Chapman, who had been carrying out the duties of general secretary since the departure of Michael Kinnamon on Dec. 31, will serve as interim until
the board decides on the next steps for filling the office.
“Clare has been entrusted by God with gifts that will serve the council well
at this transitional time, and we are grateful for her willingness to
serve,” said NCC President Kathryn Mary Lohre.
Lohre noted that Chapman served as NCC interim general secretary
September 2007, when former General Secretary Bob Edgar became president and CEO of Common Cause, until January 2008, when Kinnamon assumed office. Kinnamon announced last November that he was resigning for health reasons.
Before joining the NCC staff in January 2007, Chapman served on several
committees, commissions and task forces. For more than two decades, she was on the staff of the United Methodist Church’s General Commission on
Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns as its associate general
secretary for program and administration.
Chapman has extensive ecumenical and interfaith experience. She has been an adviser to one United Methodist delegation to the World Council of Churches and delegate to another. She was a member of the first official United Methodist delegation to the Vatican for discussions on Christian unity.
The NCC represents 37 member communions from Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African-American and Living Peace churches that include 45 million people in more than 100,000 congregations.
