September 29, 2025 — The World Renew Canada board announced on Monday, September 29, that it has selected a new executive director. “We are delighted to welcome Peter Timmerman as the new executive director of World Renew in Canada, and as codirector of World Renew globally,” shared Jeff Adams, president of the board for World Renew Canada. “Peter brings an impressive range of leadership experience and program-focused expertise, including knowing first-hand the joys and challenges of serving in the field internationally, that we believe will benefit World Renew for many years to come.”
Timmerman’s professional journey began in his youth through World Renew (then known as CRWRC) presentations at his church that sparked a lifelong passion for global engagement and purposeful work. With more than 30 years of experience in international development and organizational leadership, Timmerman has served in various roles across Africa and Canada. His tenure includes 15 years in Eastern and Southern Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malawi) where he led community development programs focused on faith-based partnerships and sustainable change.
Timmerman’s leadership style is marked by empathy, collaboration, and innovation. From village-based internships to regional team leadership, he has consistently empowered communities and mentored emerging leaders. While with World Vision Canada, he led the support of their programs in 22 countries as the Africa Regional Director. At Canadian Feed the Children, he served as vice president of programs, overseeing operations in five countries and expanding Indigenous programming in Canada. In both organizations, he successfully managed major Global Affairs Canada grants, including a World Vision Governance-Ecosystems-Livelihoods project that applied complexity theory to community-based development initiatives. Most recently, at CODE, Timmerman led efforts to help the organization learn and improve by evaluating its work and planning better strategies. They used a method called outcome mapping to track progress and guide future programs.
Timmerman’s return to World Renew is a calling rooted in faith. “I am a lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church and active pastoral elder at New Life CRC in Guelph, Ontario,” he says. “My goal is to offer leadership grounded in biblical truth, compassion, and a commitment to justice and mercy.” He emphasizes intentional Christian workplace culture through shared devotions and spiritual growth.
Timmerman approaches his new role with humility and curiosity, committed to understanding the organizational landscape and building strong relationships within the co-directorate model. “In my experience managing large teams, I have valued diversity, clarity of purpose, and relational leadership. My strategic planning method emphasizes broad, genuine participation and continuous learning,” he says.
Drawing from fundraising experience that spans institutional, church-based, and individual giving, Timmerman has hosted donors across Africa, helping them connect with the impact of their contributions. Comfortable in diverse church settings, he is committed to engaging both Christian Reformed and other church communities as a part of World Renew’s mission. “I see this organization as being at a critical moment,” says Timmerman. “We have an opportunity to remain grounded in our home denomination but poised to grow into new relationships and spheres while remaining rooted in our reformed identity.”
As Christians seek to respond to global challenges with compassion and courage, Timmerman’s leadership will help shape a future where World Renew joins communities in bringing together assets and support to respond to crises, improve health, build resilience, and restore hope. Timmerman will begin this role on October 27, 2025, succeeding Chief Marketing and Philanthropy Officer Mike White, who has been serving as interim director since January of this year.
World Renew is a faith-based non-profit that works each year in more than 30 countries to address poverty, hunger, and injustice through development and disaster response programs in communities of poverty. These programs are carried out through local Christian partner organizations and churches and are supported by World Renew’s generous constituents in North America and its alliances with well-established networks of government and non-government organizations worldwide.
“I praise God for an opportunity to serve the global church in this way,” says Timmerman. “Alongside US Executive Director Carol Bremer-Bennett, I will work to uphold the values of World Renew: faith, effectiveness, stewardship, and people flourishing.”
###
September 29, 2025 — The World Renew Canada board announced on Monday, September 29, that it has selected a new executive director. “We are delighted to welcome Peter Timmerman as the new executive director of World Renew in Canada, and as codirector of World Renew globally,” shared Jeff Adams, president of the board for World Renew Canada. “Peter brings an impressive range of leadership experience and program-focused expertise, including knowing first-hand the joys and challenges of serving in the field internationally, that we believe will benefit World Renew for many years to come.”
Timmerman’s professional journey began in his youth through World Renew (then known as CRWRC) presentations at his church that sparked a lifelong passion for global engagement and purposeful work. With more than 30 years of experience in international development and organizational leadership, Timmerman has served in various roles across Africa and Canada. His tenure includes 15 years in Eastern and Southern Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Malawi), where he led community development programs focused on faith-based partnerships and sustainable change.
Timmerman’s leadership style is marked by empathy, collaboration, and innovation. From village-based internships to regional team leadership, he has consistently empowered communities and mentored emerging leaders. While with World Vision Canada, he led the support of their programs in 22 countries as the Africa Regional Director. At Canadian Feed the Children, he served as vice president of programs, overseeing operations in five countries and expanding Indigenous programming in Canada. In both organizations, he successfully managed major Global Affairs Canada grants, including a World Vision Governance-Ecosystems-Livelihoods project that applied complexity theory to community-based development initiatives. Most recently, at CODE, Timmerman led efforts to help the organization learn and improve by evaluating its work and planning better strategies. They used a method called outcome mapping to track progress and guide future programs.
Timmerman’s return to World Renew is a calling rooted in faith. “I am a lifelong member of the Christian Reformed Church and active pastoral elder at New Life CRC in Guelph, Ontario,” he says. “My goal is to offer leadership grounded in biblical truth, compassion, and a commitment to justice and mercy.” He emphasizes intentional Christian workplace culture through shared devotions and spiritual growth.
Timmerman approaches his new role with humility and curiosity, committed to understanding the organizational landscape and building strong relationships within the co-directorate model. “In my experience managing large teams, I have valued diversity, clarity of purpose, and relational leadership. My strategic planning method emphasizes broad, genuine participation and continuous learning,” he says.
Drawing from fundraising experience that spans institutional, church-based, and individual giving, Timmerman has hosted donors across Africa, helping them connect with the impact of their contributions. Comfortable in diverse church settings, he is committed to engaging both Christian Reformed and other church communities as a part of World Renew’s mission. “I see this organization as being at a critical moment,” says Timmerman. “We have an opportunity to remain grounded in our home denomination but poised to grow into new relationships and spheres while remaining rooted in our reformed identity.”
As Christians seek to respond to global challenges with compassion and courage, Timmerman’s leadership will help shape a future where World Renew joins communities in bringing together assets and support to respond to crises, improve health, build resilience, and restore hope. Timmerman will begin this role on October 27, 2025, succeeding Chief Marketing and Philanthropy Officer Mike White, who has been serving as interim director since January of this year.
World Renew is a faith-based non-profit that works each year in more than 30 countries to address poverty, hunger, and injustice through development and disaster response programs in communities of poverty. These programs are carried out through local Christian partner organizations and churches and are supported by World Renew’s generous constituents in North America and its alliances with well-established networks of government and non-government organizations worldwide.
“I praise God for an opportunity to serve the global church in this way,” says Timmerman. “Alongside US Executive Director Carol Bremer-Bennett, I will work to uphold the values of World Renew: faith, effectiveness, stewardship, and people flourishing.”
###
World Renew Canada
Contact: Naomi Bula
Communications Director
[email protected]
World Renew Canada
Contact: Naomi Bula
Communications Director
[email protected]
