Dr. Wess Stafford, President Emeritus of Compassion International son of missionaries to the Ivory Coast, Wess grew up as one of the village children cared for by a wise and loving African “extended family.” He earned undergraduate degrees from Moody Bible Institute, Biola University and a master’s degree from Wheaton College, as well as a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Wess is a veteran, having served four years in the U.S. Army as a linguist in military intelligence.

Wess joined the staff of Compassion International in 1977 and worked with the ministry, both overseas and at headquarters. He served as President for 20 years.

He is also an avid outdoorsman and committed family man, living on a small ranch near Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife Donna who was a Compassion sponsor even before she met Wess. They have two daughters, Jenny and Katie — the two children in the world for whom Wess is the greatest advocate of all.

We are so honored to have this conversation with Dr. Stafford. We cover a lot of ground hearing from Wess about his upbringing in Africa and all the lessons he learned that structured his leadership in serving Compassion International and ultimately being its president for 20 years. 

Check out Dr. Stafford's Books; "Just A Minute" and "Too Small To Ignore."

To join Dr. Stafford in the battle against poverty visit www.compassion.com and support a child in need. 

Questions and Comments, we would love to hear from you email us at [email protected] 

Music Written and Recorded by Brad Hill