A New Calling: Joshua DeMoss ’20

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Joshua DeMoss ’20

Wheaton, IL

When Joshua DeMoss ’20 was unexpectedly let go from his role as a software engineer in 2023, he received a surprising response from his mother: “Praise God.”

DeMoss had evaluated new vocational paths for quite some time leading up to that moment. With bachelor’s degrees in music and computer science, he considered continuing his programming career or scaling back to pursue his dream of becoming a film score composer. He also felt nudged toward missions work, especially after connecting with international missionaries at a church luncheon. This sudden job loss posed a new question: “Am I really supposed to leave everything and go be a missionary?”

Originally from Chester, New Jersey, DeMoss chose Wheaton due to positive testimonies from his alumni siblings and his interest in the Conservatory of Music. He discovered an additional love for computer science by taking Discrete Math and Functional Programming with Dr. Thomas VanDrunen, and added that second major to his time in percussion ensemble, club lacrosse, and other intramurals.

DeMoss also explored off-campus avenues for his creative gifts. As a junior, he completed an internship with OneWay Ministries, a nonprofit in Aurora, Illinois, that conducts onsite missions to unreached people groups and employs media to mobilize Christians in prayer and missionary support. DeMoss received funding from Wheaton’s Center for Vocation and Career to complete the internship, which would otherwise have been unpaid.

“The media staff at OneWay really believed in me,” said DeMoss.“That really encouraged and inspired me to give my all that summer.” One of his projects that summer was “The Salvation Series,” a digital allegory about conversion that incorporates musical imagery.

Although he didn’t know it at the time, the CVC-funded internship proved pivotal for DeMoss’s future. During that phone call with his mom, she suggested he reach back out to OneWay in case they had an opportunity for him. He was hesitant, but agreed to contact them. A few days later, DeMoss felt convicted by a depiction he saw of Nicodemus in the crowd-funded TV series The Chosen.

“He’s somebody who’s doing all the right things,” said DeMoss. “But when he meets with Jesus in secret, Jesus says, ‘Come, follow me.’ In the show, you see this massive internal struggle for Nicodemus. He leaves money for the disciples following Jesus, but he can’t get himself to go with them.”

That night, DeMoss decided to seek the mission field, letting God direct the rest. He reached out to OneWay, and two weeks later, he was on a plane to Africa on a short-term trip.

Now, DeMoss serves as OneWay’s media chief project manager and content manager, where he leads a small team of content creators “to rally the church to reach the lost.” This includes producing news broadcasts about international missionaries and developing online prayer services, daily reaching an audience of over one million people.

“It’s just been a joy,” he said. “God still may want me to be a boots-on-the-ground missionary somewhere. In the meantime, he’s been using me and my gifts to rally mobilization ministry.”

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