wfn.org | NCC INTERIM STAFF: SPENCER B. BATES, SISTER PAUL TERESA HENNESSEE

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227
NCC6/28/2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC INTERIM STAFF: SPENCER B. BATES, SISTER PAUL TERESA HENNESSEE

	June 28, 2001, NEW YORK CITY - Spencer B. Bates of Brea, Calif., and Sister
Paul Teresa Hennessee of New York City have been named to interim staff
positions in the National Council of Churches.

	Spencer B. Bates will serve as NCC Interim Associate General Secretary for
Administration and Finance for up to 18 months, effective July 1.  He has
served in top general  management and administrative positions in several
prominent corporations and educational institutions, including Rockwell
International, Davis Walker Corporation, Hexcel Corporation, Kelsey-Hayes
Company, Mark Industries and the University of Southern California.

	Since 1997, he has served as Vice President for Administration and Finance
at the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, Calif.  He is a member of
the Placentia United Methodist Church, Placentia, Calif., and is a lay
delegate to the California-Pacific United Methodist Annual Conference.

	"We are fortunate to have in Spencer Bates a person of strong faith, with
broad and deep administrative experience in both industry and higher
education," said Dr. Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary, who served Claremont
School of Theology as President from 1990-2000.  "He is particularly skilled
in the areas of financial computing and space utilization, which will be
useful to the NCC at this point in our journey."

	Sister Paul Teresa Hennessee, S.A., has been appointed NCC Interim Director
of Faith and Order, effective July 16.  A member of the NCC's Faith and
Order Commission, she has served the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious
Institute as Associate Director since 1992, researching and writing on
current ecumenical and interreligious issues and relating to several
national ecumenical bodies, including professional associations of African
American Protestant theologians.

	Sister Paul Teresa entered the Religious Congregation of the Franciscan
Sisters of the Atonement of Graymoor, Garrison, N.Y., in 1964, with training
and seven years' work experience as a registered nurse.  She served as a
social services provider and administrator in missions in Canada, the United
States and Brazil from 1964-87.

	From 1989-92, she served as Director of the Division of Cultural Concerns
and African American Ministry in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh,
N.C., coordinating activities and communication among immigrant communities.

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