James serves as the Executive Director at MEI. He and his wife Marci served with the International Mission Board as church planters for 11 years in southern Zambia. The majority of their work focused on training African leaders to share the gospel, make disciples and plant churches among the Tonga people of Zambia and Zimbabwe. After returning from the mission field, James served as missions pastor at his home church in Wynne, Arkansas. It was during this time that James traveled to Helene, Honduras and cast vision for MEI, and trained local leaders in the Heart of God, and 4  Fields (H4F). 

James and Marci both grew up on the mission field Zimbabwe and Guatemala. They have two daughters (Taylor and Emily) in college and a son (Micah) that is a senior in high school.