SEND US names new CEO
SEND International’s US Council proudly announces that Michelle J. Atwell will serve as the SEND US CEO.
Michelle knows fundraising and development well. She has more than 18 years of experience working at ministries and nonprofits, most recently with the Red Cross of Michigan. She also has served on SEND’s US Council and chaired the Financial Development Committee.
“SEND US will be recognized as the agency of choice for short-term and career missionaries because we will offer the most effective, most efficient, and most impactful care and support,” Michelle said. “We will listen to our global workers’ needs, exceedingly deliver on their expectations and offer the greatest opportunities to fulfill the Great Commission.”
Three things drew Michelle to this role:
Michelle wants to see SEND US use innovation in marketing and technology, coupled with excellent relationships and partnerships with churches, donors and support networks, to recruit more missionaries, reduce the time from appointment to field placement, and offer the most competitive financial requirements.
“There's a lot here and some of it is pretty bold — which is exciting and energizing,” she said. “But I believe that this is what God wants for SEND US, and I'm ready to start working with our team to bring this vision to life.”
Atwell will be responsible for overseeing the work of the mission as it pertains to sending functions within the US: marketing, mobilization, and member care. She will lead an executive team of eight leaders over various departments, ensuring that SEND US fulfills its role in the organization’s vision of a global movement of Jesus followers making disciples among unreached people groups.
Michelle was selected after an extensive, 10-month search.
“We believe that Michelle is the person God has been preparing to lead SEND US,” said Rick Bernard, US Council chairman. “She is sharp, innovative, and not afraid to try new things. I have been impressed by her heart, her warmth, her competence, and her professionalism. We are certainly excited to see what God has in store for SEND as we move into the months and years that lie ahead.”
Michelle’s professional experience also includes Grace Centers of Hope, a local mission where she spent nearly 17 years raising funds for men, women and families who were homeless and addicted, and watching God miraculously change lives as the gospel of Jesus was proclaimed.
Michelle accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an InterVarsity camp when she was a college freshman.
“After hearing two powerful messages, I confessed my sins in my bunk bed and asked Jesus to save me. I told him that I wanted him to be Lord of my life, not me,” Michelle said. “That weekend blossomed into a whole new life for me.”
This whole new life has also included a summer sharing her faith with college students in Russia and leading several teams from her local church to Chernobyl, Ukraine, for short-term, church-planting activities in remote villages.
Michelle lives in metro Detroit, Mich., with her husband, Joe, and their two children.
Please continue to pray as Michelle transitions into her new role. We are grateful for God’s call on her and her family’s life and we look forward to working together to move the mission of SEND forward in the coming months and years.
Please celebrate with us God’s provision of Michelle Atwell, our new CEO!
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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