Continuity and Change in InterVarsity
At the start of this month, I took part in the final gathering of the Collegiate Ministries Leadership Meetings at a beautiful Franciscan retreat center in the coastal hills of Malibu. The weather proved atypically foggy, which matched one aspect of the meetings. Why “final”? And why, metaphorically, “foggy”?
Well, final because we are in a time of organizational and leadership transition at the senior levels and this group will not meet again in quite this configuration. And foggy because we don’t yet know the full slate of new senior leaders nor the new direction for InterVarsity in the coming decade. But we do know that, like the sun shining above the fog (I am risking triteness here), God remains the ultimate source of our light and wisdom, our provision and protection, our guidance and grace.
Jason Thomas—our new Executive Vice-President (EVP) for Field Ministries—led these meetings around the theme of “Strong & Courageous in the Lord,” drawing from Joshua 1, where a new leader (Joshua) is preparing to lead the people into a new phase of their calling. Jason wisely reminded us to stay resolutely and humbly focused on God and what he is doing, even as we exercise vision and courage to “march” into new territory.
Tom Lin—our new president—joined these meetings and spoke invitingly about leadership (the long resiliency of Caleb, from Joshua 14) and mission (the multitudes in need of compassion, the harvest fields in need of workers, from Matthew 9). Tom aspires to lead InterVarsity in a way that enlarges capacity and releases energy for the acceleration of our mission. He wants us to coalesce around a large and compelling visionary goal (to be discerned and decided over the coming months) that would align and animate us as an organization over the next decade. (BTW, you will be encouraged by the summary of Tom’s message to the GFM staff who came early for SC17 featured in this Inside GFM).
Our GFM team (the RDs, Kathy Tuan-MacLean, Deb Clark, and me) came away encouraged, not only by Jason and Tom’s vision, but also by the promising new ideas for enlarging the funding of staff presented by Andrew Ginsberg (EVP for Advancement), the powerful improvements in our IT systems and database underway presented by Shannon Marion (Executive Director of Project Flourish—look for more coming soon on this!), and even a rising openness to increased engagement with faculty by our undergrad colleagues in response to a short presentation by Deb Clark and me.
Continuity and Change in GFM
Here is some big news: two GFM leaders have been appointed as Field Vice Presidents!
Lynn Gill will step out of her role as Regional Director for GFM West March 1 to begin serving as Vice President for InterVarsity in the Western U.S. She will supervise four undergrad RDs as well as the Director for LINK, the department through whom staff are placed into IFES assignments around the globe. Lynn will join the team under Jason Thomas, which will include similar VPs for the Central and Eastern U.S. I will step in as interim RD for GFM West through June.
Congratulations to Lynn! This appointment speaks highly of her gifts and experience. Lynn’s dedication to GFM and our mission over eighteen years has been vital, from planting grad and faculty fellowships at NC State to extending GFM as an itinerant Area Director for SoCal to serving as the founding RD for GFM West over the past six years. I am grateful to Lynn for all that she has given and accomplished. I am proud to see her step up into this larger role and add her GFM-inflected perspective to the new Field VP team.
The other new VP is yours truly. As part of the new structure, Jason and Tom created a VP for GFM. I applied and interviewed for this position in January and, happily, received an appointment two weeks ago. I too will officially begin March 1. In short, this role will remain significantly comparable to the position I have been holding (National Field Director for GFM) as far as leading GFM, but it will be notably different as far as the new Field VP team that I will become a part of. (All of InterVarsity will receive a public introduction to this new team once all positons have been filled, which should be within the next two weeks).
The process of applying for this VP role has been good for me. God has quietly confirmed not only my sense of call, but my vision and eagerness to lead GFM forward over these next several years. I feel deeply committed to our GFM mission and highly motivated to help us continue to grow organizationally so that we can be effective in that mission. I am heartened by the progress we have made on our current strategic goals around growth, evangelism, discipleship of our diverse audiences, leadership development, and organizational strength. This Inside GFM offers a few snapshots of the good work we are doing.
Prayer Requests
I invite you to join me in hopeful trust that God will lead InterVarsity and GFM across this river of transition into a new season of mission within higher education with our eyes fixed on God who gives strength and courage. I also invite you to pray for a few immediate needs:
- For Jason (and other EVPs) as they finish appointing the VPs for their teams
- For me as I seek the right persons for three open GFM leadership positons: RD for GFM West, RD for GFM Northeast, and Director of Faculty Ministries
- For the upcoming first meeting of the National Leadership Team (Tom + EVPs + VPs) on March 7-10 to begin the envisioning process for the next decade—may God lead us.
- And for me as I renew my commitment to lead GFM well in partnership with our GFM Leadership Team.
Thank you.
