Herbie Newell
Herbie Newell serves as the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services, holds an MBA in Accounting from Samford University and brings years of experience from his work as an independent auditor at WAKM Companies, LLC. Serving as Lifeline's Executive Director since 2003, Herbie has significantly expanded international outreach, obtained licensure in 17 states, and led the establishment of the foster care arm. A passionate advocate, he co-founded (un)adopted in 2009, focusing on equipping orphaned children with life skills for community transformation. Herbie, also the author of "Image Bearers: Shifting from Pro-birth to Pro-Life," emphasizes that being pro-life extends beyond opposing abortion, urging a broader ethic that includes fighting for racial equality and embracing every individual with the love of Christ. Herbie and his wife, Ashley, reside in Birmingham, Alabama, and are the parents to three children.
Appears in 566 Episodes
Why Fewer Kids Are Coming Home Through Adoption in 2025
On this episode of The Defender, Rob, Herbie, Karla, and Ford unpack the newly released 2025 intercountry adoption numbers, down to 973 children from 1,172 the year be...
God Doesn't Waste Anything: Katie Adams on Faith, Family, and International Adoption
Katie Adams, manager of Lifeline's expat adoption program, joins Dr. Rick to trace her path from a childhood on Fort Benning through a faith awakening in high school, ...
Unstoppable: The Bamberg Sisters' Journey from China to Auburn
Rick Morton sits down with sisters Ava and Lily Bamberg, both adopted from China and now students at Auburn University, home to the nation's only collegiate power socc...
140 Million Orphans: Inside Lifeline's Global Network
This episode features Herbie Newell, Ken Norwood and Ford Reasons with guest Miguel Zayas, Senior Director of Global Orphan Care at Lifeline, to unpack how Lifeline se...
Real Church, Real Gospel: A Ugandan Pastor's Journey from Prosperity to Truth
Rick Morton sits down with Pastor Rafael Kajjubi of King Jesus Church in Busega, Uganda, a longtime friend and ministry partner of Lifeline Children's Services. Rafael...
Why Do We 'Run for One'?
In this lighthearted episode of The Defender Podcast, the team shares the heart behind Lifeline’s annual Run for One, a fundraising event supporting global orphan care...
The Heart Behind Domestic Adoption
In this episode Lifeline Children’s Services Vice President of Domestic Programs Christy McSegers shares her personal journey to adoption ministry and provides an over...
We Visited 19 States in 19 Days-Here's What We Learned Part 2
This episode of The Table by Lifeline Children's Services serves as Part 2 of the team's reflection on their 19 States in 19 Days journey. While sharing some funny, so...
Lifeline's 19in19 Recap Part 1
Herbie Newell, Rob Ingram and Ford Reasons reflect on their recent 19-day road trip through 19 states, where they visited Lifeline ministry partners and pregnancy reso...
3 Guys, 19 States, and 153 Million Reasons!
How an epic road trip is helping 153 million orphans! Thats what happens when 3 guys try to visit all 19 states where Lifeline has a physical office in just 19 days! ...
The Bold Movement to Bring Hope to Vulnerable Children
Summer is here, and Lifeline has a full lineup of ways to engage, serve, and celebrate what God is doing on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children. In this episode,...
Defending Every Child: The Truth About International Adoption
DESCRIPTION Is international adoption still a viable path for Christian families? In Episode 2 of the Defender Podcast, host Ken Norwood sits down with Herbie Newell ...
We're Back: Defending the Fatherless in 2026
The Defender Podcast is officially rebooted. Hosted by Rob Ingram, Ken Norwood, Herbie Newell, and Ford Reasons, we're back with a simple mission: give you practical, ...
Every Child Made in God's Image: Why This Changes Everything in Adoption
Most conversations about transracial and transcultural adoption miss one vital piece: the heart of every child is made in God's image—and that's where the true startin...
When Family Ties Conflict With a Child's Safety: What the System Gets Wrong
We're glad you are joining our discussion on the hidden complexities of kinship care and discover how faith, community, and wisdom can transform the way we care for ch...
When Protection Becomes the Problem
Welcome back to The Table! In this second episode, Rick Morton gathers with Emily Richards and Herbie Newell to continue our vital discussions on child welfare. We exp...
Can the Church Really Change Child Welfare? These Leaders Say Yes
Child Welfare is broken worldwide. Is there hope? We say yes, and it's found right in our communities in the form of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ In this inaugu...
A Season of Change: Defender Podcast Update
After eight incredible years, the Defender Podcast is taking a short sabbatical. In this episode, Herbie Newell and Dr. Rick Morton reflect on the journey so far, shar...
5 Years Waiting for China Adoption
In this episode of The Defender Podcast, Herbie Newell is joined by Karla Thrasher, Lifeline’s Senior Director of International Adoption, to discuss the heartbreaking ...
Adoption Counseling Redefined: A New Resource from Lifeline
In this episode of The Defender Podcast, Christy Mack Segars, Vice President of Domestic Services at Lifeline Children’s Services, introduces the new Design Adoption C...