It’s a story filled with leaps of ambition, faith and love of a boy who rose from a lower-middle-class childhood into the Ivy Leagues
a young man who leapt from agnosticism to faith and on to lead major corporations. About 10 years ago, Stearns jumped again. Taking a huge pay cut and moving his family across the country, he landed in Federal Way to lead the U.S. branch of World Vision, the largest Christian relief and development organization in the world. Richard Stearns, president of World Vision U.S., has journeyed from agnosticism and the corporate boardroom to a faith-filled life heading the huge Christian humanitarian organization from his office in Federal Way. Behind him is a display of crosses World Vision employees have gathered in their many journeys pursuing the organization’s efforts around the world. At World Vision U.S. headquarters in Federal Way, President Richard Stearns opens a volunteer leadership summit workshop with prayer. With his background running both Parker Brothers Games and Lenox, Stearns runs the relief and development organization with corporate savvy, but faith underlies all they do. Reneé Legg Stearns had always been interested in working on social-justice issues, and for a brief time worked as a lawyer for poor clients in the Boston area. These days, she sits on the boards of International Justice Mission, which works on behalf of victims of slavery and sexual exploitation, and Women’s Enterprises International, which partners with women in developing countries on community projects.