Speaker Profile: Kent Annan
Kent Annan is Director of Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership at Wheaton College, where he leads the M.A. in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership program as part of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute. He’s on the board of directors of Equitas Group, a philanthropic foundation focused on ending child exploitation in Haiti and Southeast Asia. He cofounded Haiti Partners. And he’s a senior consultant for Development Associates International, which trains Christian leaders around the world.
Kent Annan is author of You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us (InterVarsity Press, November 2018), Slow Kingdom Coming (InterVarsity Press, 2016), After Shock (InterVarsity Press, 2011), and Following Jesus through the Eye of the Needle (InterVarsity Press, 2009).
He’s a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Palm Beach Atlantic University (B.A.). He teaches adult education at his local church. He speaks regularly to groups around the country. He is married to Shelly, and they live in Glen Ellyn, IL with their daughter and son.
A Few More Details
After graduating from university Kent worked for two years in Western Europe with refugees from the former Yugoslavia, Iran, Sierra Leone, and other countries. During his graduate studies at Princeton Seminary he spent three months studying in India. A few days after graduation, he moved to Albania and then Kosovo to work for six months with refugees there. Later he moved back to Princeton to work. In 2003 he and his wife moved to Haiti for two and a half years. He has continued to work for Haiti since and travels there regularly.
In addition to his books, Kent’s writing has appeared in publications including Christianity Today, Sojourners, Utne Reader, Subtropics, Geez, Adbusters, The Sun, Natural Bridge, Puerto Del Sol, and Orion. He wrote a chapter for the book Global Perspectives on the Bible. He has been featured on national TV and radio shows.
Topics Include
- Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us — on his new book You Welcomed Me
- Searching for Honest Faith in the Face of Suffering — on Faith and Doubt related to his book After Shock
- On Vocation of Humanitarian and Disaster Work
- What is the Good Life? — on the call to a life of empathy and compassion, related to his book Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle
- Practices for Doing Justice, Loving Kindness, and Walking Humbly in the World — on how to do justice work as a church or nonprofit well, related to his book Slow Kingdom Coming
Audiences Include
extensive speaking engagements with conference keynotes, university chapels, NGO chapels, preaching, denominational gatherings, workshops for nonprofit leaders, academic classes, radio, and TV. He has spoken to groups like the Apprentice Conference, Jubilee Conference, CCDA, World Vision, Belmont University, Messiah College, Bayview Glen Church, First Presbyterian Church, CCRDA, Accord Network, and many others.