Jerry White (Navigators)

Jerry White
White after speaking at a church in Manila, Philippines in 2005.
Born	1937 (age 79–80)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Evangelist

Jerry E. White (born 1937) is an American author, scientist, retired US Air Force Major General, and is perhaps best known as a Christian leader who is the immediate past International President of The Navigators, a worldwide Christian parachurch organization whose main purpose is the discipling (training) of Christians with a particular emphasis on enabling them to share their faith with others. White currently serves with The Navigators as President Emeritus and Chairman of the U.S. Board of Directors.

White was born in Iowa but raised for most of his life in Spokane, Washington. White's formal collegiate academic training began at the University of Washington, in engineering, and continued, especially in support of astronautics (though he has further credentials from within the U.S. Air Force's officer training regimens). His specific attainments are:

White served 13½ years active duty with the Air Force, an additional 24 years in the reserves, and retired from the Air Force Reserves in 1997 as a major general.

He entered the Air Force in 1959 as a distinguished graduate of the University of Washington Reserve Officer Training Corps program. In more than 13 years of active duty in the Air Force he served in many capacities, including an assignment as a mission controller at Cape Kennedy during the height of the American space program. He also was an associate professor of astronautics at the Air Force Academy in Colorado, and has co-authored a nationally recognized textbook on astrodynamics. He was awarded the George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedom Foundation, the Legion of Merit Medal, and the Defense Service Medal. White resigned from active duty service as a major general in the Air Force Reserves.

White took over leadership of the Navigator organization from Lorne Sanny in 1986. Sanny had served as president of The Navigators since the death of the ministry’s founder, Dawson Trotman, in 1956. Hence White is only the third president of the international The Navigator organization in its 71-year history. On January 1, 2005 White was succeeded by Michael W. Treneer, after having served as President for 18 years.