It was announced today that The Rev. Bob Edgar will not seek another term as the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA. Edgar has already served two four-year terms. During his tenure the council stepped back from the brink of financial ruin and boldly proclaimed the Gospel message both faithfully and prophetically. Conservative political groups - and their leaders -upset over NCC's peacemaking and anti-poverty work have targeted Edgar over the years but he has remained steadfast in his commitment to God’s church and ministry. This is an appropriate moment for him to take his leave from the council and to allow new leadership to govern the ecumenical movement in America. My own hope is that the council calls a noted ecumenical leader with a demonstrated and deep commitment to justice issues to serve as the next General Secretary.
Related Post: The Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar Talks About The National Council Of Churches, Iraq, and Voter Registration (2004)
Related Link: Podcast Interview With Bob Edgar: The National Council Of Churches Urges An Increase in The Minimum Wage (2005)
Related Link: Podcast Interview: The Rev. Bob Edgar On "Middle Church" (2006)
Press Release from the National Council of Churches USA
New York City, October 3, 2006 — The Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, told the governing board and staff of the Council Monday that he will not seek a third four-year term as chief administrative officer of the nation's leading ecumenical body.
He will conclude eight years of service when his present term ends December 31, 2007. A third term would have been unprecedented in length of service in the general secretary position. Edgar's action clears the way for a seamless transition process to begin.
"I care deeply about the Council and have invested my best self in the work. The Council has been returned to financial stability and has reclaimed its place as a prophetic ecumenical voice heeding Christ's call to serve the least among us," Edgar said.
The Rev. Michael Livingston, current president of the NCC, expressed appreciation for Edgar's leadership, which brought the Council out of prolonged financial deficits to a dramatic turnaround, with four consecutive years of positive cash flows and the addition of more than $8 million in reserve funds.
"During Bob Edgar's watch, we have worked to build unity among our diverse families of faith and a strong witness within the wider society. All of the Council's programs have undergone renewal and expansion, and important concerns such as poverty, the environment, human rights and peacemaking have been addressed. We will have much to thank Bob Edgar for when his time of service becomes part of the Council's honored history," Livingston added.
A search committee for a new General Secretary will be named this fall and will begin its work in early 2007, Livingston said.
Edgar, an ordained United Methodist elder, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987 as a Democrat elected to six consecutive terms from a predominantly Republican district of suburban Philadelphia.
He later served ten years as President of Claremont School of Theology, a United Methodist graduate school in Southern California. He has also been a pastor, a campus minister, and head of a public-policy think tank, and is a frequent guest on national TV and radio discussion programs.
His recent book, "Middle Church: Reclaiming the Moral Values of the Faithful Majority from the Religious Right," was published last month by Simon and Schuster.
The National Council of Churches is a joint ministry of 35 Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, historically African-American and Living Peace communions, whose 100,000 local congregations encompass 45 million adherents in all 50 states. It was founded in 1950 and has offices in New York City and in Washington, DC. A sister agency, Church World Service, is an international humanitarian ministry of the NCC’s member communions.
