The Council is excited to introduce you to one of our newest staff members, Stephenie Sanders. Stephenie joined us earlier this month in the position of Program and Engagement Administrator for Partners in Health and Wholeness. Read more about Stephenie:
I’m Stephenie Sanders, and I am thrilled to join the Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW) team as the new Program and Engagement Administrator. It is an honor to join PHW and the North Carolina Council of Churches to promote health, well-being, and justice in North Carolina faith communities and beyond.
My journey into the faith-based, non-profit sector actually began with my passion for music. I hold a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from UNC-Greensboro, and shortly after graduating I took a gig singing at First Presbyterian Church (FPC) -Greensboro. I had a corporate job at the time, and one of the ministers offered me a job as her assistant. I jumped at the chance to do work that positively impacted my community.
After working at FPC for four years, I made the move to Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill (where the Council’s Executive Director Emeritus, Collins Kilburns, worships!). Binkley has a storied history of being at the forefront of controversial social justice issues. I found great meaning in supporting the church’s work for justice and showing compassion to members of the church and wider community.
I chose to join PHW to work for justice on an even greater scale with an organization that has the infrastructure and resources to make a real and lasting impact. In a time when we are all grappling with the aftershocks of a worldwide pandemic, I can’t think of a better place to focus my energy and skills.
I can’t wait to learn more about the beautiful faith communities across this great state, to get to know the people who make them beautiful, and to play a small part in helping those communities live healthy, abundant lives. It is my sincere hope that my own experiences with addiction and mental illness will help me effectively serve in this capacity. I’ll be your main point of contact for the PHW mini-grant application process. I can be reached at phwinfo@ncchurches.org. I look forward to working together!