HAGGAI INTERNATIONAL NAMES STACI THOMAS AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Leadership Transition Marks A New Chapter For The Global Christian Organization As It Builds On Over Five Decades Of
Press Release Disclaimer: This is a press release distributed through the XPR Media network. It has not been independently verified by our newsroom.
ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Haggai International has named Staci Thomas as its chief executive officer. Thomas will lead the global Christian organization as it continues its mission to equip and inspire strategically positioned leaders to more effectively demonstrate and present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and prepare others to do the same.
Having served as former Chief Operating Officer at Haggai International before stepping into the interim CEO role in early 2026, Thomas brings experience in operational leadership, organizational growth, project management, and response marketing. A licensed civil engineer with a degree from Virginia Tech, she began her career designing drainage systems, parking lots, and water and wastewater treatment plants. She later served as chief operating officer at Chosen, a nonprofit organization serving foster and adoptive families. In that role, she helped guide the organization’s growth from a grassroots initiative into a nationally recognized organization.
“The Board of Haggai International has asked me to serve as our Chief Executive Officer, and I said yes with my whole heart,” Thomas said. “When I stepped into the interim role earlier this year, I told our team that I wanted this season to be marked by one word: access. Not access as a slogan, but access as a practice. Answering the hard questions and opening doors.”
Thomas said her experience in this season has deepened her understanding of Haggai International’s global network and the leaders it serves.
“Here is what I did not expect. I thought access was something I would give. It turned out to be something I received,” Thomas said. “Leaders from Brazil, Kenya, Malaysia, Madagascar, India, and dozens of other nations brought me their questions, their counsel, and their prayers. They made me a better leader before I ever held the permanent title.”
Founded in 1969 by Dr. John Edmund Haggai, Haggai International was established in response to changing global realities that were reshaping Christian mission efforts. Dr. Haggai believed local Christian leaders were uniquely positioned to reach their own people with credibility, cultural understanding, and sustained influence. That conviction became the foundation of a ministry that has equipped more than 176,000 Haggai Leaders from more than 180 nations and territories.
Thomas succeeds Dr. Bev Upton Williams, whose two decades of leadership helped guide Haggai International through a significant season in the organization’s history. As Haggai enters this next chapter, the organization remains committed to its mission, its leader-centered model and its vision of seeing every nation redeemed and transformed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“This appointment does not feel like a beginning to me. It feels like a promise I now get to keep,” Thomas said. “I am grateful to our Board for their trust, to Dr. Bev Upton Williams for two decades of faithful leadership, and to our staff and Haggai Leaders around the world who carry our mission.”
Board Chair John Gramling, III said Thomas’ leadership during the interim period demonstrated her commitment to Haggai International’s mission and global community.
“In her first 100 days leading this ministry, Staci has strengthened our global teams, deepened our connection with Haggai Leaders around the world, and laid the groundwork for the decade ahead.”
Haggai International works primarily through leaders from the Global South, including Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Its approach is rooted in the belief that local leaders have the access, relationships, and insight needed to influence communities and institutions from within their own cultural contexts. Through its work, Haggai supports one of the world’s largest global networks of Christian change-makers.
“The work ahead is enormous. More than 176,000 Haggai Leaders have been advancing the Gospel in their communities and countries. My job is to continue to open more doors for them,” Thomas said. “I am certain of who goes before us, and I am expectant about what God is going to do.”
Thomas said her permanent appointment carries both a responsibility to steward Haggai International’s legacy and a call to prepare the ministry for its future. To learn more about Haggai International, visit haggai-international.org.
###
About Haggai International
Haggai International is a global Christian organization that equips and inspires strategically positioned leaders to more effectively demonstrate and present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to prepare others to do the same. Working primarily through leaders from the Global South, including Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, Haggai’s model is built on the conviction that local leaders have the access, credibility, and cultural understanding to influence lives, systems, and societies from within. To learn more, visit haggai-international.org.
Contact Info
Natalie Matthews
natalie@seesparkgo.com
Attachment
Media gallery
