After nearly two decades of leadership, Jim Daly is ready to pass on the mantle for his role as Focus on the Family President. The announcement was made that the ministry, which will turn 50 next year, has begun a succession process that is likely to take anywhere from a year to 18 months as it looks for fresh leadership to take over. Daly told The Christian Post that he hopes to pass leadership on to a younger generation. “My core belief was it’s good to get new faces, new energy, younger leadership in to kind of speak to the 30-, 40-somethings now about what they’re facing with marriage and parenting. I’m going to be turning 65 here. It’s time to start looking for the next-gen leadership. That’s really the goal, and to do it well is the other goal,” he said.

Daly took on his role after Focus’s founder, Dr. James Dobson, stepped down. The company has grown enormously since its founding in 1977, with 13 international offices and an annual budget of about $150 million. Daly acknowledged that the transition from Dobson had its speed bumps, encouraging him to do better when his time came. Dobson’s departure featured some controversy, with Reverend Kenneth Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Washington claiming he was forced out. Dobson and his son went on to start their own radio broadcast, “Family Talk.” Dobson

Hutcherson went on to predict that the ministry could end up closing its doors with the loss of its founder. That, however, hasn’t happened, with Focus being stronger than ever. Daly stated the ministry’s health is at the perfect point for someone to take over. “There is no crisis, which is wonderful. We’re not under any kind of situation of moral collapse or any other thing. Finances are good at Focus. … If I were coming in as the next leader, it’s the kind of situation I’d want to walk into, where things are going well,” he said. The search for new leadership is being conducted by executive search firm FaithSearch Partners.

Daly has used his tenure to focus the ministry’s impact on foster care, something near to his heart having grown up in the foster care system. His plan for the new leader is that they will continue in the ministry’s commitment to biblical truth, despite a culture growing increasingly more secular. “We’re looking for someone who is true to those biblical principles that Focus started on almost 50 years ago,” he said. “Even if the culture is blowing hard at what we believe, staying true to that — calm, kind, loving.”