ICOM Announces Leadership Transition

By Rick Cherok

In a recent press release, the board of directors for the International Conference on Missions (ICOM) announced both the upcoming retirement of current ICOM executive director, David Empson, in January 2027 and an executive transition process that will culminate with Empson serving as president of the 2026 ICOM gathering in St. Louis. The board seeks to have a new executive director in place by summer 2026.

Initially founded as the National Missionary Convention in 1948, the annual ICOM conference serves as an in-person connection for missionaries and organizations to interact with churches and individuals interested in mission work. For over 25 years, Empson has served ICOM, first as director of students, and for the past 17 years as its executive director. Under Empson’s leadership, ICOM has become one of the largest missions gatherings in the United States.

With the announcement of his retirement, Empson wrote, “I am deeply grateful. These years have been filled with purpose, friendship, and family.” He went on to thank those who have supported ICOM during his leadership and explained that “much has changed in ministry since I first stepped into this role. And yet our mission remains. ICOM is still here to encourage, equip, and enlist.”

Dean Trune, Chairman of ICOM’s board, expressed gratitude for Empson’s leadership by saying, “On behalf of the board, I want to thank David for his faithful service with ICOM. The ministry has grown tremendously as God used and blessed David’s leadership in many ways. The stage is set for a smooth transition to a new executive director. May God continue to use ICOM in powerful ways.”

The board has appointed a Search Committee to oversee the selection of the ministry’s next executive director. Moreover, the board has secured the services of Mission:Leadership, a faith-based recruiting firm, to assist in the executive director search. While the official search has yet to commence, it will eventually be posted at www.missionleadership.org/active-searches.

As a 501c3 non-profit, ICOM seeks to steward ministry funds wisely, diverting nearly every dollar toward the administration of the annual conference. In order to ensure sufficient funding for this leadership transition, the board is unveiling The Next Chapter Campaign, a special fundraising initiative to cover these one-time expenses. More about this effort will be unveiled in the coming weeks, as well as at the upcoming conference in Atlanta. For more information about this year’s conference, go to www.theicom.org.

Rick Cherok serves as Managing Editor of Christian Standard, Executive Director of Celtic Christian Mission, and Director of Men’s Services at Kentucky Christian University.