It is documented that thirty-five thousand children die every day around the world from diseases and circumstances that could be stopped if we had the heart.
To Wess Stafford, this isn't just a statistic. He has dedicated his life and ministry to bringing the message of hope in Jesus Christ to impoverished children of the world.
For this President of Compassion International, it all began in a village in West Africa where he was raised by missionary parents who spent most of their ministry in remote villages. It wasn't until his teen years that he left Africa and worked with his parents with the Navajos in Arizona and later in the inner-city of Chicago.
"I'm often asked," Wess says, "'Why on earth do you focus on children? They have no power, no voice, and certainly no influence. How can you take the world's biggest problem and address children-and call it strategic?' My response is, it's precisely because the problem is so overwhelming that we must have a strategic weapon as powerful as children."
Wess spent 15 years with Compassion both overseas and at headquarters before becoming its president in September 1993. He brings to the organization a rich educational background forged by the crucible of service to the impoverished that has profoundly altered his life.
He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Biola University, Wheaton College Graduate School, and Michigan State University where he also earned his Ph.D. in Education. In May 2003, Wess received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Biola University for his distinctive 25-year service of ministry at Compassion International.
Wess married Donna Marie Fish in 1979 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Originally from New York, Donna holds a Master's degree in cross-cultural communication. Wess and Donna have two daughters-Jennifer and Kathryn-and make their home on a small ranch near Colorado Springs. He is author of the book "Too Small To Ignore: Why Children are the Next Big Thing," released October 2005.
As busy as he is, Wess likes to find time to indulge some of his favorite hobbies-fishing, camping, hiking. Add to that the more rigorous racquetball, soccer, and scuba diving and you begin to see the multi-dimension interests of this "man of Compassion."