Investing in Leaders to Transform the World for Christ

January 23, 2014

“My mission is ultimately about leadership – specifically developing leaders so that they can have maximum impact for the Great Commission,” says Rick Franklin, the executive director of Ministries at Power to Change.

Since transitioning into his new role in July 2013 from his previous position as executive director of ministry services, Franklin’s vision for leadership has provided the foundation for helping ministries fulfill their mandates here in Canada and overseas.

Building into leaders to further God’s kingdom is something that Franklin has not only built his career on, but his life. For over 30 years since joining Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) as full-time staff, he has gained invaluable ministry experience both hands-on as well as in organizational and administrative roles.

Franklin credits CCC for helping him grow in his faith back when he first got involved in the ministry as a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “I came to Christ as a senior in high school but had no idea how to grow. It was through Campus Crusade that I learned how to study the Bible, how to pray, how to walk in the Spirit,” he says. It was during his time as a student that he was challenged to commit his life to do anything for Christ during a major Kansas City youth event featuring speaker and author Josh McDowell.

Franklin responded to the challenge and ended up going on a short-term missions project in Hungary in the mid-1980s (then a communist country). “Doing ministry in such a secretive and closed-off country wasn’t easy, but it forced us to rely on God more,” he recalls. After joining CCC’s full-time staff at the University of Southern California (USC), Franklin and his wife moved to Prague, Czech Republic for almost 15 years to join and lead CCC’s ministry there. In his many years of ministry, Franklin’s varied roles included: discipling and training students; providing strategic leadership for campus ministry as the Prague campus director; and becoming national director, creating one of the largest interdenominational Christian organizations in the Czech Republic.

A commitment to serve Christ and advance the Kingdom has driven Franklin’s life and ministry, and it is the same passion that has led him to his new position at Power to Change, providing strategic leadership for its 13 ministries and approximately 400 commissioned staff.

“Our work resourcing and developing ministry directors allows them to have the most impact on the greatest number of people with the Gospel,” he says. “We are committed to changing the spiritual direction of Canada by finding relevant, innovative ways to reach people where they’re at and help them discover Jesus.”

Power to Change’s vision of having the greatest impact on people in Canada and around the world is one that Franklin holds close to his heart. He believes that everyone has the potential to be reached no matter where they are spiritually. “We need to reach non-Christians so they can see who Jesus is for real,” he says. “But we also need to reach Christians to mobilize them to live out their faith in bold, authentic ways. The Life is one of those ways to help Christians to live their faith ‘out loud’ – not in an obnoxious way, but by genuinely showing others the difference that Jesus makes in every area of life.”

2 Responses to “Investing in Leaders to Transform the World for Christ”

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• Evan Martin says:

  April 25, 2015 at 1:28 am

  It is really a beneficial step taken by Rick Franklin, the executive director of Ministries at Power to Change. Different leaders has different point of view and therefore in most of the occasion people are suffering from different issues; but here Rick Franklin delivers good amount of leadership strategies to bring better success in his region. A leader is definitely blessed with better thinking and capability to handle every odd situation and I am sure Rick Franklin will bring better changes in the region.

• Kate says:

  April 30, 2015 at 11:20 am

  Evan, thank you for your comment.