wfn.org | Episcopalians: Search opens for new ethnic congregation development officer

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

March 28, 2002

2002-079

Episcopalians: Search opens for new ethnic congregation 
development officer

by Jan Nunley

(ENS) The search is on for a new director of ethnic congregational development for the 
Episcopal Church, and an executive recruiter has been hired as a 
consultant to find the right person for the job. 

The new director, who will work closely with the director of 
congregational development, will also serve as the staff officer 
for congregational development of a particular racial/ethnic 
group. 

"The Ethnic Congregational Development department is taking 
shape as a result of the Episcopal Church Center's Management 
Team strategic thinking process to discern what the presiding 
bishop's staff is being called to do in response to 'Missio Dei' 
or God's project," said an announcement of the position. "This 
process has led us to a new clarity about the focus of our 
overall work which includes ways to fulfill the emerging 20/20 
vision."

The director will supervise ethnic congregational development 
work in cooperation with other program directors, emphasizing 
the themes of the 20/20 
initiative in planning and producing national training 
events and in working with provinces, dioceses, and 
congregations to develop congregational ministries for ethnic 
groups.

Extensive experience in congregational development work will be 
essential for the selected candidate, said Sonia Francis, 
assistant to the presiding bishop for program. "The mission of 
the church, which is reconciliation, stays the same," she said, 
"but the way we go about it changes, and that is what the 20/20 
initiative demands of us. There's no way we can grow without 
considering the needs of all of the ethnic groups that are 
growing in the United States and changing the complexity of the 
church. This is a building on prior mission work, the advocacy 
work we have already done."

 

John V. Russell, principal of JVR Consulting, has been asked to 
facilitate the search. Russell served seven years at JPMorgan 
Chase, where he was an assistant vice president of human 
resources, responsible for Chase's Management Development 
process and programs. He also piloted Chase's online virtual 
classroom and acted as internal consultant to the firm's lines 
of business.

"A highly motivated and innovative thinker, Russell is a 
Human Resources professional adept at linking and aligning HR 
services with organizational goals," commented John Colon, 
director of human resource management at the Church Center. 
Russell holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Fordham 
University and a master's in human resources management from the 
New School University, with post graduate certification in 
organizational diagnosis.  

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--The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy director of Episcopal News 
Service.