wfn.org | NCC and Church of the Brethren appoint Blevins

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Blevins to lead ecumenical peace program for NCC and Church of the Brethren

July 1, 2010, New York -- In a joint appointment announced today by the  
National Council of Churches (NCC) and the Church of the Brethren,  Jordan 
Blevins starts July 1 as the church's staff for witness in a  position also 
seconded to the NCC to serve as an advocacy officer in  Washington, D.C. 
Blevins will lead an ecumenical peacemaking program on  behalf of the two 
organizations.  

He is a member of Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren. Previously,  he was 
associate director of the NCC's Eco-Justice Program  and coordinator of Poverty 
Initiatives and Washington internships with  the National Council of Churches 
since September 2007. 

Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the NCC, praised the appointment.  "It 
models a new form of support for the work of the NCC," he said. "The  United 
Church of Christ already has a similar agreement with the Council  that 
undergirds our ministry in racial justice and human rights, and we  hope that 
other churches will follow suit. Second, this gives us staff  coverage in the 
area of peacemaking, which has always been a crucial  part of the Council's 
agenda. And, third, I am absolutely delighted to  welcome Jordan Blevins, who 
has been a fine colleague in the field of  eco-justice, into this new position. 
He is the right person for this new  portfolio." 

Blevins's responsibilities for the Church of the Brethren will include  
nurturing the denomination's witness to society and government from a  uniquely 
Anabaptist-Pietist Brethren perspective, with a pacifist  emphasis on peace and 
justice. He will represent the NCC member churches  in advocacy for peace and 
provide leadership in educational initiatives  with the member churches and 
wider society. 

Prior to joining the NCC, Blevins was a legislative intern at the  Brethren 
Witness/Washington Office beginning in January 2007, where he  participated in 
a Faith Expedition to Vietnam and did follow up  reporting and helped create a 
Brethren Water and Sanitation project in  that area through the Global Food 
Crisis Fund. Additionally, he was  manager of Cokesbury Bookstore in 
Washington, as well as a grassroots  fundraiser for Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. 

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in Philosophy and Religion and a  bachelor 
of science degree in Business Administration from Bridgewater  (Va.) College 
and recently graduated from American University and Wesley  Theological 
Seminary with a master of arts degree in International Peace  and Conflict 
Resolution, and a master of theological studies,  respectively. He is pursuing 
a doctorate of ministry in Ecumenism and  Interreligious Dialogue at Wesley 
Theological Seminary.  

He serves on the Board of Directors of On Earth Peace, on the Church of  the 
Brethren's Young Adult Steering Committee, and on the New Fire Task  Force, a 
young adult ecumenical movement.

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of  Christ in 
the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical cooperation  among Christians 
in the United States. The NCC's 36 member faith groups  - from a wide spectrum 
of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical,  historic African American and 
Living Peace churches - include 45 million  persons in more than 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across  the nation.

>For more information see www.ncccusa.org

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office),  646-853-4212 
(cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org NCC News contact:  Philip E.  Jenks, 212-870-2228 
(office), 646-853-4212 (cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org