Mendenhall Ministries leader to speak

Derek Lane, president of Mendenhall Ministries in Mississippi, will speak in Northwestern College’s chapel service at 10:05 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 13. The public is invited to attend.

Lane will also address various Northwestern classes on Oct. 12 as part of a six-day trip that includes speaking engagements at other northwest Iowa ministries.

Lane became the fifth president of Mendenhall Ministries in April after leading churches and other faith-based organizations for over 20 years. He has written millions of dollars in grants for community and faith-based organizations. 

A graduate of Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala., with majors in religion and psychology, Lane went on to study at PRO-MS (Providing Rural Opportunities in Mississippi), a graduate-level leadership and management studies program. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in public policy and administration at Jackson State University. 

Mendenhall Ministries was founded by Dr. John Perkins in 1962. It seeks to address the spiritual, social, intellectual, economic and physical needs of rural poor families and to facilitate racial reconciliation. Northwestern students have participated in Spring Service Projects with the organization for many years, tutoring in Genesis One Christian School, teaching volunteers how to construct solar panels, and working on the ministry’s farm.