34. The Best Sermons Are Lived: Heritage, Healing & Hats with Derek Welborn of Saints Western

If you've ever walked through a season that felt like loss only to discover it was actually the beginning of something beautiful, Derek Welborn's story is going to meet you right where you are. Derek is the founder of Saints Western, a heritage brand rooted in purpose, craftsmanship, and legacy, who lives in Dripping Springs, Texas with his wife Jill and their two daughters, Jaymes and Gray — and his journey from full-time pastor to hat maker to brand partner with worship artist Brandon Lake is one of the most unexpected and deeply moving stories we've had the privilege of sharing. After 15 years in full-time ministry — including leading a church that met in a bar on Austin's Second Street where baptisms happened on the sidewalk — Derek was blindsided at 36 by a severe case of alopecia that left him losing his hair in clumps overnight. What followed was a year of identity crisis, quiet wrestling with God, and a Father's Day request for a felt block and a sweatband that changed everything. Derek taught himself hat making from YouTube videos, and his first sale came after a church member told him "Paul was a tentmaker — you're a hat maker" and bought him a full set of hat blocks. His community rallied around him from the start — a launch party thrown by a friend, a website built by a small group member, and 20 hats sold out of the gate. A dream to one day make Brandon Lake a hat came true within three months, sparking a friendship that eventually led to Brandon coming on as a partner in Saints Western. Mentor Clint Huff gave Derek his first real shot at Round Top, invested in equipment, and flew him to a century-old family boot factory in Mexico — before moving to Panama to start a school. Derek uses Saints Western as a ministry platform, praying with customers in his booth, gifting hats to children with alopecia, and letting the brand's tagline — the best sermons are lived, not preached — open doors for faith conversations. What makes this episode so special is the way Derek holds his story — and his brand — with open hands. From the Airstream he bought for $4,500 and two hats to touring with Brandon Lake across the country, every chapter points back to a God who, as Derek puts it, restores what was lost and gives it back as a gift. You can find Saints Western online and catch their Airstream pop-up at Brandon Lake tour dates this season.