Anneliese Molina ready to greet BFG clients in Hannibal.

/BFG Spotlight - Anneliese Molina

Anneliese Molina, a client service specialist in Hannibal, juggles front desk responsibilities, leads team huddles, prepares conference rooms—and always seems to know exactly when someone needs an extra word of encouragement.  

"I just love customer service and working with people,” she said. “Building relationships with clients and getting to know them is what I love most about work."

When her bright smile greets those walking into the Hannibal office, clients immediately know they belong. And she is exactly where she belongs too.

One of the youngest members of the BFG Team, Anneliese has spent the last several years navigating her early adult life and career. Although He has led her down some unexpected paths—God has proven the ultimate guide to a future that only He could have led her to.

Growing up in Chillicothe, Mo., Anneliese transferred to Hannibal-LaGrange University in 2021 after earning her associate’s degree from North Central Missouri College, joining her older sister Brie. 

It was the first leg of a journey she was initially reluctant to take. When Brie first suggested to Anneliese they attend school together in Hannibal, Anneliese immediately dismissed the idea.

"I honestly thought, ‘There’s no way I can do that,’ but somehow it all came together,” Anneliese said. “Within the next couple of weeks, we were going through the admissions process and touring the campus.”

After finishing their first year, health issues prevented Brie from returning to HLGU, and Anneliese returned to campus alone. When she earned her bachelor’s in business administration with an emphasis in management and entrepreneurship, Anneliese looked forward to returning home to her family in Chillicothe. 

The third of four children in a pastor’s family, Anneliese’s love for her parents and siblings shined as she discussed her relationship with each one. With faith at their center, David and Jacqui Molina taught their children to trust God above all else.

So, when God began nudging Anneliese to stay in Hannibal, choosing to live hours away from home was hard—but she listened. Although much of her heart remained in Chillicothe, God continued providing for Anneliese in Hannibal, giving her swift confirmation at every step. 

When looking for permanent housing, Anneliese unexpectedly found Desiree Brown, a coworker she was just getting to know. What started as a lighthearted idea turned into a living arrangement and friendship that Anneliese now sees as one of God’s sweetest provisions.

“I made a joke to her one day, like, ‘It’d be funny if we lived together.’ And then we both stopped and thought—why not?” Anneliese said. “Before we knew it, everything was clicking into place.”

Shortly after, Anneliese requested to go full time at the bank, and although there weren’t openings available, the bank offered her a spot anyway. With a roommate and job in place, she was grateful—but God had something else entirely waiting on the horizon. 

Just before receiving the bank’s offer, Anneliese’s phone rang with a call from Jason Nichols, director of operations at Benson Financial Group. Based on a recommendation from BFG advisor Ben Strother, her former HLGU professor, Jason asked to meet with Anneliese. 

Just two days later, she found herself sitting across from Jason Nichols and Connie Benson in a booth at Mimi’s Coffeehouse. The meeting felt less like an interview and more like an answered prayer. 
As Jason and Connie described the culture at BFG, Anneliese knew God had arranged this surprise opportunity. While Anneliese loved her job at the bank, she longed to share her faith more openly at work and serve clients on a deeper level. 

“I’d barely heard of Benson Financial Group at the time,” she said, with a laugh. “Now I see God was opening a door that I didn’t even know was there. I accepted the job immediately—I didn’t need time to think about it.”

As a client service specialist, Anneliese’s smile is more than a simple greeting. From their favorite refreshments to their special days, or even their hardest ones—she learns who BFG clients are and anticipates what they need, often before they walk in the door. 

“I have such a deep reverence for the foundation at BFG and I want to reflect that,” she said. “It’s about more than respecting the culture here—it’s that I want to honor what Pat and Connie have built, because it’s so special.”

She has also found a second home at BFG, and a family who she knows she can count on—beyond work hours.

"Living away from my family, I’ve had to learn to rely on other people—and that’s been hard for me,” she said. “But this has become a second family, who I know I can count on anytime. It’s also given comfort to my parents, knowing that I'm with people who trust in the Lord and who will have my back.”

In the journey, Anneliese often turns to this verse:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make straight your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6

“I didn’t know what the Lord had in store for me, and I didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “I just knew I couldn’t lean on my own understanding, and I am grateful for that.”