Two IBSA directors were promoted to team leaders in June.
Josh Bledsoe will lead the combined church health and growth teams, resulting in increased integration of Leadership Development and NextGen offerings (Growth) with Revitalization and Regional Consultant strategies (Health). Bledsoe has served in revitalization with Scott Foshie for one year. He has an extensive background in church and local association ministry, serving in worship and youth leadership, and most recently as Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Monticello before joining IBSA. Prior to ministry Bledsoe was a public school teacher.
Shannon Ford assumes leadership of the Missions team, with supervision of IBSA missions, church planting, and evangelism ministries. The missions area also includes Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief ministry. Ford joined IBSA four years ago, after two decades with the International Mission Board in Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
Making the announcement of the promotions, IBSA Associate Executive Director Mark Emerson said, “We are finding that God is faithfully making us stronger, and we are excited about the next season at IBSA.”
In anticipation of the retirement of Jeff Deasy as head of operations in May of this year, Ashley Parsons was named Administrative Director of Operations and Drew Heironimus was promoted to Information Technology and Properties Director on January 1. Read more here.