International Pastor, Business Executive to Lead Training-Focused Missions Organization
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Global Disciples
Oct. 1, 2025
LANCASTER, Penn., Oct. 1, 2025 /Standard Newswire/ –Today, the Netherlands-native RenéDekker became CEO of Global Disciples, the international missions organization focused on theone-third of the world that has yet to hear the Good News of Jesus.
Dekker was unanimously approved by the Global Board of Directors to lead the missionsorganization which provides locally sustainable discipleship training in over 70 countries. InGlobal Disciples’ last reporting year, over 30,000 disciple-makers were trained, resulting in morethan 75,000 new believers established in fellowships around the world.
From 2021 to earlier this year, Dekker served as the Lead Pastor of the Evangelical Church ofBangkok (ECB), Thailand – an international church with over 70 nationalities. For the threeyears prior, he was ECB’s Executive and Worship Pastor. Dekker also has 20 years’ experienceas an international business leader working in finance, strategic planning and implementation,business development, and organizational leadership for various international organizationsincluding Synova, Nidera, Sara Lee, and Eli Lilly. He holds a Master’s in Business Economicsfrom Erasmus Universiteit in the Netherlands, as well as a Master’s in Ministry Leadership fromCrown College of Minnesota.
“When Galen Burkholder, founder of Global Disciples, transitioned from CEO to Ambassador inJune 2024, the Board began searching for another long-term leader who could embrace andadvance Global Disciples’ unique and compelling vision,” says Kent Martin, Chairman of GlobalDisciples’ Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Signature Custom Cabinetry. “Withhis international experience in both business development and pastoral care, Dekker is ideallypositioned to take on this responsibility.”
“Discipleship is the heartbeat of my ministry,” explains Dekker. “God called me out of thecorporate marketplace where I was leading and developing multi-cultural teams into pastoralministry. At ECB, our mission was to equip our international fellowship in being disciples forglobal impact, whether they were in Bangkok for three weeks, three years, or their entire lives. Iam grateful and excited to come alongside the Global Disciples team, as their core ideology ofreaching the least-reached across the globe with the Gospel of Jesus strikes a deep chord inme.”
SOURCE Global Disciples
CONTACT: Sherry Lee, 404-903-0380, sherry.lee@globaldisciples.org