LEAD COHORT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
(New Zealand)

Jay was appointed to lead the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission from January 1, 2020 in dual capacity as Director of the Global Witness Department for the WEA. Jay shares his WEA responsibilities with his leadership of Missions Interlink New Zealand, the evangelical missions alliance of Aotearoa New Zealand. Jay has served cross-cultural missions for almost 30 years, with a focus on enabling God’s people to declare God’s glory in all of God’s creation. Jay has been a Mission Commission Associate since 2007.

DEPUTY LEADER
(South Africa)

Adriaan is a local missions practitioner, speaker, consultant and futuristic thinker. His passion for developing next generation leadership led him to create the Generation Index, an intergenerational competency tool for organisations. Generation Index is now and organisation that believes that by identifying the common behavioural trends between generations and creating intentional focus within the workspace to address them, a healthier environment of collaboration can be developed.

DEPUTY LEADER
(UK)

Until very recently, Jo was the Theology and Networks Manager for Tearfund, drawing on her research into the impact of consumerism and individualism on the Western church, the planet and the lives of people in poverty. Her focus is on environmental and economic sustainability, practically leading to a zero-waste lifestyle. Jo was also the Director of the Justice Conference UK but is now pursuing a PhD in Wales. Jo has a passion for young people and whole-of-life mission (integral or holistic mission), theology and equipping churches, theological colleges and organisations concerning a broader Biblical understanding of God’s mission.

DEPUTY LEADER
(Romania)

Until her marriage in 2022, Ileana Hrisca was the Executive Director of the Romanian Centre of Cross-Cultural Studies (CRST) from Constanta-Romania since Nov 2007. In 2014 she earned an MA in Missional Leadership, and currently she is pursuing a PhD in Intercultural Studies. Ileana’s passion is to see the Kingdom of God extended throughout nations as young believers commit their lives to take the Gospel where it is most needed. Through her leadership at CRST, she provided an appropriate environment for the students’ spiritual and academic development, seeing every year a new generation of missionaries ready for the harvest. She grew up in a lovely Christian family, enjoying the mentorship of her parents, the fellowship of her two brothers and six sisters, while her home church offered her a solid spiritual formation! Friends and family call her INA.

DEPUTY LEADER
(Kenya/UK)

Originally from Kenya, Peter serves on the Movement of African National Initiatives (MANI) Leadership Team as the Executive Coordinator. Previously he served as the Director of African Mobilisation with AIM International, as a Pastor in the UK for 10 years, and as a student worker with both the Fellowship of Christian Unions in Kenya and the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship in the UK. He remains actively engaged in teaching the Bible, cross-cultural missions, leadership development, and mentoring emerging leaders within African National Initiatives.  Peter is one of the founding directors of the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, UK and a member of the Global Connections Council, UK. Peter is involved in various other global and continental initiatives to catalyse mission efforts to the least reached.

DEPUTY LEADER
(India)

Kannan has a passion to redefine missions, concepts of the mission-field and the activities of future missionaries around the globe, through institutes, entrepreneurship, start-ups, research, seminars, networks, think-tanks and training in various areas. He is the managing director of the GIVA Network, which aims to develop followers of Christ into innovative workers, leaders and entrepreneurs who will influence their workplaces and spheres such as business, media, education, politics, journalism etc. GIVA also aims to initiate Christ-centred innovative ventures and start-ups all over the world to impact communities and nations.