Biography

Stanley W. Green, executive director of Mennonite Mission Network, serves as the steward of a vision that gave birth to the Mission Network -- that every congregation and all parts of the church be fully engaged in God's mission across the street, all through the marketplaces and around the world.

Born in South Africa, Green lived under an apartheid system, which legally denied him universally recognized human rights. Raised in the Congregational Church, Green came to faith at age 17 while attending evangelistic meetings at a Pentecostal church. He later worked in student movements with people like Stephen Biko (subject of the film, "Cry Freedom") as he sought to express social concerns that grew out of his faith. In 1978 at the South African Christian Leadership Assembly, he was introduced to Mennonites through three speakers: Myron Augsburger, Ron Sider and John Howard Yoder.

Green received a bachelor's degree in theology from Federal Theological Seminary of Southern Africa, serving in pastorates at Congregational churches in Oudtshoorn and Dysselsdorp. From 1981 to 1985, Green and his family also served a five-year missionary term in Jamaica, working with the United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman, where he oversaw three congregations.

He came to the United States in 1986 to pursue a doctorate in missiology (the study of missions) from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. While there, he became a charter member of Pasadena Mennonite Church and for five years served as senior pastor of Faith Mennonite Church in Downey, Calif. Green also served in several part-time positions: conference minister for Southern California with Southwest Mennonite Conference, urban missiologist with Mennonite Board of Missions and president of the Council for Anabaptists in Los Angeles (now the Center for Anabaptist Leadership).

In 1993, Green was called to be president of Mennonite Board of Missions, the mission agency of the former Mennonite Church. Almost immediately, he initiated Cana Venture, a survey and study to review MBM's program, structure and constituency relationships, particularly listening to the voices of an emerging generation of Mennonite Church leaders. As a result of the Cana Venture restructuring led by Green, MBM increased giving, increased congregational participation in mission, more than 10 new global mission partnerships and growing demand for short-term mission experiences.

In addition, Green has served as chair of the Council of International Ministries, an association of North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ international mission and service agencies and has taught an annual course on the spirituality of mission at the Overseas Mission Study Centre.

After seven years as MBM president, Green was called in March 2001 by the leaders of the emerging Mennonite Church USA to serve as executive director of its new mission agency, Mennonite Mission Network.

Green and his wife, Ursula (Lundall), live in Goshen, Ind., where they are members of Waterford Mennonite Church. They have two sons, Stanley III ("Lee") and James.