Commencement Speaker Bio - REVEREND ROBERT HOSKINS
“By engaging the next generation in the truths of God’s Word, we hope to transform entire cultures.” – Rob Hoskins is president of OneHope (formerly Book of Hope International), a global minist
ry committed to reaching the world’s children and youth with Scripture that speaks directly to their lives and culture. Founded in 1987, OneHope has distributed one-half billion portions of Scripture in some 100 languages to children in 125 countries. OneHope revolutionized Scripture delivery by developing age, language and culturally specific stories about the life of Christ as told in the four Gospels. This Book of Hope has now been distributed around the world.
Under Rob Hoskins’ leadership, OneHope has expanded from a literature distribution effort to a Scripture engagement ministry. Recognizing that one in five people in the world cannot read, Hoskins led his team to produce The GodMan, an animated children's film that tells the life story of Jesus. The film has been viewed by more than 10 million children and youth in hosted showings and by hundreds of millions via broadcast television. The GodMan is available in nine cultural worldview versions and translated into more than 50 languages.
OneHope has also broken new ground in its Scripture delivery methods by using web-based tools, text messaging and oral presentation strategies. The ministry’s expanded approach to Scripture delivery led Hoskins to execute a name change, officially renaming “Book of Hope” as “OneHope” in February 2009.
Hoskins grew up the son of missionaries in Lebanon and France. His own passion for missions was the driving force behind the creation of “OneHope Teams,” an initiative that has mobilized thousands of individuals to serve in short-term missions and hundreds more to pursue missions as a full-time career. Hoskins is driven by a commitment to spiritual justice, believing that every child on earth has the right to have access to the Bible in a language and format they can understand.
A strong believer in forming and sustaining unified mission collaboratives, Hoskins serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Forum of Bible Agencies International, is founder of the Visual Story Network and most recently initiated the launch of the Global Children’s Forum.
Hoskins holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vanguard University and is an ordained general-appointed missionary of the Assemblies of God. He is a recipient of John Maxwell's Equip Leadership Award, which honors extraordinary ministry leaders. Hoskins also serves on the Board of Trustees at Oral Roberts University.
Hoskins and his wife Kim, daughter of pioneer Latin American media missionaries, minister in churches, universities, crusades and pastoral leadership forums around the world. They have two daughters, Diandra and Natasha. The Hoskins family lives near OneHope's global headquarters in Pompano Beach, Florida.