Josh Keefer Appointed as Interim CEO to Lead Lancaster-Based Missions Organization Through Transition Period
After a strategic 7-year transition period planned with the Board of Directors, Galen Burkholder has officially stepped down as CEO of Global Disciples, a Lancaster, PA based missions organization. Effective today, Josh Keefer has taken on the role of Interim CEO. Global Disciples engages clusters of churches in 76 nations to reach the least-reached with the Gospel.
Galen Burkholder, who founded the near-culture missions organization in 1996, has led the organization since its inception. Now 67 years old, Burkholder decided to step down while he is still in good health and while the organization is thriving. Global Disciples currently operates 3,535 training programs across 76 countries. Its mission is to equip indigenous churches from over 1,200 fellowships or denominations to cultivate Christlike disciples and establish locally-sustainable fellowships.
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Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nelson Longenecker, expressed gratitude for Burkholder’s long-term service, stating, “The Board thanks Galen for his leadership and for serving Global Disciples well over the past 28 years. He has multiplied leaders who are well-equipped to carry Global Disciples forward into the next season.”
Near-culture approach to missions
During Burkholder’s tenure, Global Disciples developed a near-culture approach to missions, responding to the global demand for discipleship training among young leaders. The organization provides practical training for leaders situated near the one-third of the world’s population considered least-reached—people groups who have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an understandable and responsive way.
Burkholder will continue with Global Disciples as Ambassador and Founder, focusing on nurturing long-term relationships with donors, advocating for the missions group, and exploring collaborations with other missions agencies. Keefer, previously in an operational leadership role at Global Disciples, will serve as Interim CEO for nine to twelve months while the Board searches for a permanent CEO.
Transition period happening now
Keefer, a Sr. Consultant and Partner at North Group Consultants in Lititz, Pennsylvania, departed Global Disciples at the end of 2017 to join the consulting firm. His diverse professional background spans nonprofit leadership, business, real estate, and ministry. Keefer holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.
Reflecting on the transition, Burkholder remarked, “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have step in as Interim CEO than Josh. We worked together for six years before Josh’s time at North Group.”
As Interim CEO, Keefer will lead Global Disciples during a period of significant growth. The organization took 21 years to reach its first 1,000 training programs, four more years to reach 2,000, and only two additional years to exceed 3,000 programs.
Keefer intends to focus his interim tenure on listening and learning, assessing the current needs of the organization, and maintaining a simple and reproducible mission model.
