Joni Eareckson Tada is an esteemed Christian stateswoman and global disability advocate. Her story began when a 1967 diving accident caused her to become a quadriplegic. She emerged from rehabilitation with a determination to help others struggling with disabilities. She serves as the CEO of Joni and Friends, a Christian ministry that provides programs and services for thousands of special needs families around the world. In 2022, Joni celebrated 40 years on the air with her daily radio broadcast that offers encouragement to those who suffer and are living with a disability. President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the National Council on Disability, and she was reappointed by President George H.W. Bush. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and signed into law during her tenure on the council. Joni is the author of many books, including Joni, which tells her unforgettable story, along with Where’s My Miracle?, A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain, and God’s Sovereignty, and Glorious Intruder: God’s Presence in Life’s Chaos. She is also an accomplished artist and served as general editor of the Beyond Suffering Bible, a special edition published by Tyndale for people with disabilities. Joni and her husband, Ken, reside in Calabasas, California.
Robert Wolgemuth is an author, speaker and literary agent. He has written over twenty books, including She Calls Me Daddy, The Most Important Place on Earth, and What’s in the Bible: The Story of God through Time and Eternity, co-written with R.C. Sproul. Among his professional accomplishments, Robert has served two terms as the chairman of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He has two grown daughters and a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren with his late wife, Bobbie. Robert is now married to Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, and they reside in Michigan.
Bobbie Wolgemuth was a Bible teacher and the author or co-author of several books, including God’s Wisdom for a Mother’s Heart and the four-book “Gold Medallion” best-selling series, Hymns for a Kid’s Heart with Joni Eareckson Tada. In October 2014, Bobbie went home to be with the Lord. She is survived by her husband, Robert, two married daughters and a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
