On Monday, May 18, 2026, the General Conference of The Wesleyan Church elected Reverend Nikki Nettleton to the office of executive director of Global Partners. She had been nominated for that post by newly elected General Superintendent Jim Dunn. The election is for a four-year term and will begin at the rise of the General Conference on Wednesday, after which the reins of the division will be handed to her by outgoing Interim Global Partners Executive Director, Dr. H. C. Wilson.
Nikki Nettleton and husband, Trent, were appointed as Wesleyan missionaries in 1999, serving in Eastern Europe pioneering church formation and community development with Global Partners and World Hope International. Nettleton served as a mission director for 13 years, offering strategic leadership, management and training; as the Europe Area Training and Equipping coordinator for two years; and with Trent, as international scholars in residence at Indiana Wesleyan University, mentoring and mobilizing students, faculty and staff to engage in global missions.
Nettleton previously served as the director of Learning and Leadership for Global Partners, where she coached and partnered with leaders worldwide to design transformational training and develop leadership pathways for missionaries. She loves coming alongside others to facilitate collaborative ownership and transformational growth. Nettleton’s life mission is to inspire, develop and facilitate Christ-followers to live missionally and labor faithfully, fruitfully and joyfully for God’s glory among all peoples.
Nettleton earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Indiana Wesleyan University and completed her graduate studies in Intercultural Ministry Leadership at Bethany Global University with a research thesis on “From the Global South to the Unreached: Increasing the International Wesleyan Church’s Capacity for Mission Sending from Everywhere to Everywhere.”
Nettleton and Trent have been married for 28 years. Together, they have two adult children: Ariela (married to Vinny Scott) and Luka. Nikki enjoys conversations over coffee (and chocolate!), cooking and projects around the house.
Nettleton hopes the future is marked by a renewed focus and zeal among Wesleyans worldwide to be set apart and sent out to reach the lost and unreached together. She said, “Four in ten still live without access to the gospel. The good news is still good and the Great Commission is still great! It’s going to take the whole church globally working together in the power of the Holy Spirit to reach the world for Christ!”
Beth Gormong is administrative assistant for Wesleyan Publishing House.
