In this episode of Servant Leader’s Library, Nicholas Paulukow sits down with Adam Nagle Executive Director of The Factory Ministries to explore what servant leadership looks like in action in ways such as showing up for communities, supporting families, and meeting people in the moments they need it most.
Adam shares the story behind The Factory Ministries, the organization’s mission to empower people, connect them to resources, and build community, and why poverty is often more complex than many people realize. From rural poverty and access to resources to faith, failure, emotional maturity, and personal growth, Adam offers a thoughtful look at leadership that is rooted in humility, compassion, and a deep desire to see people restored.
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How The Factory Ministries Began
Nicholas Paulukow
Adam, The Factory Ministries does meaningful work around poverty reduction, human services, and community outreach. Can you share a little bit about the organization and how it began?
Adam Nagle
The Factory Ministries began in 1994 when three churches came together to do a needs assessment in the Pequea Valley community. What they heard was that the community needed a place for at-risk teenagers.
That led to the creation of a youth center, which started in an old sewing factory. That is where the name came from.
All these years later, The Factory is no longer in that original building, and the organization has grown far beyond a youth center. But two things remain central to its DNA: collaboration and asking the community, “What do you need?”
Today, The Factory Ministries serves the community through adult services, a food pantry, housing services, domestic violence support, workforce programs, kindergarten readiness, elementary programs, and a youth center that continues to be a strong part of the mission.
Understanding Rural Poverty
Nicholas Paulukow
Many people think about poverty in cities, but The Factory serves rural communities. Was it surprising to you to see the level of need in rural Lancaster County?
Adam Nagle
Earlier in my journey, it was surprising. I originally thought my work would take me to a city like New York. But through ministry and social service work, my eyes were opened to the reality of rural poverty.
One of the biggest differences between urban and rural poverty is access to resources.
In a city, people may be able to walk to support services, shelters, food pantries, or mental health resources. In rural communities, transportation, distance, and limited access create additional barriers.
That lack of access can make already difficult situations even more challenging.
What Poverty Really Means
Nicholas Paulukow
What is one misconception people have about poverty?
dam Nagle
One of the biggest misconceptions is that poverty is only about personal choice.
Personal choice matters. If someone consistently oversleeps and misses work, spends more than they make, or refuses feedback, those choices can have real consequences.
But poverty is more complex than that.
There are other factors too, including community conditions, exploitation, and social or political realities. The zip code someone is born into, the resources around them, the health of their community, domestic violence, scams, inflation, and larger economic conditions can all play a role.
At The Factory Ministries, poverty is not viewed only as financial poverty. It is seen as the degree to which someone has gone without resources.
Those resources may be financial, physical, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, relational, or connected to community.
Empowerment, Resources, and Community
Nicholas Paulukow
The Factory’s mission focuses on empowering people, connecting them to resources, and building community. What does empowerment mean to you?
Adam Nagle
Empowerment is rooted in the belief that every person is created with value, dignity, and capacity.
The goal is not simply to provide a service. It is to help restore a person’s belief that their decisions matter, that they have purpose, and that they can move forward.
From there, the work becomes connecting people to the resources they need to take the next step.
Community is also essential. Poverty is not only an individual reality. It is a community reality. People need support, relationships, and access to networks that help them grow.
Adam’s Leadership Journey
Nicholas Paulukow
Your path has included faith, ministry, social work, and nonprofit leadership. How did that journey unfold?
Adam Nagle
Adam’s journey began in a Christian home and school environment, but school was very difficult for him. Later in life, he was diagnosed with autism, which helped him better understand many of the struggles he had carried for years.
As a young adult, Adam originally dreamed of playing football and eventually running a business. But that path changed after a difficult season marked by depression, anxiety, and an attempt on his life.
A friend encouraged him to attend Bible school in upstate New York. While there, Adam went on a mission trip to New York City and met a 16-year-old homeless boy. That moment opened his eyes to the reality that the world was not as it should be, and he began to wrestle with what role he was meant to play in helping others.
That experience led him toward social work, then pastoral ministry, and eventually nonprofit leadership.
In many ways, Adam still ended up “running a business” as an executive director, but the mission became centered on service, restoration, and community impact.
Redefining Failure
Nicholas Paulukow
When you are serving and leading people, what does failure mean to you?
Adam Nagle
For much of Adam’s life, failure felt unacceptable. As a perfectionist, he worked hard to avoid it.
But over time, his view changed.
Failure can be necessary for growth. If people are not failing at times, they may not be learning, moving, or developing.
At the same time, Adam learned that leaders need wisdom around failure. Not every risk should be taken carelessly. Some failures can deeply affect the people being led.
The lesson became balance: leaders need to take risks, learn, and grow, but they also need a thoughtful plan. They need to understand where failure could happen and prepare well.
Failure can teach, but leadership also requires responsibility.
Servant Leadership and Self-Awareness
Nicholas Paulukow
Was there a defining moment when you realized servant leadership was part of your calling?
Adam Nagle
Adam describes servant leadership as something he is still learning and growing into.
After receiving his autism diagnosis, he began to recognize how much of his life had been spent masking, trying to appear “normal,” and hiding parts of himself.
That self-awareness changed the way he understood leadership.
For Adam, servant leadership is not just about doing helpful things. It is about paying attention to the impact he has on another human being.
He shared that there was a time when he would speak publicly but struggle to look people in the eye. Now, when he speaks, he is more aware of the people in front of him and the responsibility he has to encourage, challenge, and serve them well.
That awareness has helped unlock a deeper understanding of servant leadership.
The Courage of Humility
Nicholas Paulukow
You spoke about humility in a very personal way. What have you learned about it?
Adam Nagle
Humility is not weakness.
For Adam, humility is deeply courageous and bold. It means knowing who you are, understanding the gifts you have been given, and using them not to build your ego, but to serve others.
It also means being honest about what you do not have.
The more comfortable Adam has become with naming his own strengths and limitations, the more open he has become to receiving the gifts of others.
That kind of humility creates healthier leadership because it moves the focus away from proving yourself and toward serving the mission and the people around you.
The Power of a Daily Practice
Nicholas Paulukow
You talked about the question, “Where are you?” Why has that been so important to you?
Adam Nagle
Adam shared that one of the most meaningful questions in Scripture for him is the first question God asks humanity after sin enters the world: “Where are you?”
That question has become part of his daily rhythm.
He tries to begin each day with stillness, meditation, journaling, and prayer. He takes time to name what he is feeling, whether that is vulnerability, anxiety, gratitude, or something else.
Journaling has been especially life-changing for him. It helps untangle the complexity inside of him and gives him space to process honestly before giving those emotions to others.
He then prays through the Lord’s Prayer, reflecting on community, God’s will, daily needs, forgiveness, and protection.
For Adam, that quiet space has helped create greater emotional maturity, healthier leadership, and a deeper ability to serve others well.
Emotional Maturity in Leadership
Nicholas Paulukow
How has that private processing shaped the way you lead?
Adam Nagle
Adam shared that he used to describe himself as a verbal processor, and while that is true, he later realized that some of what he was giving people was not theirs to carry.
Emotional maturity meant learning to process internally, with God, through journaling, reflection, and quiet space before bringing things into conversations with others.
That does not mean he no longer talks things out. But now, when he does, he tries to be clear with others and let them know he is processing.
That awareness helps protect people from carrying burdens that are not theirs and allows Adam to lead with greater care.
A Book Recommendation for Leaders
Nicholas Paulukow
What book would you recommend to someone who wants to grow as a leader?
Adam Nagle
Adam recommends Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero.
That book helped begin a major journey of self-awareness for him. It challenged him to understand that knowing God and knowing himself were deeply connected.
It also helped him recognize areas where insecurity and emotional immaturity were shaping the way he led.
For Adam, that book helped open the door to a healthier and more honest leadership journey.
What Adam Hopes People Experience
Nicholas Paulukow
What do you hope people experience when they interact with you?
Adam Nagle
Adam hopes people feel seen, heard, and enriched.
He recognizes that he has a natural gift for teaching and communicating, but his desire is not simply to educate. His hope is to inspire.
That inspiration comes when people feel truly seen and heard, and when Adam is secure enough in himself to bring something meaningful to the conversation without making it about his own ego.
Ultimately, he hopes people leave encouraged and inspired to move forward in their own lives.
Final Takeaway
Adam’s story is a reminder that servant leadership is not only about how we lead others. It is also about how honestly we are willing to know ourselves.
Through his work at The Factory Ministries, Adam shows that leadership can be compassionate, practical, and deeply human. It can stand beside people in difficult moments, connect them to resources, and help restore dignity, hope, and opportunity.
Servant leadership is not about having every answer.
It is about seeing people clearly, serving them faithfully, and doing the steady work of building stronger communities one relationship at a time.
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