Oak Brook, Illinois, May 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a special public appearance, Christian speaker and disability rights advocate Joni Eareckson Tada will take the stage at the 30th annual Global Leadership Summit in South Barrington, Illinois, in August as she is honored for her legacy of leadership.
2024 is the 45th year of Joni and Friends, the international disability ministry with an office in Oak Brook, Illinois that Joni founded after a diving accident left her paralyzed. Joni, who has lived with quadriplegia for 57 years this summer, continues to serve as CEO.
The Global Leadership Summit, an annual gathering that brings together experts in ministry and marketplace, is the world’s largest annual leadership event. The two-day simulcast event Aug. 8-9 will reach 300,000 registrants in 123 countries.
Joni, whose testimony of God’s power in the midst of her paralysis has inspired millions, will challenge guests to grow in their own leadership journeys. The Baltimore, Maryland native is known for her namesake book and movie, which were released in the 1970s and detail the primary role of faith in her recovery.
The summit is the flagship event of the Global Leadership Network, which aims to nurture leadership that can change the world by empowering and inspiring others to live out their purpose.
Joni and Friends provides practical help and Gospel hope to individuals and families living with disability. The ministry’s Wheels for the World™ program has distributed nearly 230,000 new and restored wheelchairs around the globe, each accompanied by a Bible.
Joni and Friends also gives families in the Midwest living with disability—even profound disability—a chance to enjoy respite and take a family vacation on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan. Joni and Friends Illinois serves the states of Illinois, Western Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. This summer, we will serve families navigating disability at four Family Retreats in Michigan in June and August.
Our Family Retreats offer a supportive and accessible camp-like experience where families can enjoy recreation like swimming, boating and horseback riding in a safe, faith-based environment. Our volunteer buddies make it possible for caregivers to focus on quality time and Christian encouragement. More than 80,000 families around the globe have been served by our Family Retreats.
At the Global Leadership Summit 2024, Joni will share the wisdom and insights she has gained while building an international organization as an act of faith.
Joni’s impact reaches beyond ministry. She served on the National Disability Council and helped to develop and pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, in addition to serving on other federal and national disability boards.
Other speakers at Global Leadership Summit 2024 will include Pastor Craig Groeschel, founder of Life.Church, which has 12 locations across the U.S., and leadership researcher Marcus Buckingham, who leads the ADP Research Institute’s global studies into people and performance at work.
The summit’s 2024 theme is “Equipping you to design your tomorrow.”
For more information, visit https://globalleadership.org/summit/.
About Joni and Friends
For 45 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability across the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World, Family Retreats, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts. To find out more, please visit www.joniandfriends.org.
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