Moody Bible Institute President Steps Down After 7 Years
Seven years after assuming the presidency of the Moody Bible Institute in a time of crisis, Mark Jobe has announced he’ll step down at the end of the institution’s fiscal and academic year.
In a message shared with Moody students, faculty and staff, and later with alumni, Jobe said he and his wife Dee believe now is the right time to “hand the baton” to a successor.
The announcement follows years of strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening the Chicago-based evangelical institution’s academic, ministry and global outreach efforts.
In addition to his role at Moody, Jobe also serves as the senior and founding pastor of New Life Community Church — a megachurch with more than 20 locations in the Chicago area. He has a master’s degree from Moody Theological Seminary and a Doctorate degree from Bakke Graduate University in Dallas.
“Serving as President of Moody has been an extraordinary experience,” Jobe wrote in today’s announcement. He highlighted accomplishments during his tenure, including enrollment growth, expanded global training partnerships, strengthened financial reserves and increased reach of Moody’s media ministries.
He added, “We are very encouraged by where Moody stands today and genuinely excited about the open doors of opportunity that are ahead.”
Jobe took the helm at Moody in 2019 following a year of controversy that culminated in the same-day departures of three key officers: president J. Paul Nyquist and COO Steve Mogck each resigned on January 10, 2018. MBI provost Junias Venugopal announced his retirement that same day.
The changes came 24 hours after The Roys Report (TRR) founder Julie Roys — then a Moody Radio host — blew the whistle on alleged self-dealing, intimidation, and mission drift at the evangelical institution. MBI was founded in 1886 by Dwight L. Moody and operates an undergraduate school, seminary, publishing house and radio ministry.
On taking up the position, Jobe told Religion News Service he wanted “to equip and empower students to be able to reach this next generation.”
Moody’s enrollment, Jobe said, is now at about 4,800 students — the highest in the institution’s history — with robust growth in online and aviation programs, and more than 2,500 international pastors and leaders being trained across Africa and Asia. Moody’s media reach has also expanded substantially, with its flagship devotional Today in the Word subscriber base increasing from 150,000 in 2019 to over one million, and global listenership growing more than tenfold.
When Jobe took over, the institute had suffered millions in losses over the previous decade. Jobe oversaw the sale of Moody’s Solheim Center and eight acres of property, shrinking the school’s blueprint by almost half but moving the institute back into the black financially.
Under Jobe’s leadership, Moody’s alumni presence and engagement have remained priorities. In his message, he expressed gratitude for the partnerships and friendships formed through years of service and encouraged the community to support the Board of Trustees and the presidential search committee as they begin the transition process.
“God has assembled an exceptional team of gifted, faithful leaders whose heart and shared passion for Gospel-centered mission is very encouraging,” Jobe wrote. He reaffirmed his intention to support a smooth transition and remain in the role through the 2025-26 academic year and beyond if necessary.
Jeff Bope, the school alumni association’s executive director, in a follow-up message to alumni, thanked Jobe for his leadership through “exciting seasons and challenging times, including a global pandemic.”
He noted Jobe is only the second alumnus in Moody’s more than 130-year history to serve as president.
Bope urged the Moody community to pray for Jobe and his wife as they follow what he described as God’s call back into direct ministry roles focusing on teaching, evangelism, church planting and leadership development — areas that have been at the heart of Jobe’s ministry passion for decades.
Jobe’s presidency has also included strategic adjustments within Moody’s broader ministries. In recent years, Moody restructured its Moody Radio programming and operations, ending locally produced morning shows in favor of a centralized national broadcast. At the time, Jobe said the decision was part of stewardship efforts in response to evolving ministry demands.
The announcement is expected to set in motion a search by the Moody Board of Trustees for the institute’s 11th president. Moody, known for its biblical and practical ministry training, encompasses undergraduate and graduate theological education, Moody Radio, Moody Publishers and global outreach programs.
As Moody prepares for another presidential transition, Jobe emphasized his confidence in the institution’s current health and momentum. “With strong finances, healthy reserves, and great ministry momentum, I believe this is the right moment to welcome the next President of Moody Bible Institute,” he wrote.
This article was originally published in The Roys Report.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.