Kaastra-Mutoigo to Leave World Renew
The World Renew-Canada board announced that Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo will be stepping down as World Renew-Canada director on February 28, 2022.
“The entire board of World Renew would like to take this opportunity to thank Ida for the tremendous leadership and gifts she has brought to World Renew and its mission,” the announcement said.
“Through the work of Ida, World Renew has been blessed in helping sisters and brothers throughout the world improve their lives.”
In a 2016 article in The Banner, Kaastra-Mutoigo shared that she felt called to mission work at the age of 15, and she had her first experience with World Renew (then called the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) as an intern soon after graduating with agricultural degrees from Dordt University and the University of Guelph.
Kaastra-Mutoigo soon moved on to a position as a program consultant with World Renew in Uganda, next as a coordinator of “ServiceLink” (a volunteer program), and later as team leader for the East and Southern Africa region before taking on the role of director in 2006. She has served the organization for more than thirty years.
“After more than three decades of working in this absolutely fabulous organization of World Renew, which has wonderfully fulfilled my lifelong calling for justice and mercy, I have come to a point in my life journey to say good-bye to my work in World Renew,” Kaastra-Mutoigo wrote in a letter shared with staff.
She noted that the decision did not have to do with the organization itself or her commitment to its mission. Instead, after a period of discernment following the death of her husband, Kaastra-Mutoigo said she felt that God was calling her to continue to feed her passion in an area of justice and mercy, engage her faith and gifts to grow even more, and to share a wealth of organizational experience with a fairly young organization in New York City that supports survivors of human trafficking. Kaastra-Mutoigo will serve as the organization’s president.
“This decision to leave World Renew has been very difficult to make because I have been so blessed by an amazing codirectorship with Carol Bremer-Bennett (director of World Renew-U.S.), as well as by staff, board members, volunteers, donors, local and international partners, and communities, as millions of lives have been changed to experience God's justice and mercy in profound ways around the world,” said Kaastra-Mutoigo.
She added that she is comfortable taking this step away because “World Renew [is] at a healthy state of maturity with a solid team of leaders who can continue the mission, values, and ministry very effectively. . . ."
The World Renew board is expected to announce an interim leadership plan for its Canada operations, and the board will appoint a search team to find a permanent replacement.
Carol Bremer-Bennett, who serves as the World Renew-US director will also continue to provide leadership to the organization during this time of transition.
“Ida has been a wonderful co-director in so many ways and I am going to miss her diligence, her commitment to the impact of World Renew's ministry, and her love for creating new acronyms and use of alliteration,” said Bremer-Bennett. “On behalf of all of the staff, I express our heart-felt thanks for all she has done and for all that she is.”
The World Renew board echoed this sentiment. “We are extremely grateful for the wisdom and thoughtful leadership given by Ida, and we wish her nothing but blessings in her new role,” they said in their announcement.
“We are certain that she will bless her new organization richly, as she has clearly blessed World Renew. We are equally thankful to Ida’s family for sharing her with us for more than 30 years. Godspeed in your new role – and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your contributions to World Renew.”
