2025
ANNUAL REPORT
Educating Empowering and Equipping Clergy and Laity for Evangelistic Ministry
President's Message
Jack Jackson
PRESIDENT
Every generation of the church receives the sacred calling to bear witness to Jesus Christ. The methods, cultural questions, and challenges may look different from one season to the next, but the heart of the calling remains the same: to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that people may come to know God’s love and the hope and salvation found in Christ Jesus.
At The Foundation for Evangelism, we believe evangelism is central to clergy formation, congregational vitality, and lay discipleship. In 2025, your prayers, gifts, and partnership helped make that mission visible in concrete and deeply encouraging ways.
Because of you, our work with congregations continued through the Equipping the Local Church Grants and Thriving Congregations Local Church Cohorts, moving churches from good intentions to faithful action.
We also continued our long-standing commitment to educating seminarians through the funding of evangelism professors at nine
Wesleyan-tradition graduate schools of theology. In 2025, these professors provided
theological grounding, practical tools, and encouragement to more than 433 future church leaders. These investments matter because the future of the Wesleyan tradition needs pastors who see evangelism as a joyful, faithful, and essential expression of Christian ministry – and who, in turn, train laity and congregations for the vital work of evangelism in their communities and around the world.
As we look ahead, the Foundation is moving with clarity and focus into an expanded grantmaking strategy that invests in denominational and Wesleyan parachurch ministries capable of strengthening evangelism at a broader scale. Through these strategic partnerships, we seek to embed evangelistic renewal more deeply within congregations, laity, and the broader Wesleyan movement. I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.
For 77 years, faithful supporters like you have helped carry the mission of The Foundation for Evangelism. I invite you to continue that legacy with us. Your generosity strengthens a rising generation of pastors, congregations, and lay witnesses ready to share the hope
of Jesus Christ!
Thank you for believing in this mission. Because
of your prayers and partnership, The Foundation for Evangelism continues to invest in Wesleyan
evangelistic renewal for the sake of the church and the world God loves so deeply.
With gratitude,
In 2025 Your Gifts and Support...
Strengthened
Educated
Equipped
2025 At a Glance
ministry leaders educated
seminaries & schools of theology
cohort participants
churches supported
in grants awarded
Grants Fueling Wesleyan-Tradition Evangelism
Evangelism Professors Lead the Way
The role of E. Stanley Jones Professors of Evangelism has, for over four decades, been an important part of the formation of seminarians called to Christian leadership in Wesleyan-tradition denominations. As these leaders are formed, they need both theological grounding and practical know-how to infuse evangelism into their own ministry practice and congregational life.
Many E.S.J. Professors through the years have gone on to become thought leaders, voices of influence, and vital leaders in places of Christian formation. In 2025, two E.S.J. Professors transitioned into top leadership positions at Wesleyan-tradition seminaries.
Hope and New Life for Youth on the Margins
New Life Church of the Nazarene in Miami, Okla., saw an opportunity when they looked across their parking lot to the junior and senior high schools. “Donut Tuesday,” was a way to connect with students by offering a donut, prayer, and conversation before school. They learned about the challenges many teens faced, including poverty, bullying, and a lack of support, and expanded their outreach with Tuesday Youth Night meals, games, sports, and messages of faith, hope, and belonging. Adults also provide mentoring relationships, helping teens navigate difficult situations. Supported by volunteers, community partnerships, and a grant from the Foundation, the youth ministry quickly grew to 25 regular attendees. Seven teens were recently baptized, and many have become involved in church service projects in the community and other activities.
Churches Equipped for Life-Transforming, Evangelistic Ministry
Grants to 53 churches in 2025 equipped congregations across 8 Wesleyan-tradition denominations in 24 states. These grants allowed a chance to respond to a declared need in their community, and often led to stories of amazing transformation in the lives of people who became involved.
Hear a story from Aiken Ebenezer Church of the Nazarene
Thriving Congregations Local Church Cohorts
Spaces for learning, reflections, and faithful imagination
When church teams join one of The Foundation for Evangelism’s Thriving Congregations Local Church Cohorts, they step into a space created for learning, reflection, and faithful imagination. This experience offers a comprehensive eight week training in an accessible virtual environment and practical resources designed to meet their congregation where they are, while gently stretching what’s possible.
The journey concludes with an opportunity to apply for The Foundation for Evangelism’s grant cycle, empowering these congregations to act on the Holy Spirit’s urging!
2025-2026 Board of Trustees
John Agee – The Woodlands, TX
Ross Barrett – Bossier City, LA
Allen Black** – Columbia, TN
Eston Brinkley – Wilmington, NC
Davis Chappell – Brentwood, TN
Beth Ellison – Newnan, GA
Brian Hammons – Stockton, MO (Vice-Chair)
Gaye Nell Heck – Atlanta, GA (Chair)
Dan Henry – Bolingbrook, IL
Phil Jamieson** – Jackson, TN
Stephen Lee – Fort Lee, NJ
Robert Miller* – Fort Smith, AR
Barbi Moore – Oklahoma City, OK
Darryl Starnes – Huntersville, NC
Michael Yang – Englewood Cliffs, NJ (Treasurer)
*Lifetime Founder ** Advisory Trustee