Joe White

Joe White is the President of Kanakuk Kamps and founder of Kids Across America in Branson, Missouri. Kids Across America reaches inner-city youth.  Each summer, K-2, K-West, K-Kountry, K-Seven, K-Klassic, K-Colorado, and KAA kamps host 20,000 kampers and over 2,500 college and professional staff.

Joe attended college at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where he won the Heart Award as a two-year starting defensive tackle nose guard for the SMU Mustangs. At SMU, Joe received a B.S. in Biology and also met and married his wife of 30 years, Debbie Jo. He received an honorary Doctor of Education from Southwest Baptist University in 1991 and was ordained by University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR on May 3, 1992.  Joe coached at Texas A&M University before moving to Branson, Missouri to run Kanakuk Kamps with Debbie Jo.

Joe has been working with teenagers for over 30 years and is a speaker to Promise Keepers, Focus on the Family Radio, Life on the Edge Conferences, NFL football and professional baseball chapels, and AFTERdark college crusades across the country. Joe knows personally and loves to share the meaning of God’s amazing grace. Joe has also written 16 books, including Looking for Love and What Kids Wish Parents Knew About Parenting, that are designed to reach teens and their families. Joe founded Kanakuk Haiti, which funds the operation of 20 Christian schools and 1 orphanage, providing the children with a food and vitamin program and an education.

Joe is a proud father of four- Brady, Cooper, Jamie-Jo, and Courtney and a wonderful grandfather of three- Hays, Maggie, and Dax.

“Joe White knows more about teenagers than anyone in North America”
Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family