Work at PCUSA headquarters begins under new leadership, work structure
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman Online, October 3, 2006
LOUISVILLE – Business as usual at 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville – the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – isn’t the usual today.
October 2 marked the first business day under the General Assembly Council’s restructuring of its staff and work. The council voted Sept. 28 to approve the plan submitted by Executive Director Linda Valentine.
There is no longer a Congregational, National or Worldwide Ministries division. Also gone is the Mission Support Services. And the directors of those divisions, Don Campbell, Curtis Kearns Jr. and Marian McClure, respectively, no longer have jobs with the PCUSA. Joey Bailey’s position as former deputy director of MSS has also been cut, but he has been selected as deputy executive director for shared services. It isn’t known yet who will fill the other top management spots or when they will be filled.
In explaining the restructuring of staff to the GAC at its Sept. 26-29 meeting, Valentine named three principles for guiding the process: being responsive to governing bodies, the whole church and other constituencies, being accountable for outcomes and results, and being collaborative, transparent, efficient and effective.
Valentine referred to a chart outlining the reorganization, saying that all three of the deputy executive positions support the mission of the church. “There is no more support side versus the program side,” she said.
When asked about the position of deputy executive director for communications and funds development, she noted “how important communications is for the connectional church, for doing the mission, for spreading the gospel.”
Communications, she said is a very important part of what we do. “It’s not aside and separate, but it undergirds all we do and funds is a part of it.” The new leadership, all of whom will report to the executive director, includes a:
- Deputy executive director for mission (Plan to hire someone in November ’06): Will be in charge of the six reorganized program areas and the directors of those areas.
- Deputy executive director for shared service (Bailey): Will be in charge of information technology, distribution, human resources, finance and accounting and facilities.
- Deputy executive director for communication and funds development (Plan to hire someone in November ’06): Will be in charge of development, communication and mission education and promotion.
- Executive administrator (not filled): Will be in charge of General Assembly coordination, special initiatives, research, General Assembly agency relations, Advisory Committee Social Witness Policy, Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns, Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns and cultural proficiency.
Six directors will be named to the new program areas, which do not have formal names yet. The work will be divided into:
- Area 1: Theology, worship, Christian education and stewardship. Programs include curriculum development, Christian education, youth ministry, production, national conference centers, Office of Theological Education, Office of Spiritual Formation, Office of Theology and Worship and stewardship
- Area 2: Evangelism, church growth, vocation and leadership. Programs include church development, mission program grants, multicultural ministries, church growth and ministry support, urban ministry/small church leadership, Presbyterian evangelism information and support, Christian vocation/Presbyterian Leadership Search effort, collegiate ministries, financial aid, educator certification, preparation for ministry, ministry support and call system.
- Area 3: Social justice, peacemaking and Washington and UN offices. In addition to the offices, programs include child advocacy, Mission Responsibility Through Investment, and the social welfare organizations (relates to Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association).
- Area 4: Relief and development. Programs include international health ministries, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Self-Development of People, Jinishian Memorial Program and the National Health Ministries (relates to Medical Benevolence Foundation).
- Area 5: Worldwide mission in partnership. Programs include South America/Caribbean area, Europe area, Africa area, Central American and Mexico area, Middle East area and Asia/Pacific area offices, direct mission involvement, interfaith relations, international evangelism, international mission service including mission recruitment, connections, personnel relations and education, training and events and national volunteers.
- Area 6: Women and racial ethnic. Programs include the African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latina[o], Korean, Middle Eastern and Native American congregational enhancement offices, new immigrant ministries, racial ethnic schools and colleges, women’s advocacy, and the young women’s ministries including the National Network of Presbyterian College Women and the Racial Ethnic Young Women Together.
Valentine said the social justice-peacemaking area “combines our advocacy, peacemaking and social justice as well as the PCUSA faces in Washington and the United Nations.”
She said cited different activities within the evangelism, church growth, vocation and leadership area, and said, “The important vital need for this denomination is to get better at church growth.”
“Theology and worship is one of the best things we do,” Valentine said. “Christian education is also an important thing we do. … Both of these are currently in the Congregational Ministries Division, so they are used to working together. … This area does address the whole continuum of life-long learning.”
She said the women and racial ethnic areas “work together and have some synergies.” Placing them in their own area, she said, “assures that they are together and they have a seat at the table.”
GAC members expressed some concerns over the restructuring plan during the weeklong meeting.
Dale Lindsay Morgan, chair of the Congregational Ministries Division committee, was wary of combining theology and worship with Christian education. “I see these two areas as so big that they need to be on their own,” she said. “What we do very well is Christian education and theology. I want to continue to do them well.”
Valentine described combining the two areas as “streamlining. … and building on strengths.” She said the two areas work closely together and that putting them together is not a move to “dismantle” them. Valentine called Presbyterian-ism “a life-long learning process. We need to keep curriculum informed by theology.”
Asked about the budgets for the new staff structure, Valentine said that the entire structure has been “costed out” and “they are well within the budget that was approved already.”
In fact, according to Bailey, the new structure will save approximately $500,000 in 2007 and $850,000 in 2008.
“Cost savings is not the intention,” said Valentine, “but this was the outcome.”
Bailey warned council members, though, that other budget problems in the 2007-2008 budget used up those savings and GAC action would be required for the budget to balance.
In responding to who would be on the staff leadership team, Valentine said she wanted to meet with all directors at least quarterly, not only looking at advancing mission work plan goals, but to prioritize work and make sure everyone keeps the focus and vision.
Concerns were also raised about combining the functions of communications and finances.
GAC member John Bolt said there were two kinds of communication – one is about telling the facts, the other is the telling of the story. “We need to keep the difference between the PR story and the telling of the facts,” he said. The telling of the facts, he said should not be tainted to “keep the money flowing in.”
Valentine answered that the implementation of the whole restructure will be crucial. Overall, she said, “we are taking existing programs and re-arranging them. … We have not delved into and we have not said should we do communication or mission differently.”
She said that the role of the Presbyterian News Service had not been addressed. She acknowledged that the PNS charter does say it has an independent voice, “but we also need to be able to tell our story.”
A transition team composed of Sara Lisherness, Gary Cook, Pat Chapman, Barry Creech and Peggie Blenman will provide management until a deputy for witness is in place.
The team, which will report to Valentine bi-weekly, will make routine management decisions. It will also meet with staff to keep employees “fully informed on overall issues and respond to employee concerns.”