The Love of the
Gospel in Our DNA
Since day one, God has used Word of Life to bring people from all over the world to Himself. When Jack Wyrtzen and Harry Bollback began the ministry of Word of Life, they were committed to engaging their culture with the Gospel. Today, Word of Life remains committed to the purpose of reaching our generation with the Gospel creating opportunities for youth and families to experience their faith, and share the message of salvation with those who have never heard.
Rooted in God’s Word
God’s Word shapes our philosophy of life and ministry, guiding every aspect of who we are and what we do.
Below, you’ll find the core beliefs that define us – the convictions that drive our mission and form the bedrock of Word of Life. These truths inspire our ministry and fuel our passion to reach the next generation with the Gospel.
The mission of Word of Life Fellowship is the evangelization and discipleship of youth through various means consistent with the Holy Scriptures to strengthen and build up the church of Jesus Christ.
The clear truth of God’s Word is our guide.
1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are verbally inspired of God, and they are without error in the original writings, and they are the supreme and final authority for faith and life.
2. We believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is eternally existent in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, His death to pay the penalty for everyone’s sins, His bodily resurrection, His exaltation at God’s right hand. We believe Christ will take His Church to heaven before the seven-year tribulation, after which He will physically return to earth to establish His 1000-year-reign prior to the new heaven and new earth.
4. We believe that all have sinned and are therefore guilty before God and are under His condemnation
5. We believe that all who by faith receive Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit, therefore children of God and eternally saved, and that the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer to enlighten, guide, and enable the believer in life, testimony, and service. We believe that God answers the prayers of His people and meets their needs according to His purpose.
6. We believe that God gives spiritual gifts to all believers for the building up of the body of Christ. However, the miraculous sign-gifts of the Spirit, such as tongues and healings, were limited to the early church. We also believe that God may miraculously intervene in the affairs of humanity anytime to accomplish His purposes and to manifest His glory.
7. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved in Glory and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost in hell.
8. We believe that all believers are called to a life of separation from all worldly and sinful practices and alliances
9. We believe that from the beginning with Adam and Eve, God ordained marriage as only between one man and one woman. All sexual activity outside of this biblical definition of marriage, including homosexual practices, is in direct contradiction to God’s Word and His intention for the institution of the home.
10. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female for His glory. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God, and the rejection of one’s biological gender is a rejection of God’s decreed will and good plan for humanity and the individual.
11. Since every person is uniquely created in the image of God and formed by God, we hold to the sanctity of all human life. Since the Bible reflects that life begins at conception and lasts beyond death into eternity, God calls everyone to value, respect, defend, and protect all human life regardless of age or condition.
The people who guide our ministry.
Don Lough, Jr.
President and CEO of Word of Life Fellowship, Inc.
Chancellor of Bible Institutes
John Nelson
Executive Assistant to the President
Director of Word of Life Foundation
Rich Andrews
Vice President of Youth & Family Camps
Brian Baker
Vice President of Bible Institutes
Executive Dean of New York Bible Institute
Brent Finchum
Director of Youth Ministries
Scott Foreman
Vice President of Growth and Impact Strategies
Chip Nightingale
Vice President of Ministry Advancement
Kris Stout
Executive Vice President of International Ministries
Mark Strout
Executive Dean of Global Bible Institutes & Professor
Michael Constantino
Vice President of Stewardship
Jack Wyrtzen
Director 1940-1990
Jack founded the ministry after trusting Christ as a young man. His passion was to share the Gospel and to reach young people. Jack’s contagious enthusiasm and his desire to be used of God were hallmarks of his leadership.
Harry Bollback
Director 1940-1990
Harry was invited by Jack Wyrtzen to become the Co-Director. He was used of God to launch the International Ministries of Word of Life and in later years, he began the Tour Ministries (Gospel Productions) which presented the Word of God through music, drama and multi-media.
George Theis
Director 1991-1999
George followed the leadership of Jack Wyrtzen and Harry Bollback and led Word of Life to expand the International Ministries into ten new locations – a total of 44 countries. Under his leadership and through his vision was born the need for a new teaching facility and library at Word of Life Bible Institute.
Joe Jordan
Director 1999-2011
Joe served as Executive Director after founding the ministry of Word of Life in Argentina in 1970. His dynamic leadership was instrumental for numerous capital project upgrades to facilities, the growth of the ministry into 63 countries and the development of a new generation of leadership around the world.
We know that it is God who supports the ministry of Word of Life through the gifts of His people. So, to honor Him and to build trust among our friends, volunteers, employees, and donors our goal is to provide as much accountability as is possible. Transparency, honesty, and openness aren’t just buzz-words, but convictions we take seriously.
Every year we take time to review the numbers from the previous year. We then use these financial numbers combined with our ministry impact and influence to create the President’s Report. It’s created by the President and CEO as a “State of the Ministry” report to encourage donors, friends, and employees.
Additional financial documentation can be found on our resources page.
Word of Life’s Commitment to the Local Church
Word of Life recognizes the vital role of the local church in advancing the gospel message, and our primary aim is to serve, strengthen, and support local churches, particularly in reaching young people with the gospel.
Word of Life Does Not Plant Churches
Word of Life’s vision is not to function as a church denomination or a church planting organization. Instead, we actively engage with established local churches and church planters, offering support and partnership in their ministry to young people.
Word of Life Staff as Committed Church Members
We highly esteem the local church, and we expect all Word of Life team members to be dedicated and active participants in local congregations.
Word of Life Establishes and Pursues Church Partnerships
We seek to establish mutually enriching partnerships wherein gospel-centered churches and our teams collaborate to reach young people, each contributing toward the shared goal of spreading the message of Christ.
Word of Life is Committed to Local and Global Missions
We firmly believe churches must engage in sending and supporting missionaries, locally and globally. As an international organization, we are committed to facilitating and enabling churches in this mission, partnering with them to send Word of Life missionaries across the world.
