CCU SEARCH PROCESS
Executive Summary
Greetings,
The Board of Directors of the Council on Christian Unity (CCU) is seeking applicants for the position of President-Elect. This position has been created to serve a transitional role in conjunction with the retirement of current president Robert Welsh, at which time the President-
Elect will become the President of the CCU.
The CCU is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and
Canada, facilitating and nurturing our church’s efforts in fulfilling Jesus’ prayer in John 17, “that they may all be one…so that the world might believe.” As the Chief Ecumenical Officer of our denomination, the President carries the important weight of overseeing Disciples involvement in national and global ecumenical and interfaith circles. By working collegially with congregations, regions, institutions of higher education, general ministries, and plenary bodies, the President encourages participation in, and contribution to, the ecumenical and interfaith movement.
The CCU has its origins in the founding tenets of our denomination’s movement, which sought to live out the ideal that “unity is our polar star.” The CCU was founded as an outcome of the
1910 National Convention, during which the church’s president, Dr. Peter Ainslie III, called for a renewed commitment to ecumenical life. Dr. Ainslie became the first president of the CCU.
Under the leadership of Ainslie and his successors, the CCU has grown in its commitment to ecumenical and interfaith relationships and has been a beacon for our denomination as we seek to live out our calling in our diverse, multi-religious world.
CCU is at an important crossroads. The need for our Disciples ecumenical witness has never been stronger, as we seek to build bridges with a growing population of other denominations and faiths in order to discern how we can work together for peace and justice. In addition, the CCU is leading our denomination towards a better and more faithful understanding of its own identity.
These opportunities for CCU coincide with the challenge of “doing more with less,” as giving to the Disciples Mission Fund continues to decline. The President-Elect will be expected to continue cultivating additional sources of funds while working with denominational leaders to strengthen the connections between the general ministries, regions, and congregations.
The President-Elect will continue the rich legacy of CCU leadership in the fervent pursuit of unity among all of God’s children, while bringing to the position their own vision, creativity, and initiative. Through relationship-building, productive dialogue, and the embodiment of God’s inclusive Spirit, the President-Elect will help move CCU into their next chapter of ministry.