The Outcomes Conference 2019: Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado

ROOTED: Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado

Today at the Christian Leadership Alliance Outcomes Conference 2019, the evening general session begins with a word from Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado.

At the Outcomes Conference, over a thousand Christian nonprofit leaders are assembling for three days to experience in depth professional training, community building, timely encouragement and how to lead more like Jesus. There’s great rigor to the training but, also intentional time set aside, each day, for all leaders to gather and unite through community worship, prayer and shared message.

This week, on the CLA Higher Thinking Blog, we will introduce you to our main general session presenters and the ministries they serve.

Christian Leadership Alliance is deeply grateful for all the wise and faithful members serving as faculty this year. Their commitment to investing in other leaders is a testimony to their passion for advancing the Kingdom of God.

Tuesday, April 16 – Evening General Session

About Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado

Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado is President and Chief Executive Officer of Compassion International.  He has a deep love and passion for the beauty and potential of local churches fulfilling their Jesus-given mandate to redeem and restore this world for His name’s sake. Born in El Salvador and raised in seven different countries, Jimmy has experienced firsthand the powerful impact thriving local churches can have on their communities, especially in under-resourced environments. Compassion’s church-based approach to delivering a holistic child development program resonates with Jimmy at a deep level.

Jimmy’s educational background includes graduating cum laude with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

He is also an accomplished athlete. In college, Jimmy was a member of the 1983 NCAA Division I Indoor & Outdoor National Championship team at SMU where he competed in the decathlon and held the school record. After college, Jimmy went on to place 4th at the 1987 Pan American Games and 26th in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, competing for the country of his birth, El Salvador. He has continued to stay engaged with the sport he loves by serving as a volunteer track and field coach.

Jimmy is married to Leanne and they have two daughters and a son.

About Compassion International

Compassion International is a child-advocacy ministry pairing compassionate people with children living in extreme poverty to release the children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty.

Humble Beginnings

More than 65 years ago, Rev. Everett Swanson flew to South Korea to minister to American troops fighting in the Korean War. During his time there, he grew increasingly troubled by the sight of hundreds of war orphans living on the streets, abandoned by society.

One morning he saw city workers scoop up what looked like piles of rags and toss them into the back of a truck. He walked up to the truck for a closer look — and was horrified to see that the “piles” were not rags, but the frozen bodies of orphans who had died overnight in the streets.

Appalled, Rev. Swanson began including this experience into his revival meetings, and Christians responded by donating funds to purchase rice and fuel for the orphans. Within 10 years, 108 orphanages and homes in South Korea were receiving support.

A Long Term Approach

Through holistic child development model, Compassion blends physical, social, economic and spiritual care together to help children in poverty fully mature in every facet of life and transcend what is often a generational legacy of poverty. They deliver whole-life care, by way of our front-line church partners, that is personal, individualized, relational, and tailored to the child’s age, gender, health, culture and family situation.

The Heart Beat of Compassion International

Here is what Compassion International says about who they are:

• Compassion. A movement. A calling. A cause. A people.
• Compassion is global, reflecting the beautiful diversity of God’s kingdom.
• We are collaborative, depending on teamwork and partnership.
• We are inclusive and accepting of others.
• We are honest. We say what we mean, and we do what we say.
• We are respectful, protecting the divine character in everyone.
• We strive to always be grace filled, kind, forgiving and merciful.
• We are loving. God’s love fuels us, and we unabashedly love one another.
• We are passionate, against injustice and for our cause.
• Compassion is authentic, facing hard realities with an adventuresome spirit.
• We are totally focused on our  mission. Single-minded in our pursuit.
• Our ministry is contextual, customized and culturally relevant. It is effective, proven and outcome driven.
• Our creative spirit drives innovative solutions to the challenges and opportunities before us.
• Compassion is professional. We do our work with excellence but without pretension.
• Our faith in God and in His promises empowers us to be confident. In the face of evil raging around us, we remain hopeful and lift one another’s spirits as we go about our mission of releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.

Learn more about Compassion International

Visit www.Compassion.com

By the way, if you are not with us in Dallas, we encourage you to follow along on social media platforms to find out what’s happening. Everyone will be using the hashtag #Outcomes19. Watch the social stream so you can capture the highlights of what leaders are saying and sharing. Come and get rooted with us.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

(Colossians 2:6-7)