New Exec Secretary to be announced this Friday

[Carolla]

I just read Nora Sanders regular note to us - and she mentions that her successor will be announced this Friday ... I wonder what interesting things will come about. Nora has done quite a remarkable job, IMO, and I wish her well in retirement. So ... we shall stay tuned ....

 

[GordW]

Here is the letter:

Note from Nora: The constancy of God's love.

mailchi.mp

 

[Carolla]

thanks Gord - and here is the announcement. Congrats to Rev. Michael Blair The United Church’s New General Secretary

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

thanks Gord - and here is the announcement. Congrats to Rev. Michael Blair The United Church’s New General Secretary

Oh, he is cool. I met him once at Tatamagouche- what a breath of fresh air and a hands-on kind of guy with a spiritual base for his action. The course I took was about outreach and he was presenting.

 

[jimkenney12]

He looks like an interesting and hopeful change. While Nora Sanders provided string leadership in many ways, I believe she was too focused on preserving the hierarchy of the institution and not concerned enough about the mission.

 

[GordW]

He looks like an interesting and hopeful change. While Nora Sanders provided string leadership in many ways, I believe she was too focused on preserving the hierarchy of the institution and not concerned enough about the mission.

I think that is what the search committee of the day thought was needed with Nora. Certainly it is where the CRTG and restructuring ended up going.

 

[jimkenney12]

Hi Gord. You have been quite involved with wider church stuff. Are there specific influential people who keep the focus of the General Council on the hierarchy or is it the spirit of the General Council administration? That is, do people focused on the institution take the lead in recruiting new members for the administration? When I was assisting with the review process, the most common complaint I got was the failure of the Task Group to address the issues of vision and mission.

 

[BetteTheRed]

I think that is what the search committee of the day thought was needed with Nora. Certainly it is where the CRTG and restructuring ended up going.

I agree, and the new appointment obviously indicates a search committee that was differently focussed this time.

Would it be interesting to make the Executive Secretary a limited appointment, like the Moderator? Maybe 10 year terms?

 

[GordW]

Hi Gord. You have been quite involved with wider church stuff. Are there specific influential people who keep the focus of the General Council on the hierarchy or is it the spirit of the General Council administration? That is, do people focused on the institution take the lead in recruiting new members for the administration? When I was assisting with the review process, the most common complaint I got was the failure of the Task Group to address the issues of vision and mission.

I honestly do not know Jim. I have (anecdotally) heard both that things are driven by elected rep to GC and GCE and that things are driven by senior admin. I suspect both are partly true.