Ministry Without Borders

From the decks of Mercy Ships to the halls of Portland Seminary, Joff Williams lives out his conviction that serving others with the love of Christ is a global calling By Sean Patterson

For Joff Williams (D27), ministry has never been confined to a church building – nor restricted to those considered “ministers.” As senior director for spiritual formation with Mercy Ships – an international Christian charity that operates the largest non-governmental hospital ships in the world – he lives out a calling centered on serving the global church.

That call came into sharp focus years ago at a friend’s wedding in northern Idaho. There, Williams and his wife Kari, a nurse, spent hours talking with Dr. Gary Parker, emeritus chief medical officer for Mercy Ships. Hearing about the organization’s work abroad stirred something within them.

“We realized we didn’t need to wait until later in life to do this work,” Williams says. “We could give the best, most energetic parts of our lives to this mission now and take our family with us.”

That conversation changed the trajectory of their lives. Soon after, he and Kari joined Mercy Ships, where her nursing background and his leadership experience aligned with the organization’s mission. After six years at the ministry’s Texas headquarters, Williams stepped into a major leadership role as managing director of the Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, serving communities in Senegal, The Gambia and Sierra Leone.

Today, the Williams family is back in the states, where he now serves in his senior director role with the organization while earning his doctorate. Even as his responsibilities expand, Williams’ motivation remains rooted in calling rather than title.

“I have always wanted to be in ministry, but not necessarily what might first come to mind when people think of that,” he says. “I’ve been called to understand and help others understand how to work Jesus’ way. It’s important that we consider our whole selves, as followers of Jesus, to be engaged in ministry to the world, whether others call it that or not.”

That philosophy shapes the way he approaches leadership. Rather than see ministry and organizational work as separate, Williams believes leadership itself can be pastoral – guiding teams, nurturing faith and helping people flourish in challenging global contexts.

That sense of purpose has been deepened through his studies in Portland Seminary’s Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives program. Rather than pursue another credential for its own sake, Williams sought a learning community that would strengthen his ability to lead faithfully in cross-cultural ministry settings.

“When I discovered what Portland Seminary was offering, my heart just leaped,” he says. “These are my people.”

The program has connected him with leaders from diverse traditions and professions who share a common commitment to God’s mission in the world. For Williams, who will complete the program next year, that environment is helping sharpen both his leadership practice and his vision for the future.

His hope is to continue investing his life in the global church, helping leaders and communities thrive across cultures and contexts. Raised as the son of missionaries in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, Williams has long carried a love for the worldwide body of Christ, and that passion continues to drive his work.

“I love the global church. It’s my passion,” he says. “When I think about my calling, I get this image from Scripture where people from the north, south, east and west – every tribe and tongue – are together at the table, on earth as it is in heaven.”

That vision of a united global church remains the heart of his ministry: helping people follow Jesus together, wherever in the world they are called to serve.