Luis Palau Association Hires Director of the Global Network of Evangelists

BEAVERTON, Oregon – The Luis Palau Association has expanded its leadership team with a key hire. Dr. Desmond Henry of Johannesburg, South Africa, is stepping in to serve as their new Director of the Global Network of Evangelists. The Luis Palau Association, headquartered outside of Portland, has been a pillar of missional evangelism across the globe for five decades. 

Vanderbloemen, serving clients with a greater purpose, including churches, schools, nonprofits, family offices, and values-based businesses, loves the whole church and is honored to have partnered with Luis Palau on this vital and important hire. 

“This is an exciting time for Vanderbloemen as we expand into new industries to help the Big C Church move farther and faster,” said William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen. “This hire for Luis Palau is doing just that, and we are honored to partner with them in this search, and thrilled for their next season of missions and evangelism through Desmond.” 

Dr. Desmond Henry brings global missions experience to his new role with the Luis Palau Association, joining their staff from his position as Registrar and Missiologist for the Baptist Theological College in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Desmond has also served as a lecturer at Baptist Theological College, in ‘Face the Nation’ (non-profit) training students from the University of Botswana for peer-based ministry in high schools throughout Botswana. This initiative won the WillowCreek Courageous Leadership award in 2008 for being the most innovative Faith-based ministry to people with HIV in Africa. Desmond has completed a Masters and Doctoral degree at the University of Pretoria in the fields of Science of Religion and Missiology and in Philosophy respectively. He is well-published and is a recognized researcher and doctoral supervisor. In 2010, he authored ‘Quintessential Mission’ and has contributed to several academic journals while serving as a peer reviewer for Missionalia, Verbum et Ecclesia and the South African Baptist Journal of Theology, among others. Dr. Henry has broad-based experience in teaching Practical Theology, Missiology, Christian Leadership, Systematic Theology, Church History, and Homiletics.

Parallel to his role at the Seminary, Desmond currently serves as the Interim Pastor of Ridgecrest Family Church, where he has been strategically involved in the revitalization of a local church he helped to plant in the early 2000s. Desmond serves as honorary teaching pastor of Crosspoint Family Church in Gaborone, Botswana where he mentors their pastoral staff and coaches their leadership team. Desmond serves as “Extraordinary Senior Lecturer for postgraduate studies at the North-West University and in 2017 was given the status of Visiting Professor at the Billy Graham Centre at Wheaton College. Desmond is happily married to Lara. Together, they have 3 daughters. 

“The Luis Palau Evangelistic Association has been a leader in global evangelism for many years and I was so honored to help them find their new Director of the Global Network of Evangelism, Desmond Henry,” Vanderbloemen Senior Executive Search Consultant Jay Mitchell said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how God uses LPEA and Desmond to expand the reach and impact of the Gospel in the coming years!”

For more than 50 years of ministry, Luis Palau and his team have been known for their commitment to the Word of God and the clear teachings of Jesus Christ. Luis is a dynamic evangelist and teacher, living a life of dedicated service and commitment to God as he shares the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Vast experience with global cities, cultures and people groups: The Palau Association has had the opportunity to work with thousands of churches in hundreds of cities around the world, including nine top global cities: London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chicago, Moscow, Madrid, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Washington D.C. The Luis Palau Association has strong international experience with extensive ethnic and cultural understanding. The Palau Association has coordinated hundreds of citywide campaigns in dozens of nations, including major evangelistic festivals on five continents.

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Vanderbloemen serves teams with a greater purpose by aligning their people solutions for growth: hiring, compensation, succession, and culture. Through its retained executive search and consulting services, Vanderbloemen serves churches, schools, nonprofits, family offices, and Christian businesses in all parts of the United States and internationally. 

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