September 15, 2021
Dear members of the Evangelical Covenant Church,
The Constitution and Bylaws of the Evangelical Covenant Church have established a nomination process and a committee charged with recommending to the 136th Annual Meeting a nominee to serve a four-year term as president of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Annual Meeting will be held June 23-25, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Constitution and Bylaws provide the position overview for the denominational president:
CONSTITUTION: ARTICLE VI, Officers
Section 6.3.
The president shall be an ordained Evangelical Covenant Church minister in good standing. The president shall be elected by the Annual Meeting as provided in the Bylaws. The president shall have the duties and responsibilities provided in the Bylaws.
BYLAWS: ARTICLE VI, Officers
Section 6.3. The President.
a. Duties and Responsibilities.
The president shall provide pastoral leadership to the Evangelical Covenant Church. The president shall also be the chief executive officer of the Evangelical Covenant Church and, subject to the authority of the Annual Meeting and the Executive Board, shall have general direction of the ministry and business matters of the Evangelical Covenant Church, general direction of the officers of the Evangelical Covenant Church and members of the Council of Administrators, the general powers and duties of management usually vested in the office of president of an Illinois not‐for‐profit corporation, and all other powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Annual Meeting, the Executive Board, or these Bylaws. Within this authority and in the course of the duties of president, the president shall
i. preside at all meetings of the Council of Administrators;
ii. be an ex‐officio member of all boards, councils, commissions, committees, and associations of the Evangelical Covenant Church, except the Presidential Nominating Committee and any committee of the Executive Board that is reviewing the performance or compensation of the president of the Evangelical Covenant Church;
iii. be an ex‐officio member of the boards and committees of all corporations established by the Evangelical Covenant Church and their affiliates; and
iv. execute or authorize the execution of legal, financial, and commercial documents in the name of the Evangelical Covenant Church when authorized by the Annual Meeting or the Executive Board, or when required by law or the regular and ordinary course of business.
b. Term of Office.
A president shall be elected or re‐elected for a term of four years. Each term shall begin on September 1 following the Annual Meeting at which the president was elected or re‐elected.
The Presidential Nominating Committee held an online organizing meeting on September 9 and plans to formalize the nominating process and assumptions at our first in-person planning meeting on September 25-26. This will help us prepare for future efforts and engagements.
At the September 9 meeting, the twenty-seven members of the Presidential Nominating Committee elected the following officers: Steve Dawson (chair), Rachel Burke (vice-chair), Vicky Reier (secretary), and Doris Granberry (vice-secretary).
Having already received a number of comments, the PNC extends an invitation to Covenanters to respond to the following three questions before September 30, 2021:
- What attributes and qualities should the president of the Evangelical Covenant Church possess?
- What are the main areas/issues on the horizon that the president of the Evangelical Covenant Church will need to address in the next term?
- Other comments?
Please submit your comments to: PresidentSearch@covchurch.org. If you prefer to use the postal service, please mail your feedback to:
Covenant Governance
Attention: Presidential Nominating Committee
8303 W. Higgins
Chicago, Illinois 60631
We ask for your prayers as the committee commences discernment as we carry out this important and arduous assignment.
Respectfully,
Steve Dawson
Chair, Presidential Nominating Committee
