wfn.org | John J. Detterick Recommended for GAC Executive Director

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16-June-1998 
GA98056 
 
   John J. Detterick Enthusiastically Recommended for GAC Executive Director 
 
    by Bill Lancaster 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--The General Assembly Committee on Mission Coordination and 
Budgets unanimously concurred with the General Assembly Council (GAC) in 
recommending John J.  Detterick for confirmation as executive director of 
the GAC. 
    The 50-0-0 vote was followed by a standing ovation.  Detterick, 
currently president of the Board of Pensions, would begin his duties August 
12 if approved by the Assembly.  The term is four years. 
    Search committee chair Lynda Ardan said the committee was unanimous in 
approving Detterick after considering 62 potential candidates and 
interviewing four.  She described the arduous search process the committee 
undertook, including among other things consultations with numerous groups 
and key individuals across the church, open hearings with General Assembly 
(GA) staff and at the 209th Assembly (1997) in Syracuse, and conducting a 
survey.  They held 11 face-to-face meetings and several more by conference 
call, consulted with the Committee on Representation, and wrote a person 
description and a job description.  They received 27 applications and did 
in-depth reference checks with ten before interviewing the four, she said. 
    "The reasons why the search committee selected John," Ardan said, 
"were, his very strong sense of call to this position, his commitment to 
Jesus Christ and to the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and 
his proven management, financial ability and experience with large, complex 
organizations.  He is well-known and respected across this whole 
denomination.  He's a good listener, and he projects a sense of calmness 
even during difficult times.  He sees the focus of the General Assembly 
Council is to enable and support congregations and presbyteries in mission 
involvement." 
    Ardan said the search committee asked Detterick to assess the health of 
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)  and its governing bodies.  He answered, 
"`Jesus tells us to feed my lambs and tend my sheep.'  Assessing the health 
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)  is not about numbers of members, or 
churches or size of budgets.  It's about how well we proclaim the good news 
and feed the poor.  The challenge before the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 
is to enable and support the working of the Holy Spirit in ways that are 
more relevant to congregations and presbyteries while nurturing the sense 
of community in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." 
    Ardan continued, "The search committee believes that with God's help, 
John will be able to use his gifts to lead the General Assembly Council in 
promoting and supporting the mission of  Jesus Christ in this critical time 
for our denomination." 
    Detterick held up a little blue card given him by a friend that said, 
"the sign of God's will is that we will be led where we did not plan to 
go." He said that was true for him in this case, as it had been before.  He 
said he would devote himself to this call, and said "the question is, what 
can the GAC expect from me?  The expectations for the executive director 
are huge.  Much is expected...."  He said he couldn't be all things to all 
people, but he could "bring a very concentrated focus on mission and a 
concentrated focus on service." 
    Specifically, he said he would focus on three things: "I'm going to 
focus on supporting and enabling mission through congregations and 
presbyteries.  Secondly, focus on supporting a cohesive and 
service-oriented staff.  And thirdly, focus on supporting the council 
itself in a pro-active and constructive definition of its future role."  He 
then elaborated on what he would do in these three areas. 
    Mission Coordination and Budgets Moderator Allie Latimer opened the 
floor to comments from anyone in the room.  Tom Johnston, Synod of the 
Trinity executive, Phillip Young, Synod of the Pacific executive, Frank 
Diaz, interim GAC executive director, and John McFayden, GAC member, all 
endorsed Detterick.  Gloria Wilson, chair of the Board of Pensions who will 
be losing Detterick if he is approved by the Assembly, said, "We're very 
disappointed that John is leaving us, but we are happy for the church.  We 
believe that he's been called to do this.  And we're trying to be very 
gracious in saying that he's the man you really need to say yes to, though 
we'd love it if you'd say no!" 
    Ronald L. Bowie, a minister commissioner on the Mission Coordination 
and Budgets Committee, cautioned Detterick not to become isolated from 
local congregations. 
    After the vote, Detterick said that he was "overwhelmed" with the level 
of support and that he would do his best to live up to it. 
    On Overture 98-52 regarding compensation for the executive director, 
the committee amended it slightly, then referred it to the Task Force to 
Review Churchwide Compensation Policy Guidelines by a vote of 41-4-2.  The 
committee is also recommending that this task force be continued for four 
months. 
    In other business, the committee defeated Overture 98-62, which grew 
out of concern over Eunice Poethig's end-of-term review, by a vote of 
11-29-5.  Several GAC representatives explained the review process and 
follow-up opportunity for Poethig to address the Congregational Ministries 
Division Committee.  They also told of the review by the GAC Personnel 
Subcommittee that concluded due process had been followed.  One committee 
member said the overture sounded like a rebuke of the GAC, which appeared 
unjustified in light of the explanation of procedures followed. 

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