NCC fills five revamped senior positions: Reorganization after staff cuts

The National Council of Churches has filled five new senior positions, one month after the New York–based ecumenical agency cut staff due to budget restrictions. Coping with a $1 million budget shortfall in its last fiscal year, the ecumenical agency reduced programming and cut 14 staff jobs down to five in November.

All five of the new hires had been NCC employees before the cutbacks. They are: Clare Chapman as chief operating officer; Wesley M. (Pat) Patillo as senior program director for justice, advocacy and communication; Garland F. Pierce as senior program director for education and leadership ministries; Antonios Kireopoulos as senior program director for Faith and Order and for interfaith relations; and Eileen Lindner as director of organizational development.

Michael Kinnamon, newly installed NCC general secretary, said that the reduced staff will not be able to provide the same level of programming and service. “We’ll be spending the first few months of the new year living into the new structure to determine how much we can do without overwhelming the staff,” he said.