's the goodness of God.
Philip:Well, I remember when I first came to the church 40 odd years ago. We were both young men in those days. And still — I'm hoping so. But what I love about your family is that you were faithful when you could have had itchy fingers, and you kept honoring your father as I did. Folk would come to me — we were known as the singing Camerons. I sang all the songs, I was the music of the Camerons, he preached. But the people that watched us on PTL and stuff understood the Camerons, and folk would come to me and say, go on your own. Go out by yourself. You don't need your dad anymore. Because that's the mindset, you know — let's split up and do your own thing.
Philip:And I said, no, I won't do it. And I learned driving a Winnebago and other vehicles all over America with my dad sitting next to me, imbibing from him. And a lot of the stuff that I didn't even know had been put in me came to life when he passed away. Suddenly a whole new dimension. And you are witnessing that right now with the church. You are seeing a real move of God in the church because you've honored the legacy of what has gone before.
The Phone Call That Changed Everything
David Farina:Yeah. And we continue to do that. It's interesting — the year that he passed away, it was 50 years of pastoring the church. And the Lord dropped in my heart that we were to celebrate the 50 years. And over the course of that year, whenever any of the ministries would gather, I gathered all the leaders of the church and I asked them — I said, in this 50th year, take time in your planning process. Somebody in January, somebody in February, somebody in March — all the ministries, all the outreaches — bring him in and let him hear the things that God has done through the ministry and how he deposited into their lives. The Lord allowed us to get all the way to November and called him home.
David Farina:And then what was an interesting thing that happened after that is I was away with my wife when I got the phone call. We had had lunch together right after the Sunday morning service. And I took vacation time with my wife — I make time for that as often as we possibly can. And I got a phone call from my son. Dad, is everything okay? I said, yeah. I said, what's going on? Because I could tell by the tone that there was a news event that I was about to receive. And he said, Dad, the Lord called Pop-Pop home.
David Farina:And I remember that phone call, and I remember that moment. The next day I was on an airplane with my wife, and I heard a voice in my spirit: you're going home to acceleration. Hallelujah. And that acceleration is what we've seen for the last two and a half years. I get emotional when I think about this because it was a moment that changed my life. In the goodness of God, he has provided everything that we've needed to see that acceleration get expanded and to see it grow even to greater things.
Hearing 'You're Going Home to Acceleration'
David Farina:And I will tell you with all of my heart, I'm grateful for what the Lord has done. But now I sense in my spirit a sense of a redirect. And we are moving now to what the Lord gave us back this past year in silence. We prayed — my wife and I, my close immediate family — Lord, Calvary is the reason why we can be moved on to Victory Hall.
Philip:Say that again, David. Calvary — say that again.
David Farina:Calvary and the cross of Calvary is the reason why we can be led and moved to victory. Hallelujah. And so in that process, we've taken a bold step of faith, and we are in the process of actually renaming the church to Victory Christian Church — from Calvary to Victory.
Calvary to Victory: A Bold Church Rebrand
Philip:From Calvary to Victory. Brilliant.
David Farina:And the Lord has provided all the means and the necessary things, the people in place to help it take place. And I'm grateful for it. So when you talk about legacy, we give high regard, respect, and honor to our legacy. And you know, someone once said to me — a very close minister friend of mine — honor is the currency of heaven. So when we give honor, God blesses us with the currency of heaven.
Philip:Honor is the currency of heaven.
David Farina:Honor is the currency of heaven. You know what, as you know, because you're part of this, we have three overseers that help us oversee the church. You have taken one of those three roles. Another good brother friend of ours has taken the same. And he was the one that deposited that into my life — honor is the currency of heaven. And so we've given honor. I'm gonna just simply tell you that I believe that the groundwork has been laid for something absolutely exponential to take place in the house of God.
Honor as the Currency of Heaven
Philip:Amen. I agree.
David Farina:And I can't say that the Lord has revealed and given us every step and the understanding of the entire future. What we do know is that we know that he's going to lead us and guide us in that process.
Philip:I know watching just now that there are pastors that almost feel guilty that their kids are involved in the ministry. America, more than anywhere else I've been, tends to think that you're gonna chop off every generation and cut them loose at 18 — man, you should be at your own house by 18, get on your own, go away. And your culture is Italian and my culture is Scottish, and that is the total opposite of what we believe. Our family is to stay together. Our strength is together. And then it's passed from generation to generation.
Philip:And back in Scotland, my father was speaking with a major denomination because they wanted us to join their fellowship. And my dad became real friends with the superintendent — the general superintendent of that denomination. And one day he called my father and he said, Simon, he says, we've had a complaint that I think may stop the process going forward. And my father says, wow, what's wrong? What's happened? He says, well, one of our pastors called me and said, Simon Cameron's family — Philip's traveling in America, Wendy's running the office, Louise is doing this and Neil's doing this — it's all your family.
Philip:So my dad said to this man, he says, Eric, tell me how your family's doing. Oh, Simon, pray for his son, he's not doing well. And he stopped himself and he says, oh my — Simon, forgive me. He says, you are doing what my heart wants to happen for my family. And there may be a pastor watching just now, and the circumstances are that you've raised your kids to serve God. They've been trained in the work of the Lord. They've been in the pastor's house every day with all the aggravation and pain that goes along, and they've still decided to minister. Don't be ashamed of your family serving God alongside you, because they are the main part of your legacy — bigger than the church that you're pastoring, bigger than the name on the church's door. It's your family.
Defending Multi-Generational Family Ministry
Philip:So I'm in a situation now in my early seventies that I've got sons and a daughter that I'm slowly moving things over to, to allow them to take the ministry forward. And my expectation is that they'll do better than I will because they've learned from me and they've got a young heart to keep on going. And you have the most beautiful son, JD, that is a preacher and is standing by your shoulder. So we are now having the next generations being trained — you and I getting it from our fathers, and now we are transferring it intact and growing to our own sons and daughters.
David Farina:Amen. I find myself in a position — you talk about legacy. We come from an immigrant family, Italian. And my grandparents, all four grandparents, as they came to this country, they found themselves in a foreign land. And God, as they arrived, miraculously put them in places where they were able to hear the gospel, and they were able to respond to the word of God. And here they all are — all four of them in various different places around New York City — where God used them, where God allowed them to get planted in churches.
David Farina:And then as they had children — their children, most of whom were born here — they were planted in churches. And that was my parents' generation. And then of course we have since followed that as the third generation. And here we raised our children in the ways of the Lord, being a fourth generation. And then let me tell you about my nine grandkids — how they are all being raised in the ways of the Lord. And so I have to say, this is a generational blessing that has come on our home. We are grateful for it. All of my children and all of my grandchildren know the Lord and are serving the Lord.
Four Generations of Italian Immigrant Faith
David Farina:And I know for some people they struggle at this time. You know what, the video that you put out the other day — I did something I don't often do, but I had that placed on our homepage because you spoke to the five generations as your mother held the fifth generation in her hand and prayed for them. I wrote to our church family in a post that said, this is exactly what you need to hear. And may you be the first generation that ignites this in the days ahead for your own. So we're grateful to God.
Philip:And I preach in every one of your uncle's churches, friends with the children coming behind, and I can testify to the Farina family — full of the Holy Ghost, full of anointing. And the church — you're changing the name from Calvary to Victory. And so we are in between those two shifts right now. But I believe that Victory is gonna be a place of victory like we've never seen before. And we are setting the next generation up — JD and the church, and then Philip and Andrew and Melody in our ministry — to take it forward into the future.
Philip:And I love the Farinas. I'm Scottish and we tease each other all the time, back and forth between Scottish and Italian. I know you want to be Scottish, but that's okay. But my favorite country in the world is Italy. So forgive me to all my Scottish friends. I'm gonna be with you — this is really important — I'm gonna be with you on March the 8th at Calvary slash Victory. We're still in the transition period, on the Sunday morning service. And I'd love it if you are in the area — come and see us and bring a friend. And if you are anywhere in the Fern Hills area, this is a family church with family values right up to your eyes. I'm telling you now. And it would be a tremendous ministry to your family.
Philip:David, I love you so much.
David Farina:Love you too. Thank you for being a significant part of our lives over these many years.
Philip:It has been a journey, hasn't it?
David Farina:It has. It's been quite a walk. We've watched our families grow, our children grow, our grandchildren grow. And God has richly blessed us and we are grateful for it.
Philip:I love it. And I love you so much — and Elaine and the whole family. Tell your kids I love them and we can't wait to see them. This is Calvary Full Gospel Church, soon to be Victory. And it's on Lincoln Highway in Fern Hills, Pennsylvania. If you're anywhere near it, calvaryfullgospelchurch.org is the address right now. Go and see them. You'll be blessed by your visit. Thank you for watching Daily Faith. I sure appreciate you so much. Help us with these two new homes in Moldova. We love you. We'll see you again. Bye-bye.
For over 25 years, the Cameron family has been changing the lives of orphans in Romania and Moldova — from providing running water, flushing toilets, and clean wells, to coal for heat, new windows, as well as food and clothing. They champion the physical needs of the orphans in these broken and desolate countries. Many of Moldova's orphans are saved from the horrors of trafficking through homes founded by the Camerons. And in the process, orphans become daughters and sons. They come to know their heavenly Father and are forever changed by the love of Jesus.
God help the Camerons lift these amazing young men and women out of darkness. Now no longer orphans, they want to return and invade that very same darkness with the light of Jesus Christ. The Orphan's Hands equips these daughters and sons to become missionaries. Your monthly gift of $31 will allow us to rescue and take in more girls and boys, saving them from the hell of human trafficking. Your monthly partnership will allow us to care for those in the Orphan's Hands homes in Moldova and Ukraine.
If you want to join Philip and Chrissy in taking care of these precious young people, please contact us today by calling 833 Daily Faith. You can also give by going online to www.dailyfaith.tv, or by writing to Post Office Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. So many lives depend on what we do. Thank you for loving the lost.
Common questions
Why is David Farina's church changing its name from Calvary to Victory?
David says the name change came out of a season of prayer with his wife and close family. The Lord gave them the phrase 'Calvary is the reason why we can be moved to Victory,' so renaming the church to Victory Christian Church felt like a natural, Spirit-led next step — honoring the cross while stepping into what God is doing now.
How did David Farina handle the transition after his father passed away?
David worked alongside his father for all 50 years his father pastored the church. In the year his father passed, David intentionally had every ministry and outreach bring his father in to share what God had done through him. After his father's passing, David says he heard a voice in his spirit saying 'you're going home to acceleration' — and he describes the last two and a half years as exactly that.
What does David Farina mean when he says 'honor is the currency of heaven'?
David says a close minister friend deposited that phrase into his life, and he believes it deeply. His view is that when you give genuine honor — to your parents, your legacy, those who came before you — God responds by blessing you with heaven's currency. He points to the growth of his church as evidence of that principle at work.
How far back does the Farina family's faith go, and does it continue into the next generation?
David traces it back four generations to his immigrant grandparents, who arrived in New York City and were miraculously placed in communities where they heard and responded to the gospel. That faith passed through his parents' generation, then to David himself, then to his children — and now all nine of his grandchildren know the Lord and are being raised in the faith, making it a five-generation blessing.
What advice does David Farina have for pastors who feel guilty about their kids being involved in ministry?
While Philip raised this point, David affirmed it fully: a pastor's family serving alongside them is not something to be ashamed of — it is the main part of their legacy, bigger than the church name on the door. David himself is actively preparing his son JD, who is already preaching, to carry the ministry forward into the next generation.
Topics
david farinagenerational legacyfamily ministrychurch leadershippastoral successionvictory christian churchmulti-generational faith