Moody Bible Institute Welcomes Two New Trustees
Karen Melby Suwyn and Will Rogers were recently elected to serve as trustees of Moody Bible Institute.
An alum (’83) of Moody Bible Institute, Mrs. Suwyn is a proud mother of five adult children and grandmother to nine, as well as a beloved Bible teacher and women’s ministry leader. She previously served on the board of Michigan Theological Seminary in Plymouth, Mich. (now Moody Theology Seminary).
Joining her as Moody’s newest Trustee is Will Rogers, missions director for Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Rogers has also served in leadership positions at Focus on the Family and as the Chief Operating Officer for Christian Financial Resources.
“We are honored that Karen and Will would accept a call to serve in this capacity, given their hearts for the Lord and extensive leadership backgrounds and skillset,” said Rick Warren who serves as chair of Moody’s Board of Trustees. “Karen is a woman of God who was trained at Moody and brings with her a strong ministry mindset and commitment to strong leadership.” He added, “Will is a strategic thinker who has vast experience in organizational strategy and vision. We look forward to all that they will bring to the board and are praying the Lord will continues to bless our 137-year-old mission to prepare people for their purpose and calling.”
Suwyn has been a sought-after speaker on the topic of equipping women in the area of financial preparedness and estate planning, given the journey with her husband of 30 years, Scott Melby, who went to be with the Lord in 2016 after courageously battling a form of leukemia. While serving on the board at the National Christian Charitable Foundation who helps facilitate charitable giving to churches and other nonprofit organizations around the world, she led conferences for women called “Prepared to Carry On.”
She has also been a guest on Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, a longtime ministry partner of Moody Publishers and Moody Radio. Karen and her husband, Duke Suwyn, were recently married, and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she is active in her home church and leads a community Bible study.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve as a trustee,” said Suwyn. “It is because of the sound biblical training that I received here 40 years ago that I have had the confidence to open the Word of God in my teaching and speaking.” She added, “I am also deeply honored to serve where my father, Paul Johnson, served as a trustee for 35 years. He always said, ‘There’s no place on earth like Moody Bible Institute!’ He was right, and I look forward to serving alongside so many others who are dedicated to the great legacy and mission of Moody.” After Johnson’s tenure as Trustee, he stayed on as a Trustee Emeritus until he went to be with the Lord in November 2021, at the age of 93.
In addition to his leadership roles with Focus on the Family in the area of student development and innovation, Rogers has provided strategic development consulting to dozens of organizations in nearly 50 countries. He also cofounded two software companies, one of which is aimed at mobilizing people to missions.
Rogers studied economics and Bible at Milligan College (now Milligan University) in Tennessee, where he was the student body President. He also studied at the Focus on the Family Leadership Institute while in college. He and his wife, Christine, live in Louisville, Kentucky, with their three young children.
“Moody Bible Institute has been a beacon of light and hope around the world for decades,” said Rogers.“It is an honor to be part of this great legacy of education, training, mission and kingdom work. I am honored to be part of this team and the vision of what God is doing at Moody and around the world.” He added, “What a joy to see such investment in the next generation. I’m thankful and humbled to be part of this team, this vision, and this venture.”
For more information about Moody Bible Institute’s Board of Trustees, please visit the Trustees’ web page.