Born in Scotland and now an Australian citizen, Dr. Les Crawford is married to Elizabeth and has three married children and eight grandchildren. He studied at the University of Adelaide, Word of Life Bible Institute and Victory School of Ministries in Australia, before completing a Master of Divinity at The Master’s Seminary in Los Angeles, USA and then a Doctor of Philosophy, focusing on higher education leadership, at Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. His employment began as a clerk for the Commonwealth Public Service, followed by management in a retail bookstore, and then administrative leadership and teaching in theological education as an academic dean / principal for Adelaide College of Ministries. In 2017, he joined The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry Australia Ltd and is currently the Australian Field Director. This new ministry gives him full expression of his love of teaching and preaching the Bible, supporting Israel and Jewish people, and leading a dedicated team of fellow workers.
As a volunteer, he has served as an elder in his local church for over 40 years and held leadership positions with several Christian schools and evangelical organisations. Currently, he is the chair of the academic board of the Australian College of Christian Studies (ACCS). He enjoys reading and writing, collecting and watching movies, travelling with his wife, and spending time with his grandchildren.
DR. LES CRAWFORD
AUSTRALIAN DIRECTOR
"My vision is to see a growing number of Australian churches convinced of God’s plan for Israel, reaching out to Jewish people and supporting the work of FOI."
— Dr. Les Crawford
Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
Romans 11:25-27
National Leadership
As the Australian
Field Director, Les
provides overall leadership for the FOI Australia team,
coordinating the implementation of the FOI-A National
Strategy and cooperation among ministry representatives. He also represents the mission at key events, such as the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, and promotes the mission among Christian leaders and churches.
Working closely with our ministry development representative, Les oversees national initiatives and projects, and participates as a Bible teacher on our Israel in Focus tours.
