Donna Downes

Current Ministry Position: Associate Professor of Global Leadership, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary.

Donna’s special area of research and teaching is in cross-cultural communications, globalization of mission and in the training and development of leaders and staff to work more effectively in today’s complex global missions environment. Her desire is not only to see more effective leaders, but to help these leaders appreciate and even celebrate the creative synergy that diversity can bring to the global church and missions community.

Life in Ministry: Donna joined the MAGL in 2007 after 23 years on the mission field where she was involved in university teaching and leadership development in Kenya (12 years) and Romania (11 years).  Donna’s academic background includes a BA in journalism from University of Missouri - Columbia, an MA in Communications from California State University – Fullerton, and a Doctorate in Missiology from BIOLA University, with a specialty in cross-cultural leadership. While in Kenya, she taught communications at the BA and MA levels at Daystar University where she learned to appreciate and rejoice in the diversity of students from about 30 African nations.  Her greatest love was mentoring graduate students in their research and writing for their MA theses and teaching in-service courses for leaders in African mission agencies. In Romania, Donna has been teaching in the missiology department at the Baptist Seminary in Bucharest and has served in a variety of voluntary leadership roles in the NGO sector, the community and the church . Prior to becoming a missionary, Donna worked in Chicago and California as a communications and public relations specialist and taught Communications at California State University, Fullerton. 

Family: Donna has been happily married to Stan for 30 years and has loved partnering with him in ministry, in travels, and in living the adventure of the Christian life.  They have one son, Chris, who is in his third year of college in Southern California. Stan continues to work as a missionary with OC International helping in strategy, research and recruiting for their European ministries

Other Information:  Donna and her husband (BS Purdue 1972; MA Fuller Seminary, 1983) enjoy music (they’re both singers), reading, traveling, relaxing at the beach, hiking in the mountains, and spending time with people who are passionate about God and about missions.  They’re both sports fans—especially college football and basketball!