TWR Announces Major Leadership Transition

TWR Interim President Cassius Smith

Greetings from TWR. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support of our global outreach.

Today we want to share with you some important decisions that have been made and actions taken regarding a major leadership transition in TWR’s ministry.  

Below is an announcement sent out to TWR staff and national partners yesterday on behalf of TWR Board of Directors Chairman Jeff Jones.

After extensive, warm and gracious consultations between our beloved leader Lauren Libby and the International Board of Directors, I am announcing that Lauren will assume the title of TWR strategic adviser effective immediately. 

As you may know, Lauren remains in a local rehabilitation facility following the major stroke he suffered at the end of August. He and June need time and space to enable him to heal and recover his physical well-being. As such, the board does not wish to burden them with the weighty concerns of a global organization that must rapidly move forward to take advantage of ministry opportunities and fulfill our calling.  

Also effective immediately, our acting president, Cassius Smith, is assuming the role of interim president. Cassius’ stable leadership through this transition has been and will continue to be deeply valued. At the same time, the board is beginning the search process for a permanent president. 

Lauren was named TWR’s fourth president in October 2008, coming to the organization from a senior executive position with the international discipleship ministry The Navigators. His leadership has had a profound impact on TWR and its staff.

Key developments during his tenure have included the following:

• A significant increase in the supporter base and donation income level, putting the ministry on a firm financial foundation and providing resources to grow its outreach. The number of donors grew from 13,700 when Lauren became president to nearly 24,000 today.
• An enlarged staff and team of missionaries to respond to God’s calling on the ministry. This growth is partially discernible in the creation of new ministries under the TWR umbrella, TWR MOTION and Every Man A Warrior. MOTION makes animated Bible videos for use in cross-cultural church planting, and EMAW is an international discipleship ministry aimed at men.
• An expanded reach across the planet, proclaiming the gospel in more than 200 languages to a potential audience of over 4 billion people. In fact, the reach encompasses virtually every country when factoring in the twr360.org Christian media content portal, which was developed and launched during Lauren’s tenure. TWR’s internal survey of global user metrics recorded a total of over 124 million engagements with audience members in 2023.
• Upgraded broadcast facilities. Among the major upgrades have been: the installation of a 100,000-watt AM transmitter in Eswatini; the installation of much more stronger shortwave transmitters at TWR Guam; the launch of a new radio outreach to Pakistan, Afghanistan and North India (called PANI); and the boost of TWR Bonaire’s broadcast power to 450,000 watts, making it the most powerful AM station in the Western Hemisphere. Lauren was adamant that TWR should remain a “big voice for Jesus” around the world.
• The publication Making Waves: TWR’s Journey to Reach the World for Christ Through Media, a highly readable book released just this year. It focuses primarily on the vibrant developments in the ministry during recent years, mostly while Lauren has served as president. Many of Lauren’s comments, stories and insights are woven into the text. 

Looking forward, we will rely on God’s guidance and provision as the ministry always has. We will continue to pray for and stand with Lauren and June in the days ahead as we continue reaching the world for Christ.