The Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association
- Location: Chambersburg, PA
- Website: https://www.thetide.org/
- Sector: Nonprofit
- Hiring for: Development Director
About The Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association
The Gospel Tide Broadcasting Association (The Tide) is an international Christian radio ministry committed to sharing the Gospel in some of the world’s most spiritually underserved regions. Through culturally contextualized programming and strategic media outreach, The Tide reaches listeners across multiple continents, including areas where traditional ministry access is limited.
With a growing global footprint and an expanding vision, The Tide recognized that sustainable ministry impact required equally strong development leadership. To support long-term growth, donor engagement, and organizational stability, The Tide partnered with Vanderbloemen to conduct a search for a Development Director — a role critical to funding and fueling the ministry’s mission worldwide.
Senior Executive Search Consultant Jay Mitchell led the search, with Executive Search Recruiter Ellie Mixon supporting candidate identification and engagement.
The need
The Tide wasn’t simply filling a fundraising position. They were securing the financial future of a global ministry.
The organization needed a Development Director who could lead a comprehensive fundraising strategy, strengthen major donor relationships, and build scalable systems to support long-term growth. This leader would serve as a key bridge between mission and sustainability, ensuring that The Tide’s expanding media reach was backed by strong, consistent financial support.
The role required a rare combination of:
- Proven success in major gifts and donor development
- Strategic thinking and systems leadership
- Strong communication skills to represent the ministry with clarity and conviction
- A deep alignment with The Tide’s mission and heart for global evangelism
This was a highly relational role with significant visibility, requiring both executive-level competence and pastoral sensitivity with ministry partners and supporters.
The Vanderbloemen difference
Vanderbloemen approached this search as a strategic partnership focused on long-term organizational health.
Jay Mitchell and Ellie Mixon worked closely with The Tide’s leadership to define not only the technical competencies required, but also the spiritual and cultural qualities essential for success. Early alignment around expectations, leadership style, and fundraising philosophy allowed the search to move with clarity and purpose.
The team prioritized candidates who could move beyond transactional fundraising to cultivate meaningful donor relationships rooted in shared mission. Special attention was given to communication ability, relational intelligence, and the capacity to translate ministry impact into compelling development strategy.
Consistent communication between The Tide’s leadership and the Vanderbloemen team ensured strong feedback loops, focused evaluation, and confident decision-making throughout the process.
The result
The Gospel Tide successfully hired Ryan Murray as Development Director, bringing a blend of relational strength, strategic development experience, and deep passion for ministry impact.
Ryan stood out for his ability to connect mission to funding in a way that inspires trust and generosity. His background in development leadership, combined with strong communication skills and a heart for Gospel-centered work, aligned closely with the demands of the role. He demonstrated both the strategic mindset needed to strengthen development systems and the relational warmth required to steward donor partnerships with care.
His leadership positions The Tide to expand its reach while building a strong financial foundation to support ministry growth for years to come.
Conclusion
The Gospel Tide’s search for a Development Director reflects the power of strategic hiring in mission-driven organizations. By partnering closely with Vanderbloemen and treating development leadership as mission-critical, The Tide secured a leader capable of strengthening both relationships and revenue.
This search illustrates what’s possible when vision, alignment, and disciplined execution come together. For The Tide, the result is a stronger infrastructure supporting global Gospel outreach — ensuring that more people, in more places, can hear the message of Christ.
If your organization is preparing for a leadership transition and needs a leader who can align mission, strategy, and sustainability, our team would be honored to walk alongside you.
