Q/A with Founding Chairman Don Kanak

Question: Don, before we explore how the vision for the PreachFor America fellowships came about, first tell us a bit about yourself and your faith journey. 

DK: I was born at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington, but from age 10 grew up in Elkin, North Carolina, a community of about 3,000. Like my grandfather and father, I was raised in the Presbyterian Church. Yet, it wasn’t until my early thirties that my faith truly came alive. This transformation happened after my work took me to Asia.

God used that move to Tokyo to bless my marriage to my wife Kumi, my career, and my faith journey. During my 17 years in Tokyo, I worshipped at Tokyo Union Church, and then from 2005-2022 at Hong Kong Union Church. Both churches were founded in the 1800s by English-speaking Christians who came to Asia from many countries and faith traditions, but united in worship, discipleship, and living out the essential truths of Christian faith.

During those 35 years in Union Churches in Japan and Hong Kong, I had the opportunity to serve in various roles: Sunday School teacher, homeless food project volunteer, elder, and clerk of deacons.  I discovered the power of prayer and the vital role of pastoral and lay leadership in church health. I witnessed the Holy Spirit's work in my life and the lives of people from every continent. Only God’s love could have united such a diverse group. This deepened my faith, influencing my family life, and leadership, in my career, leading a foundation and other non-profit initiatives in Asia.

My journey has shown me that if we unite in God’s love, serve with humility, and lead with grace, through Him, all things are possible.

Question: “Thats an interesting journey. While you were on that journey,  when and how did the vision for the PreachFor America fellowships arise?”

DK: The idea of PreachFor America as an initiative to bring young leaders into ministry was born about five years ago. My job and volunteer leadership roles required a lot of travel, which, though grueling, was also a blessing. I had the opportunity to worship in churches across Asia, sometimes in countries where Christians are minorities, and also in the US. Some US churches I visited were flourishing with vibrant ministries and all age groups, but many congregations were mainly older adults like me. Based on my own experiences, I began to believe that one key difference between the flourishing churches versus those that were in decline was leadership. But as I was seeing articles about declining church attendance and interest in ministry at US colleges, I felt called to explore how the Church could build its pipeline of future leaders.

Over the years, I had met young leaders who, after graduation, had served in AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or Teach For America, and who had established a new NGO, Lead for America. . These programs have successfully attracted talented graduates to high-impact roles they might not have otherwise considered. I believe that God has a way of speaking to us through others, and in prayer. About five years ago, on one of those traveling Sundays, I was worshipping at a predominantly older church. During the silent prayer on that Sunday, a thought popped into my head that I couldn’t shake: 

“It doesn’t have to be this way. There should be a ‘Preach for America’ to bring more young leaders into ministry to revitalize the church.”

After the service, I Googled “Preach for America” and found nothing. I registered the IP addresses and began sharing the idea with Christian friends, pastors, and others. Everyone encouraged me to develop it further.

Question: How has the journey unfolded after sharing the original concept for PreachFor America?  

DK:  Since retiring and moving back from Asia to the US in 2022, I have dedicated myself to this vision and recruited others to join. Alongside my former pastor from Hong Kong Union Church, Rev. Dr. Gregory Anderson, now graduate school Chaplain at Wheaton College, I have spoken with many pastors and lay leaders, leaders of seminaries and universities, Christian scholars, students, campus ministries, and church residency directors and consultants. Through these conversations, we've received huge encouragement and learned a lot. We conceived a vision for a foundation dedicated to building great future leaders for Churches, and a unique initiative, the Preach for America Fellowships, to give young leaders a unique opportunity after graduation to serve in a church, grow in their faith, develop as effective leaders.

We established the PreachFor Foundation in October 2023, and in May 2024, the foundation was recognized by the IRS as a faith-based tax-exempt charity. We are now on a journey of recruitment and relationship building to bring this vision to reality.

Question: What would you say to churches and others whom you want to support this new initiative?

DK: As Christians in America, we face the crucial task of revitalizing our churches and communities. By inspiring young leaders to pursue ministry, we can ensure the sustainability and growth of our faith. Supporting and nurturing these future leaders, and trusting God's guidance, we can build a vibrant, enduring church for generations to come, strengthening our communities and fabric of our society. Please join us, pray for us, and partner with us!