Close

How to Know God

Do you ever wonder what Christians believe? Who Jesus is, what he did and why it matters? Get answers to these questions and more.

Spiritual Growth

Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth.

Life & Relationships

Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God.

Bible Studies

Find resources for personal or group Bible study.

Share the Gospel

Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus.

Help Others Grow

Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring.

Leadership Training

Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are.

Video

Browse videos designed to help you grow spiritually, share your faith, and lead others well.

Language Resources

View our top Cru resources in more than 20 languages.

Quizzes & Assessments

Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others.

Campus

Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others.

City

Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city.

Inner City

Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs.

Athletes

Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation.

Families

Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage.

High School

Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school.

Military

Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide.

Locate Cru Near You

Explore Cru's global presence and discover how you can get involved in communities worldwide.

Mission Trips

Volunteer abroad this year on a short term global missions trip offered by one of the best, most-reliable Christian missions organizations in the world.

1-Year Full-Time Internships

Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries.

Careers

If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals.

Go International

Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact.

Volunteer Opportunities

Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? We need you.

Events

Find a Cru event near you.

Explore Your Interests

Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve.

What We Do

How we seek to journey together with everyone towards a relationship with Jesus.

Donor Relations

Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Cru’s annual report and more.

Our Leadership

Learn about Cru's global leadership team.

Cru Partnerships

When the global church comes together then powerful things can happen.

Storylines

Showing God in action in and through His people.

Press

Access Cru's latest news releases, media contacts, and background information on our global ministries and leadership.

0

Bekele Shanko

Bekele Shanko joined full-time missionary work with Campus Crusade for Christ International in Ethiopia in 1993. Since then, he has held diverse leadership roles for the organization, including National Director for Ethiopia for five years, Area Director for Southern and Eastern Africa for 11 years, and Global Vice President since 2010.

Bekele also serves as President of the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (GACX), a global network of church-planting organizations, which he helped to launch in 2011; President of the Global Academy for Transformational Leadership (GATL), which he founded in 2008; and leader of the task force “Body of Christ in Every Place,” as part of the Finishing the Task movement.

Bekele was involved in designing and leading major national and international evangelistic projects, such as Operation Philip in Ethiopia, Operation Sunrise Africa in Southern and Eastern Africa, and Global Church Movements, which seeks to plant a church for every 1,000 people worldwide through training and church multiplication.

Before joining Campus Crusade for Christ, Bekele worked for the Ethiopian government as a head of information management for the National HIV/AIDS Control Program for five years. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Statistics and Mathematics from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University, a doctorate in Global Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University, and certificates in Executive Leadership and Executive Negotiation from Harvard Business School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively.

Bekele and his wife Shewa have four children — Nathan, Elim, Philip, and Nesiel and over the course of their ministry, the Shankos have lived in Ethiopia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the United States.

Bekele’s mission statement is, “To serve the purpose of God in my generation by empowering the body of Christ for world evangelization that results in holistic transformation of humanity.”

Since 1951, Cru has helped individuals who grapple with integrating faith into daily life by offering practical steps and community support. As a result, countless people in over 190 countries have been empowered to move from passive belief to active faith.