08860
November 18, 2008
GAC office of racial ethnic and women’s ministries reorganized
Hunter says focus is on strengthening ties to congregations
LOUISVILLE — The Rev. Rhashell Hunter, director of the General Assembly Council’s Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women has announced a redesign of the office to focus on racial ethnic and women’s leadership development.
Five new positions have been created as a result of the redesign, and five existing positions have been eliminated.
The new positions are:
- Coordinator, Racial Ethnic and Women’s Leadership Development/Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges;
- Associate for Women’s Leadership Development;
- Program Specialist for Women’s Leadership and the National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW) and Racial Ethnic Young Women Together (REYWT);
- Associate for Gender and Racial Justice; and
- Support for the Advocacy Committees, a position in the Executive Director’s Office which will be filled initially on an interim basis, to staff the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) and the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC).
The positions which have been eliminated are:
- Associate for the NNPCW (Noelle Gulden)
- Associate for Racial Ethnic Young Women Together (the Rev. Bridgett Green)
- Associate for Women’s Advocacy (the Rev. Molly Casteel)
- Ministry Operations Manager (vacant)
- Associate for Racial Justice and Advocacy (vacant)
A new coordinator position will oversee the leadership development area, which will have two primary emphases: Women’s Leadership Development and Gender and Racial Justice. It will also provide support for racial ethnic schools and colleges.
The redesign comes 18 months after Hunter assumed her position as director of Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women and after extensive dialogue with members of the ministry area’s constituencies about the best way to meet the needs of a changing church.
“I am excited about the opportunities before us to engage our constituencies and to serve the Church in new ways,” Hunter said in announcing the changes Nov. 17. “This redesign provides us with the opportunity to position ourselves so that we can strengthen our connection to our congregations.”
Reflecting upon the previous organizational structure, Hunter said, “We are aware that the way we have engaged in our work, supporting women and racial ethnic members in our church, has a long history and legacy. We are pleased with the successful efforts in which we have been engaged in the past. We are also aware that this new era requires new strategies.”
The Women’s Leadership Development office, with a new associate position, will focus its ministries on serving all women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Hunter said, adding that specific attention will be given to women ages 30-55, “who are now underserved in the church.”
A program specialist will facilitate ministries with young women’s networks, such as the NNPCW and REYWT, in partnership with part-time field representatives who will visit college campuses and build relationships with the networks.
Presbyterian Women, the PCUSA’s national women’s organization in covenant relationship with the GAC, is not affected by these changes and will continue its mission and ministries with women in the church.
The Gender and Racial Justice ministry office, staffed by a new associate position, will be responsible for developing and directing programs that implement PC(USA) policies for becoming an inclusive, diverse, and racially just church.
The new position being created in the GAC Executive Director’s office will coordinate the work of the church’s two advocacy committees: ACREC and ACWC. Previously, each committee was staffed by a position that had shared responsibilities: 50% committee work and 50% mission program work.
In this new model, committee work will be supported by a position reporting to the GAC Executive Director’s office, and mission programming will be the focus of the position in the Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women ministry area.
“We are strongly committed to serving ‘people in the pews,’” Hunter said, assessing the redesign. “Unfortunately, we have not always served the whole church, seeking to focus narrowly in small pockets as opposed to providing programs and ministries that impact women across the board and racial ethnic members in racial ethnic community churches, multicultural churches, and in predominantly European American churches.”
Hunter said the redesigned office “will give us flexible options for providing the ministries that congregations are seeking, while also preserving our ability to resource the needs of existing constituencies.”
The changes include two positions that have been revised as part of phase one of the redesign, which took place in late October:
- Associate for Ministry & Educational Financial Support (formerly Associate for Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges, Beneva Bibbs); and
- Administrative Support Team Manager (formerly Administrative Assistant, Leigh Harper).
The staffing changes are effective immediately. Hunter said she hopes to have the new positions in Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women filled by February 2009.
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