Leadership
the people who guide our ministry

President and CEO
Donald H. Lough, Jr. follows a great legacy of leadership as President and CEO of Word of Life Fellowship. He brings more than 20 years of experience and service in the ministry as he shares the passion of those who have gone before him…Holding Forth the Word of Life. He is a graduate of the Word of Life Bible Institute in 1984 and of Cedarville University where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1987. In 1992 Don graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary after serving as a teaching assistant to Drs. Howard Hendricks and Mark Bailey and where he received a Master of Theology degree.
His ministry with Word of Life Fellowship began as a teenage young man working in the camps and conference programs. After graduating from seminary, he became the assistant to Paul Bubar, Director of Word of Life’s International Ministries in 1992. Five years later he became the Vice President of International Ministries where he served from 1997 to 2006. Don served as Director of Word of Life Fellowship from 2006-2011 before being installed as the President and CEO.
Don and his wife, Darla, have four children: Alyssa, Jonathan, Justin and Ashlyn.

John Nelson
Executive Assistant to the President and Director of Word of Life Foundation

Kris Stout
Executive VP of International Ministries

Brian Baker
VP of the New York Bible Institute and Camps

Rich Andrews
VP of Florida Ministries

Eric Messer
VP of Operations and Central Services

John Collins
Director of Youth Ministries

Mark Strout
Executive Dean of Global Bible Institutes and Professor

Chip Nightingale
Director of Advancement
A History of Godly Leadership
Past Directors

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.