Ed Stetzer Biography | Ed Stetzer

Edward John Stetzer (born 1966) is an American author, speaker, researcher, pastor, church planter, and Christian missiologist. Stetzer is Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College and Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College.

He is the North American Regional Director for Lausanne International and serves as interim Teaching Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois and Teaching Pastor at Highpoint Church, a multisite church in the western suburbs of Chicago.

He is a contributor to the North American discussion on the missional church, church planting, church revitalization, and Christian cultural engagement.

Stetzer was born in Long Island and grew up in Levittown, New York, outside New York City.

He holds master’s degrees from Liberty University School of Divinity and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Beeson Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Stetzer is Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College and Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College.

Formerly, he worked as Executive Director of LifeWay Research, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources, and as LifeWay’s Missiologist in Residence. Before that, Stetzer served as Director of Research and Missiologist-In-Residence for the North American Mission Board.

Stetzer currently serves as Visiting Professor of Research and Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Stetzer is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach magazine, and is cited or interviewed in national news outlets such as USA Today and CNN.

Ed Stetzer is also the Executive Editor of The Gospel Project, which is used by over one million individuals each week.

Ed Stetzer Age

Edward John Stetzer is an American author, speaker, researcher, pastor, church planter, and Christian missiologist. Stetzer is Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College and Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. He was born in 1966 (age 53 years old as of the year), Long Island, NY

Missions consulting

Ed Stetzer writes and speaks on missiology, cultural engagement, church planting, and revitalization. Rick Warren said, “As a successful pastor, church planter, researcher, and advisor to thousands of churches, Ed Stetzer speaks from a wealth of experience with all kinds of churches.”

Wife, Married, Family

Ed Stetzer said; People often ask why Ed Stetzer tweet so much about my family. Obviously, I value my wife, Donna, and my three daughters. So I express that on social media. Read also about Klyne Snodgrass

But once the idea of family comes up, people often ask, “How are you able to take your children with you as you travel and minister?” And, “How do you balance your hectic work/ministry schedule with healthy family life?”

One great ministry challenge is to serve in a way that values, affirms and protects our children. We talk of burnout with pastors and their wives, but we rarely associate burnout with children. Yet can they not experience the same thing if they are an integral part of your life and ministry? Of course, they can.

Pastors’ kids (PKs) can see a lot of dysfunction that many other children do not see. How can we avoid that?

I don’t simply want my children to survive my ministry life. I want them to thrive in the calling God has placed on our lives. I am passionate about this and have made three personal commitments.

1. Communicate: Life and Death Are in Our Words
Our words are powerful, especially to young ears. Words communicate values to our children. Their hearing skills are better than their processing skills. So, I decided to do two things…

Try not to speak ill of the ministry or the people to my kids.

Sometimes I will share ministry struggles with my wife, but not in the same way with my children. I want them to see the value of the ministry we have.

Just because negative things happen doesn’t mean it happens to my kids. If I am going through junk, I need to deal with it, not use one of my daughters as a therapist to get me through the current ministry crisis.

Children should only hear about the negative experiences on a “need-to-know” basis. Most of the negative they don’t need to know, particularly because it gets resolved.

When they do need to know something, share that information with proper context and plenty of grace so as not to damage the ministry environment provided by God.

If your kids hear your constant complaints, expect them to take them personally in a way you, as a grown adult, might not.

Always speak well of the opportunities we have.

When we’re pastoring a church, we speak of what a great opportunity we have to build relationships with other people. Personally, I travel a lot for my job. I could say, “Oh, it’s terrible.

I have to be away from my kids.” But my kids get to travel with Dad a lot. I try to speak well of the ministry so that my kids can see that and can value it.

2. Affirm: You Aren’t The Only Person on Mission Here
Communicating value to our kids isn’t enough. If we don’t involve our children in the ministry, we limit the impact of God’s ministry.

I don’t recruit my kids to do everything, but involving them is a key component to encouraging them. Encouragement in God’s work will prevent discouragement from the enemy as they grow older.

They all have different roles, but we are all participating. When we’re doing ministry, we’re doing it together. My oldest daughter, Kristen, has taught children during our group time. As a follower of Jesus Christ, she has been called to serve. So she found a place to do that, and I affirmed that in her life.

3. Protect: Guard Your Family
This is the most difficult of the three recommendations.

I can choose what to discuss. I can encourage ministry involvement. But I am also the protector of my family in the middle of ministry.

Negative things happen in ministry. Sometimes those negative things have a fallout. How I deal with these issues will go a long way in determining whether the ministry will be seen as a help or a hindrance in the life of my kids.

Sometimes we have to protect our kids from events, like someone leaving (whether on good or bad terms). Other times an idea requires protection.

People have expectations, and you may have to explain why those expectations exist. “There are some things you do and other things you don’t do because you are the pastor’s children.” Sometimes PKs pick up unhealthy expectations.

I’ve discussed with my daughters how to deal with expectations. I don’t put unrealistic expectations on them. I treat them as if they are a part of the church because they are. And I protect them as if they are my children because they are.

Good Leader—Good Parent
Some of us are proud—maybe too proud—that we lead well. But do we lead as well in the home? Do we apply the leadership principles that have made us successful elsewhere in the place that matters most?

For example, a good leader communicates the culture of an organization. Leaders reveal what we value in the way we talk. If the negative flows freely, with the positive coming sparingly, we create ambivalence about the mission.

The same is true in our homes.

A good leader protects the church and the family—and sometimes the family from the church. That’s just common sense, though it seems to be often forgotten.

Lead and lead well. But don’t forget to lead your family with a greater conviction than any other place. That’s fundamental to your call.

Ed Stetzer Blog

Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., holds the Billy Graham Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, serves as Dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership at Wheaton College, and serves as Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center.

Ed Stetzer has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and church planters on six continents, has earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates, and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books.

He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America and publishes research through Mission Group.

Stetzer is a contributing editor for Christianity Today, a columnist for Outreach Magazine, and is frequently cited in, interviewed by, and writes for news outlets such as USAToday and CNN.

He is the Founding Editor of The Gospel Project, a curriculum used by more than 1.7 million individuals each week for bible story.

His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays. He also serves as Visiting Professor of Research and Missiology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Visiting Research Professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has taught at many other colleges and seminaries.

Ed Stetzer serves as interim teaching pastor of Moody Church in Chicago and as teaching pastor at Highpoint Church.

If you would like to inquire about Ed Stetzer speaking at an event, please send an email to bgc@wheaton.edu with details about the event.

Ed Stetzer has written the following books:

His writings on this blog, and on social media, are his opinions and do not necessarily represent the institutions and organizations where he serves or with whom he affiliates.

Ed Stetzer Books

Ed StetzerBooks Planting Missional Churches 2006, Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can Too 2007, Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community 2006, Transformational Church 2010, Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers 2010, Subversive Kingdom: Living as Agents of Gospel Transformation 2011,

Transformational Groups: Creating a New Scorecard for Groups 2014, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them 2009, Christians at Our Best: A 6-Week Guide to Living in the Age of Outrage 2019, Planting new churches in a postmodern age 2003,

Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches that Multiply 2016, Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living 2008, Compelled: Living the Mission of God 2012, 11 Innovations in the Local Church: How Today’s Leaders Can Learn, Discern and Move Into the Future 2007,

Perimeters of Light: Biblical Boundaries for the Emerging Church 2004, Spiritual Warfare and Missions: The Battle for God’s Glory Among the Nations 2010, Subversive Kingdom: Lessons in Rebellion from the Parables of Jesus; Member Book 2011, The Gospel Project: Saved: Life in the Face of Death – Bible Study Book 2014,

Compelled by Love: A Journey to Missional Living (Member Book) 2010, Don’t Be Too Cool for Sunday School – 9Marks Journal 2017, The Gospel Project for Adults: Jesus the Storyteller Bible Study Book 2017, 11 Innovations in the Local Church: How Today’s Leaders Can Learn, Discern and Move Into the Future (Large Print 16pt) 2012,

Subversive Kingdom: Lessons in Rebellion from the Parables of Jesus – Leader Kit 2011, Church Mergers and Plants | 9Marks Journal 2017, Christians in the Age of Outrage: How to Bring Our Best When the World Is at Its Worst 2018, and Christians at Our Best Discussion Guide: Learning to Live in the Age of Outrage