Speakers for Focus 2020 Spotlight
Bob Blincoe
President of Frontiers USA
Bob Blincoe came to know Christ in 1970 while attending the University of Oregon. He went on to earn Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Following the Gulf War in 1991, he led a Frontiers team to the Middle East. When they arrived in Iraq, there was no Bible in the local Kurdish language, so Bob set out to change that. Almost three decades later and in partnership with Wycliffe and Biblica, the New Testament has been printed in their language for the first time. Bob became the US Director of Frontiers in 2000. He now serves as the President of the Frontiers US office and is the author of Ethnic Realities and the Church.
Bob holds a PhD in History of International Development from William Carey International University and is an ordained Presbyterian minister. Bob and his wife Jan have three children and five grandchildren.
Rev Dr Kate Coleman
Founding Director at Next Leadership
Kate has over 30 years of leadership experience in the church, charity, voluntary and business sectors. She served a term as Chair of the UK Evangelical Alliance Council (2012–2014), is a former president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (2006–2007), and a Baptist Minister. Kate has gained a reputation as a visionary and an inspiration to many. She is a strategic advisor who mentors, coaches and supports leaders and organisations locally, nationally and internationally. Recognised as one of the 20 most influential black Christian women leaders in the UK, her network extends across all sectors and church denominations. Kate is author of 7 Deadly Sins of Women in Leadership. She is also a Certified Stakeholder Centered Coach and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
Enoch Wan
Director, Doctor of Intercultural Studies & Doctor of Education Programs at Western Seminary
Enoch Wan has been involved in missioloigical education for over 40 years, including directing doctoral programs for 20 years in two US seminaries. He was involved in church planting in metro-New York in the 1970s and metro-Toronto in the 1990s.
In the 1980s, Enoch and his family were sent by the C&MA Canada to the Philippines and Australia where he served as a teaching missionary. In addition, he served as president of EMS (Evangelical Missiological Society) for two terms and is currently serving as the Executive Vice President Administration of EMS. He is the founder/editor of the multilingual e-Journal www.GlobalMissiology.org. Enoch has authored a dozen books in English and ten books in Chinese, on topics such as diaspora Missiology, Relational Missionary Training, etc.
Jon Burns
President/CEO at Greater Europe Mission
Jon’s background is as a pastor and church-planter. He held key positions in various Christian mission organizations including Director of Evangelism for Youth for Christ and UK Director for More than Gold, in conjunction with the 2012 London Olympics. He founded the ‘Lionsraw’ movement (lionsraw.org), and was recognized in 2014 as a CNN Hero of the year. In 2015, Jon was honored by her majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a British Empire Medal for his work around the world with children and communities. Jon was commissioned as President and CEO of Greater Europe Mission in January of 2016.
Jon and his wife of 30 years, Sandra, have 2 daughters. Jon is a huge football/soccer fan, as well as an international preacher and a global mission enabler. He loves to travel, ski and watch sports.
Ted Esler
President at Missio Nexus
Ted Esler is the President of Missio Nexus, an association of agencies and churches representing over 30,000 Great Commission workers worldwide. Ted worked in the computer industry before becoming a church planter in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the 1990’s. He is the author of “Overwhelming Minority,” the story of their family’s ministry in Bosnia. In 2000, Ted became the Canadian director of Pioneers and three years later moved to Orlando to join the leadership team of Pioneers USA. In 2015 he was appointed the President of Missio Nexus. Ted has degrees in Computer Science and Speech Communication (Mankato State University, 1985), an MTS in Theology (Heritage Seminary, 2002), and a PhD in Intercultural Studies (Fuller Theological Seminary, 2012).
Ted resides in Saint Cloud, Florida with his wife, Annette. They have five adult children and two grandchildren.