Dear Friends,
Earlier this year I spoke to the staff of the North Carolina Council of Churches, and subsequently to the Personnel Committee of the Governing Board, about my plans to retire from the Council. I’d been thinking about the best time to retire, but always there was one more thing I wanted to be a part of, an upcoming election cycle, the Council’s 90th Anniversary celebration, landing one more grant for the Council’s important work. Finally, I realized there would always be one more thing because that’s the nature of the Council. We’ve always got another project to launch, a crucial priority to address, or a new partnership to develop. In fact, several exciting opportunities are in the works even as the Search Committee begins the process of finding the next person to take the work forward.
For my part, this is the hardest job I’ve ever had. I joked with the board recently that in my time at the Council, Donald Trump was elected president, we had a global pandemic, and after a slight reprieve Donald Trump was elected president again with all the agony his second act has brought to so many. That said, it’s been a great ride made possible by the people. Supportive staff, engaged board members, creative coalition partners, and all of you who faithfully support the Council. You help fund the work, show up when we call, and most importantly, offer encouragement for the work. Your steadfast encouragement reminds me that every era of the Council’s life is demanding precisely because it is the nature of our work to challenge policies that harm our neighbors.
I have said for the entirety of my time at the Council that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Those who staffed the Council, filled our board, and supported our work for the past nine decades gifted us with an organization that is respected by our peers, appreciated by our partners, and known for our courage. For over a decade, I have been privileged to help continue that legacy. Some days I’ve managed only not to fall off the shoulders of my predecessors, but some days I believe we have reinforced our legacy. What an honor to have been part of the journey.
Our search process has begun in earnest. The Personnel Committee has assembled a stellar Search Committee with people who would be in the Council Hall of Fame if we had such a place. They are led by Council rock star, The Rev. Joe Mann. The position description and application process are on the website. Please share it far and wide.
The words of our first “executive director,” founder and first President of the Council, Shelton Smith, still ring true today: “Liberate us from cowardly fear and deliver us from moral complacency in these confusing and perilous times.”
This is our work. Thanks be to God.
