Welcome!

Barbara and Josiah Bancroft worked overseas and stateside in Serge (then called World Harvest Mission) from 1992 to 2004. Then in 2005 Josiah left Serge for five years to work as a pastor in Asheville, NC. Barbara and Josiah returned to the mission in October 2010 for Josiah to serve as Senior Director of Mission through May of 2023 where he oversaw all the ministries, mission work and publications of Serge. Josiah now serves as Senior Advisor at Serge.

Together, Josiah and Barbara minister to pastors, leaders and missionaries out of a Gospel-centered and Renewal-driven mission.

Josiah is originally from Birmingham, Alabama, and Barbara comes from Jacksonville, Florida. They met in college and married in 1975. After graduating seminary Josiah was ordained in 1981, and he and Barbara began planting churches in Louisiana and Alabama.

Entering Serge in 1992 Josiah was a team leader in Ireland planting a church in Dublin and training new Irish leadership. In 1996 Josiah and Barbara returned to Philadelphia serving as interim US Director to lead the home office. During these years, both Josiah and Barbara were active as a speakers in The Sonship Course and helped to train church planters and missionaries in various countries.

Returning to Ireland in 2000, Josiah and Barbara led several Irish teams, started new churches, trained local leaders and worked for renewal in churches. Josiah also oversaw the work of many Serge teams as an Overseas Director and worked in renewal conferences and church leadership training in many countries.

In September of 2005 Josiah began as pastor in Asheville, NC. There he pioneered a ‘one church – multiple congregation’ model of church development that included new pastors and congregations under the the leadership of the planting church. Today, those congregations grow and thrive still connected by their common roots and mutual care.

Josiah and Barbara returned to Serge in 2010 for Josiah to work as the Senior Director of Mission. As a part of Serge’s Executive Leadership Team Josiah worked with the Area Directors to oversee Serge missionaries and the mission’s discipleship resources and work through Serge’s Renewal Department.

Josiah and Barbara are now serving together with Josiah’s role as Senior Advisor in Serge.

They look to God’s grace to unfold how their practical experience in pastoral partnerships, supporting leaders and marriages, training new pastors, preaching and pioneering new ministries will best serve the expansion of the Kingdom around the world.