OGA09003
June 5, 2009

Office of the General Assembly announces staff changes

Net reduction of three positions through early retirements and reorganization

For more information, contact Sharon Youngs at (502) 569-5750.

LOUISVILLE — The Office of the General Assembly has announced a reduction in the staff of the Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The announcement was made by Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, in an all-staff meeting on June 5, 2009.

Overall, three staff members accepted voluntary separation packages, another three positions were eliminated, and two new positions were created, to be filled in 2010.

“We deeply regret having to say goodbye to people who have given loyal service to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),” said Parsons. He added, “These changes are necessary for good stewardship of the resources we have been given, and to match resources with future goals.”

The staff changes are one of a number of measures approved by the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly earlier this year to address projected shortfalls in the 2009 and 2010 budgets due, in largest part, to the global economic crisis.

The Office of the General Assembly (OGA) is required to maintain a minimum of thirty percent of its budget reserves. The per capita budget includes a draw-down from the reserves above this required minimum. OGA reached the minimum when it lost nearly $1 million in the value of its reserves from the economic downturn.

It is anticipated that the staff changes and other measures taken by OGA will be enough to under expend the 2009 budget by $400,000, reduce the 2010 budget a necessary $800,000, and allow the OGA to maintain the required minimum in its reserves.

The three staff members who are retiring from OGA – Evelyn Hwang, Joan Richardson, and Charlotte Brooks. – have a combined total of over 100 years of service to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

After more than 48 years of service on the national staff of the Presbyterian Church, both in New York City and Louisville, Evelyn Hwang will be retiring as associate for preparation for ministry in the Office of Vocation. Hwang was influenced in her own vocational journey by Presbyterian missionaries in her native China. She has returned that gift by supporting the critical work of those preparing for ministry. A Presbyterian elder, Hwang helped shape the call system, spearheaded diversity initiatives, transformed preparation from a process to formation, and initiated the Healthy Ministry Conference. 

Joan Richardson has nearly 36 years of service to the church. A seminary graduate, Richardson spent the majority of her years working for the PC(USA) in the area of women’s ministries in Chicago and San Francisco. She has served the last 15 years in OGA as manager of the General Assembly Committee on Representation. Prior to her work for the church, Richardson spent several years in social work in Chicago. Richardson’s desire that all women, men, and youth participate fully in the life and mission of the PC(USA) has resulted in her involvement in leader development, skills training, and spiritual nurture and development.

Charlotte Brooks is retiring after 20 years as an OGA staff member. She was the person who typed and mailed the hundreds of letters that were written by the Stated Clerk each year. She also logged in every piece of incoming mail and saw that each letter was answered by the appropriate staff person. Brooks maintained the central files that contain every official response issued by the Stated Clerk and/or the Office of the General Assembly. In addition, she assisted the director of the Department of the Clerk and the Stated Clerk with myriad assignments. One of the first faces that visitors to OGA would see, Brooks was always eager to help others in any way she could.
      
The three positions being eliminated are the senior administrative assistant from the Department of Communication, Development and Technology; the senior administrative assistant from Church Leader Connection (Office of Vocation), and the associate for examinations in the Office of Vocation.

The two new positions in OGA will be filled in 2010 and will be lodged in the Office of Vocation, which is a shared ministry with the General Assembly Council. The new positions – an associate and a program assistant for preparation for ministry and examinations – will provide a more streamlined approach in helping to prepare leaders for the PC(USA).

Commenting on the new positions, Parsons said, “By integrating the examination process with the preparation for ministry process, the Office of Vocation will be better positioned to support the church in preparing the leaders needed to expand Christ’s witness through the PC(USA) in years to come.”

After the staff changes just announced, the number of OGA staff will be 71. The OGA serves the PC(USA) through two locations – the Presbyterian Historical Society (Philadelphia) and its main offices at 100 Witherspoon Street in Louisville, Ky.

Other cost-saving measures approved by the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly include a salary freeze for OGA staff for 2010, a reduction in ecumenical grants, a two percent across-the-board reduction in departmental expenses, reductions in the per capita portion of the General Assembly Council budget, and the elimination of the hard-copy version of the PC(USA) Directory.

One of six agencies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Office of the General Assembly offers assistance and support in the areas of the PC(USA)’s governance and structure, helping the church to discern the mind of Christ.