More Than Enough
Life Story: Henry Doorn
Henry Doorn grew up in Oak Lawn, Illinois, the oldest of four boys. Life was simple but full, with ping pong games in the basement, summer trips to Wisconsin with cousins and a home marked by stability and love.
“I’ve come to realize that kind of upbringing is more of a blessing than I probably understood at the time,” he says.
Every Sunday morning, he watched his father quietly take out a $20 bill, a $1 bill, and a quarter, setting exactly $21.25 aside in an envelope for the offering, the precise amount of the family’s weekly church budget.
“That example stuck with me,” he says. “Not just the giving, but the attitude behind it. God had provided, and that was enough.”
With the loving support of his wife, Karen, Henry built a successful career in accounting, first with KPMG and later as chief financial officer of an investment firm.
A management buyout and eventual sale of the company dramatically changed his financial situation.
With that change came a question for the Doorns. What do we do with what God has entrusted to us? “We said, ‘Let’s maximize our giving now,’” Henry explains. “If God ever stops blessing us in that way, we can adjust.”
Instead, their resources continued to grow, prompting them to consider a new question. What does giving look like when it is no longer just about income, but about assets?
“If someone has significant wealth, giving 10 percent of their income may not really reflect generosity,” he explains. “We’ve tried to hold those assets with open hands, because there may come a time when God says, ‘I need that.’”
Henry says the Stewards Fund, Barnabas Foundation’s donor-advised fund, has been a helpful tool in that pursuit. Through it, the Doorns have been able to set aside resources in one season and distribute them in another. It has allowed them to remain flexible and continue giving faithfully regardless of changing circumstances.
Over time, they also began to consider how their resources could be used for Kingdom impact well beyond their lifetimes.
With the help of a Barnabas Foundation planner, they created a God-honoring estate plan to provide for their family and support the causes that mattered most to them.
In Every Season
After years in the corporate world and increasing demands that pulled him away from family, Henry stepped away in 2000, sensing it was time for something different.
Soon after, an unexpected opportunity at Barnabas Foundation arose. What began as a financial leadership role became an invitation to serve as executive director.
“I really felt like God opened the right doors,” Henry says. He went on to serve for more than 15 years, helping guide the organization through a season of growth and an increased focus on stewardship.
Under his leadership, more and more families learned how to develop tax-wise charitable giving plans. The Foundation also partnered with an increasing number of Christian ministries to strengthen their long-term impact through planned gifts.
In 2022, Henry and Karen walked through a deeply personal season of hardship: Karen was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.
For Henry and his family, the news was devastating. Yet even in the uncertainty and loss, God’s faithfulness was evident. Among the greatest mercies, Henry received an unexpected gift: time.
“We had 19 months together before she passed,” he says. “A lot of time to talk. A lot of time just to be together. It was a very powerful experience.”
Today, Henry is stepping into a new chapter. Recently engaged to Sarah, he is looking forward to a future centered on faith, family and service.
“We want to invest in our kids and grandkids,” he says. “And we want to be in service, however God leads.”
As Henry reflects on his life, the thread that runs through it all is simple, but profound. From his father’s quiet faithfulness to decades of intentional generosity, it all points back to one truth.
God is our provider, and what He entrusts to us is enough. “I really believe,” Henry says, “that what God entrusts to us is meant to be used for His purposes.”
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This content is written as part of Generosity Today (2026, Issue 2).
