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The International Executive Committee (IEC) of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) is pleased to announce that Dr. Daniel BourdannÌÄå© has been appointed to succeed Lindsay Brown as general secretary. The change will take effect in mid 2007. BourdannÌÄå© currently serves as IFES regional secretary for Francophone Africa. He is also international deputy director for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is one of the original founding members of the IFES, which consists of student Christian movements in approximately 150 countries.
The Process Followed
After an extensive assessment of candidates, the IEC undertook a prayerful and thorough process to select a new general secretary at the June 2006 IEC meeting in India. Over a period of three days, which included candidate interviews and presentations, the IEC focused on the priorities for the future of the fellowship and the desired profile of the next general secretary. At the completion of this process, and after prayerful consideration, the IEC warmly endorsed BourdannÌÄå©.
The IEC continues to seek the prayers of the wider fellowship for Brown as he leads the fellowship over the coming months through to World Assembly 2007.
Introducing Daniel BourdannÌÄå©
BourdannÌÄå© was born in Chad. He and his wife Halimatou currently live in Abidjan, CÌÄå«te d’Ivoire. They have four children, including one adopted Togolese daughter and three children who were born in CÌÄå«te d’Ivoire. BourdannÌÄå© studied in Chad, Cameroon, Togo, CÌÄå«te d’Ivoire and France. He has a doctorate from the University of Abidjan in animal ecology and is a member of the International Society of Myriapodologists and specializes in millipedes.
He has served IFES in Francophone Africa since 1990, first as traveling secretary in West Africa, then as literature secretary. Since 1995 he has been the regional secretary, responsible to oversee IFES ministry throughout the region of twenty French-speaking countries. He has served on the boards of a number of Christian organizations in Africa. Over the past few years he has led a number of significant training initiatives including the Ì¢âÂèÏForum de ThÌÄå©ologie pour l’Eglise,’ designed to bring theological academics and local churches together; the Ì¢âÂèÏCentre Africain du Christianisme Contemporain,’ an IFES Leadership Training Centre for Francophone Africa; and the Ì¢âÂèÏTyranus’ biblical preaching initiative.
(This article was edited from an Intervarsity Christian Fellowship news release.)