Camino's New President
When past-president, Dr. Dan Wicher, resigned his position effective December 31, 2011, the Board of Directors began a search for his replacement. The criteria they set included someone who was bilingual, bicultural, seminary educated, with cross-cultural and fund-raising experience. The Board consultant was skeptical that anyone with those qualifications would be found. But God had already prepared Livingston to fill that role. What came together at Convocation 2012 was a perfect storm of events that could be arranged only by the sovereign Lord of history: a new name, a new scope of ministry, and a new president to lead our journey with Spanish-speakers globally.
Douglas Livingston is God’s man to lead that endeavor. Godly, gifted, and a man of prayer, Livingston has been commissioned to do three things: Cast vision, develop partnerships, and seek funding.
God has gifted and equipped Livingston to be a natural bridge among multi-ethnic peoples.
The son of Camino missionaries Neil and Marylou Livingston, Douglas grew up in Honduras where he attended Las Americas Academy. Douglas received his biblical training at Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham, Alabama, and Central American Theological Seminary (SETECA) in Guatemala City. After seminary, Douglas served as pastor of a local church in Honduras and served in leadership of the national churches of that country. In 1991, he married Gloria Gutierrez from El Salvador. At his initiative, Cooperación Maya was formed, and in 1996, Doug, Gloria and their children, Victor and Maria, were sent out by Central American churches to Albania, learned the language, and planted a church in the capitol city of Tirana.
In 2009, he and his family moved back to the United States and Douglas and Gloria took a sabbatical, and during that time they sought out mentors to help them prepare for the next phase of life and ministry. From 2010 to 2012, he led the Latin Mission Initiative dubbed Camino 360. He has served on two multi-cultural teams.
Livingston is blessed with a personality that naturally attracts others. Energized around people, he connects with absolutely everyone. He has the gift of presence — he is “all there” when he talks to you, and no matter who you are, you feel accepted and valued.
Livingston is part of a growing network of global mission leaders on the cutting edge of missions today. Another member of that network, Dr. William Taylor, speaks of Livingston’s “profound commitment to sacrificial cross-cultural missions” and his “pioneering spirit.” Taylor adds, “He will bring vision and will challenge the entire Camino Global community to grapple with the realities of mission in today's radically changing world, and lead will the mission into the future.”