CHICAGO, IL (September 28, 2020) — Adam Edgerly, founding and lead pastor of Newsong Los Angeles Covenant Church, has been named the director of Covenant World Relief and Development.
In addition to leading Newsong LA since 2003, Edgerly has served as the denomination’s associate director of global evangelism and Pacific Southwest Conference director of church planting. Edgerly also is the founder and CEO of Culture Consultants and has led workshops across five continents.
He serves on the Board of Trustees at Biola University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in intercultural studies, which included field research in leadership and language in Mali, West Africa. He earned a master of business administration at Emory University.
His time in Mali shaped his understanding of the Christian life, Edgerly says. “I saw how the generosity and compassion of local churches during a famine transformed lives and introduced people to Jesus.”
Edgerly is grateful that his new position will enable him to further help such communities. “I feel extremely honored to become part of Covenant World Relief and Development’s work to facilitate the connection between Covenant churches and international partners around the world working to alleviate suffering and foster human flourishing,” he says.
“Adam brings a wealth of experience and passion for global mission,” said Al Tizon, executive minister of Serve Globally. “His heart for poor, oppressed, and marginalized people flows out of his heart for Jesus. Adam is a whole gospel person, and we are ecstatic that he will be joining the Serve Globally team.”
The organization’s name has been changed to recognize the work of development. “To add ‘Development’ to its name reflects more accurately what it has been doing for decades,” Tizon said.
Edgerly says the name change will make it easier for people to understand the scope of the ministry. “Under the leadership of Dave Husby, Covenant World Relief has already been investing in a wide variety of community development projects,” he noted. “In addition to providing critically important disaster relief, our partnerships also include agricultural projects, clean water projects, education, health, human trafficking prevention and care, justice/advocacy, microenterprise, peacemaking, care for vulnerable children, refugee care, and women’s empowerment.”
Edgerly will continue to live in Los Angeles with his wife, Grace, and daughter, Harper.
