Stewardship have announced that chief executive David Jones will be handing over the leadership to Mike O’Neill, the present director of philanthropy, in July.

Jones, who has served the organisation as chief executive for the past 10 years, is being released to pursue a broader calling as a strategic connector of people and organisations to resource the Kingdom of God. His connection with Stewardship will continue in an ambassadorial role.

He said: “It has been a privilege to serve this great organisation. We have seen incredible favour from God on our endeavours. I am thrilled to be passing over to such a capable, values based leader as Mike, and proud that Stewardship can and will do an excellent leadership transition.”

Mike O’Neill joined Stewardship in January 2009 as the Director of Philanthropy. He was previously the Executive Director of Hope for New York for seven years, a charity that provides grants, volunteers and consulting services to support organisations serving NYC’s poor and marginalised communities.

David Vardy, Chair of the Stewardship trustees commented, “It is a great commendation to David that he had already identified a possible successor in Mike O’Neill and brought him into Stewardship 15 months ago.

"Through David’s vision and enthusiasm, Stewardship has become one of the largest Christian charities in the UK and it is a credit to him that Stewardship is responsible for almost £50m per annum in giving.”

More than 34,000 Christians have giving accounts with Stewardship and 17,000 recipients are registered to receive funds.
In additional to annual giving of almost £50m per annum, Stewardship currently manages a further £60m.

Jones joined Stewardship in 1991, after working as a lawyer in general practice. In 2000, he became Chief Executive, and has helped to steer it through a series of mergers to become, in income terms, one of the largest Christian charities in the UK.