The International Disability Ministry Joni and Friends Announces Appointment of Pastor Shawn Thornton as President

Thornton, Senior Pastor of Calvary Community Church, has personal experience with disability.

/EIN News/ -- Agoura Hills, CA, Feb. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The international disability ministry Joni and Friends is pleased to announce that Pastor Shawn Thornton has been selected as its new President. He will step into his new position in March, overseeing outreach and evangelism efforts to bring practical help such as wheelchairs and the saving love of Jesus Christ to the world’s most vulnerable citizens. 

The Joni and Friends International Board of Directors selected Shawn Thornton after an exhaustive national search led by the executive recruitment firm, Carter Baldwin. Pastor Thornton distinguished himself with his extensive history spearheading his church’s thriving special needs ministry, as well as his biblical, Christ-honoring theology around issues of suffering and disability. He has served on the Joni and Friends International Board of Directors since 2023. 

Pastor Thornton replaces President Laura Gardner, who stepped down at the end of 2024 to care for family. Laura joined Joni and Friends in 2011, served as Chief Financial Officer, and was appointed President in 2022. 

Raised by a mother with a significant disability, Shawn said he and his wife, Lesli, are eager to begin this new chapter at Joni and Friends. 

“This opportunity to work alongside the ministry’s Founder, Joni Eareckson Tada, and help advance the Gospel within a community of people so close to our hearts is one we believe God has unmistakably called us to pursue," Shawn said. 

Joni and Friends Founder and CEO Joni Eareckson Tada said, “Shawn Thornton’s tenure as President will secure the fidelity of this ministry for generations to come. As we look to the next decade, a healthy theology is paramount and Shawn has not only the credentials for that, but the heart.” 

“As I look to the future, I'm convinced God has brought Shawn Thornton to us. His life experience, professional background, and deep commitment to Christ uniquely position him to help advance our mission of sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with people who deal with disability worldwide,” said Joni. 

Joni and Friends works toward a world where every person living with disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. At the church where he pastored, Shawn had been working toward this same goal. 

As Senior Pastor of Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California, Pastor Thornton spearheaded efforts to launch and develop a robust disability ministry in partnership with Joni and Friends that has served as a model for other congregations across the country. 

Shawn’s personal story highlights how disability impacts the entire family, not just the loved one with a diagnosis. His beloved mother suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car crash at the age of 14 that left her with a lifetime of lingering mental, emotional, and physical struggles. 

His mother’s challenges led to a chaotic childhood for Shawn, but his mother was a firm believer in Jesus and was moved by Joni’s 1976 autobiography, Joni: An Unforgettable Story. When she would have a bad day, his mom would say, “If Joni Eareckson can do it, then so can I.” 

Joni and Friends is the world’s leading Christian disability ministry. Founded in 1979, Joni and Friends uses practical help as a platform for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with individuals living with disability around the world. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person living with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. The ministry serves 45 countries on five continents distributing wheelchairs, hosting respite retreats, operating disability centers, and equipping churches to welcome people with disabilities 

About Joni and Friends   
For over 45 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability across the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World, Retreats & Getaways, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts. To find out more, please visit www.joniandfriends.org.  

Attachments

• Pastor Shawn Thornton
• Reaching the World

Amy Hurtado
                    Joni and Friends
                    8183387432
                    pr@joniandfriends.org