This Baylor alum leads World Vision’s efforts in Colombia and Venezuela

When he came to Baylor from the Philippines in the 1990s, Peter Gape (MA ’91, MA ’94) knew broadly that he wanted to serve internationally. But his time in Waco helped focus that desire, and sparked a calling that led him to leadership in one of the globe’s largest international service organizations — World Vision.

Today, Gape serves as World Vision’s national director for Colombia and Venezuela. It’s a multifaceted role that places him and his team on the “front lines” of need and opportunities to serve. World Vision is well known for its child sponsorship program, in which individuals support children around the world to help them overcome hunger, poverty and more. But child sponsorship is just one part of World Vision’s outreach.

In Colombia and Venezuela, Gape and his team of 700 people work to meet needs of all kinds, such as serving refugees and the communities they have come to call home. One avenue is through partnerships with local churches, working together to meet community needs and build community resiliency. Serving the needs of children remains a priority, which often leads World Vision team members to look for ways to support the families and schools that serve them.

Gape joined World Vision in 2015 after almost 20 years working with Habitat for Humanity’s international efforts. As a young man who dreamed of experiencing the world, he’s in many ways living out his dream — he’s lived in 10 countries — but that dream was further honed during his time at Baylor. Gape followed in his father’s footsteps in attending Baylor; Dr. Pete Gape (EDD ’90) earned his doctorate in education from Baylor before returning to the Philippines to eventually serve as president of a Baptist college. The younger Gape took a similar path to Baylor and eventually earned two master’s degrees (one in international relations, one in church-state studies). Away from class, his experiences serving with Mission Waco were transformative.

“When I came to Baylor, I was thinking about working for a United Nations agency or to go back to the Philippines to be a part of the Diplomatic Corps,” he says. “But at Baylor, my thinking changed, and it was particularly my involvement with Mission Waco that changed it. That opened my eyes to how I could be more impactful around the world without taking part in politics. That led me to Habitat for Humanity and World Vision. Of course, there are political contexts that are complex to work in, but God has really blessed us at World Vision today to continue to grow the work we’re doing.”

Sic ’em, Peter Gape!