President

Shawn Thornton brings decades of pastoral and leadership experience to his role as President of Joni and Friends. During his nearly thirty years of ministry, Shawn has served as an assistant pastor in the Philadelphia area, taught Bible and New Testament Greek at the undergraduate level, and for over ten years led Bible Center Church in Charleston, West Virginia, which is a prominent church in the state’s capital, as its Senior Pastor. Before coming to Joni and Friends, Shawn served for nearly seventeen years as Senior Pastor of Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California (one exit away on the 101 freeway from Joni and Friends).

Under his leadership, Calvary Community Church partnered closely with Joni and Friends, developing an impactful and thriving disability ministry. Known for its compassionate approach, the church created inclusive and vibrant programs, consistently meeting the specific needs of hundreds of families living with disability. The ministry includes thoughtful integration with age-appropriate programs and a dedicated building wing designed especially for children and teens with special needs. Calvary provides a church-wide welcoming environment where families and individuals impacted by disability can belong, be included, and actively engage in church life. Calvary’s “Special Abilities Ministry” serves as a model for churches across the country.

Shawn grew up in Northern Indiana, where he experienced a solid Christian, but personally traumatic, childhood. His 2016 memoir, All But Normal: Life on Victory Road, shares how God used the brain injury his mother suffered in a car crash to develop a pastor’s heart in Shawn. While his mother’s limitations created a challenging and chaotic home environment, she was a woman of deep faith. His mother had a copy of Joni Eareckson Tada’s autobiography, and it was never far from her as she moved around the house. On difficult days, Shawn’s mother would say, “If Joni can make it, I can make it.”

Shawn brings decades of healthy organizational leadership experience in large, complex, and flourishing ministry contexts. He holds degrees from Appalachian Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary and is currently completing a doctorate in ministry leadership through Wheaton College. He is married to his college sweetheart, Lesli, and they have three adult children and one son-in-law: Jon, Katie, Megan, and Wes (married to Megan).

Providing leadership insights to other organizations, Shawn serves on the boards of Awana Clubs International and Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California. He and Lesli remain active members of Calvary Community Church. Shawn is passionate about glorifying God by seeking “to live and love like Jesus” and is known for encouraging fellow followers of Christ to do the same.