The Lausanne Movement is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Joshua Bogunjoko as its new global director of regions, a pivotal leadership role that will begin following the Fourth Lausanne Congress in 2024. A respected global leader with deep experience in missions, Joshua will bring his extensive expertise, passion, and relational approach to help guide and inspire the leaders of Lausanne’s twelve global regional networks.
A Leader with Global Experience
David Bennett, Lausanne Movement’s global associate director, expressed his enthusiasm for Dr. Bogunjoko’s appointment, emphasizing the depth and breadth of his experience. “Joshua brings a wealth of experience as a deeply respected and appreciated leader in a global mission organization, having traveled extensively and interacted with leaders in dozens of countries in nearly every region of the world. His combination of pastoral heart, joyful spirit, strategic vision, and biblically-based wisdom will bring encouragement and insight to the diverse contexts of our Lausanne regions.”
Joshua has held various roles throughout his career, including medical missionary, hospital administrator, regional leader, and global leader. His work spans Francophone and Anglophone contexts, and his foundational training in theology and ongoing doctoral studies in leadership reflect his commitment to lifelong learning.
David Bennett noted, “Joshua is well-positioned to serve, guide, and inspire our regional leaders, and contribute much to the overall leadership of the Lausanne Movement in the season ahead.”
Joshua and his wife Joanna will be based in Niamey, Niger, in the very region where they previously served as medical missionaries. This return to a country that holds deep significance for them highlights their lifelong dedication to serving those with the least access to the gospel.
Reflecting on Joshua’s appointment, Michael Oh, global executive director and CEO of the Lausanne Movement, shares:
‘I’m thrilled with Joshua’s appointment. He’s an amazing leader who will bring such strong experience, character, and gifts to the Movement. I can’t think of a better person in the global church to take on this critical role.’
A Heart of Gratitude and Responsibility
Joshua has long been guided by two principles in his mission work: gratitude and responsibility. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, “Gratitude for the fact that just about a hundred years ago, we, the part of the world that I come from, were the unreached people. But now, we have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Responsibility, because I know that while the church is now present in every nation, there are still billions of people who are where we were just a century ago, and God has committed the work of making Christ known to them to those of us who have been blessed to know Him.”
For Joshua and Joanna, this sense of responsibility has always driven their ministry. Having started their missionary work in Niger, they have consistently been called to places where access to the gospel is limited. “We have always felt called to communities where there is the least access to God’s good news,” he explained. “The Lausanne Movement’s unique calling to connect influencers and ideas for global mission fits our sense of both gratitude and responsibility.”
Joshua’s commitment to the Lausanne Movement is rooted in a shared vision of mobilizing the global church for mission. “I am excited to join in the unique calling of Lausanne as a collaborative and highly relational organization, committed to mobilizing individuals and organizations for global mission. I look forward to serving alongside Lausanne leaders who are relationship catalysts and champions in advancing a collaborative mobilization of organizations, people, and churches from every nation to fill the gap in global access to the gospel.”
A Life Dedicated to Service
Joshua and Joanna Bogunjoko’s journey in missions began early in their lives. Joshua grew up in Nigeria, where he committed his heart to Christ during high school, and later pursued a medical degree at the University of Port Harcourt. Sensing a call to mission during his first year of medical school, he became actively involved in the Nigerian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES). His early encounters with mission work during short-term service at SIM Hospital Galmi in Niger solidified his calling to serve long-term in medical missions.
Joanna’s path to missions followed her commitment to Christ during her third year of medical school. Together, they started their ministry in Niger at SIM Hospital Galmi in 1995. Over the years, they have served in various roles, including Joshua’s position as Chief Medical Officer and later Director of the hospital. Their service extended beyond the hospital as they transitioned to leadership roles in SIM, with Joshua providing oversight for ministry teams in Europe and West Africa, and later taking on the role of International Director of SIM in 2013.
As a family, the Bogunjokos have lived out their calling to serve communities in need, and their legacy of service continues as they take on this new chapter with Lausanne.
Strengthening Global Mission through Regional Leadership
The global director of regions plays a crucial role in supporting the Lausanne Movement’s work across its twelve regions, facilitating collaboration, connection, and mobilization. Lausanne’s regional structure is led by teams of regional directors who have an essential perspective on seeing, understanding, and addressing the unique challenges and opportunities in their region. Each region faces distinct realities, whether in cultural contexts, access to resources, or the spread of the gospel in word and deed. With his extensive experience and relational leadership style, Joshua is uniquely positioned to bring fresh vision and support to Lausanne’s regional leaders and their networks.
Joshua’s work in the season ahead builds on a significant foundation laid by Las Newman, the current global associate director of regions and regional director of the Caribbean, who retires after serving in these roles for over a decade.
About the Lausanne Movement
The Lausanne Movement is a global movement that seeks to accelerate global mission. Birthed from the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization held in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974, Lausanne exists to bring together Christian leaders from across the world to collaborate on addressing the most pressing issues in global mission. The Movement is built around a fourfold vision: the gospel for every person, disciple-making churches for every people, Christlike leaders for every church and sector, and kingdom impact in every sphere of society. With leaders, events, and networks spanning nearly every country and territory of the world, Lausanne serves as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation, seeking to inspire and equip the global church to engage in God’s global mission. The Fourth Lausanne Congress will be held in Incheon, South Korea, from 22–28 September 2024.
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