FAITH NEWS SERVICE – February 22, 2022 – United World Mission has selected Josué Fernández to become the next leader of the Overseas Council ministry. Josué will succeed Scott Cunningham, who will be transitioning to a part-time role after 14 years of serving the Overseas Council ministry. The leadership transition will take effect July 1, 2022.
Born in Argentina, Josué Fernández began serving with Overseas Council in 2007 as Regional Director for Latin America & the Caribbean. Josué has extensive pastoral experience in churches in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Queens, New York. While serving as a pastor, he developed a rehab program for young drug addicts, created feeding programs for street children, and established discipleship and young leaders’ training programs. Josué and his wife, Liliana, live in Cordoba, Argentina, and have five adult children.
“It’s a great joy and privilege to see one of Overseas Council’s own Regional Directors take on this important leadership role,” said John Bernard, President of United World Mission. “Josué has tremendous experience and giftedness that has served the Overseas Council ministry so well over the last 14 years. I’m confident that under Josué’s leadership the ministry will thrive.”
“I am thankful for the team’s confidence in me, and I am looking forward to working with other leaders as we walk with the global church and prepare their leaders to meet the unique challenges in their region,” Fernández said. “It’s exhilarating to dream about the possibility of seeing communities transformed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
The Overseas Council ministry is committed to confronting the Global Leadership Challenge in which ministry leaders all around the world confront the tremendous challenges for the gospel in their context. In the Majority World, research indicates that 9 out of 10 churches are led by church leaders with little to no ministry formation. In “post-Christian” areas, many pastors struggle to lead their churches to engage their rapidly changing culture. As the next leader of the Overseas Council ministry, Josué Fernández will oversee nine Regional Directors who leverage their deep experiences, insights and trusted relationships to support seminaries and churches as they prepare the next generation leaders of the church for faithful service.
Scott Cunningham will continue to support the ministry in a new, part-time role. “I want to express my thanks for Scott not only for his 14 years of excellent leadership but also through the merger of the Overseas Council into UWM,” said John Bernard. “Scott has worked so hard to integrate our two organizations so well.”
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About United World Mission
Founded in 1946, United World Mission (UWM) is an interdenominational, evangelical mission organization. Our global staff of over 400 serves with national partners in over 50 countries. Our vision is to “see a flourishing church, led by well-equipped leaders, serving every city and neighborhood.” We seek to accomplish this vision by outfitting present and future leaders while engaging with them in Jesus’ mission to the world. Learn more at http://www.uwm.org.
Press Contact
Jordyn Chambers
jordyn.chambers@uwm.org
