Mike Kinman named provost of Missouri cathedral, departs global reconciliation post
Episcopal News Service. February 9, 2009 [020909-03]
Joe Bjordal
The Rev. Mike Kinman, 40, executive director of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation (EGR), has been named provost of Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis, the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri.
The announcement was made at the cathedral on Sunday, February 8 during the annual visitation of Missouri Bishop Wayne Smith. Kinman will conclude his service to EGR and begin his new ministry in late March.
As the founding executive director of EGR since January 2006, Kinman has carried out a high-profile role in helping the Episcopal Church rally its support for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), traveling as much as 130 days per year. He said the best part of the job was meeting "so many amazing people doing amazing ministry throughout the Episcopal Church."
Kinman said that so often work toward alleviating poverty is carried out with a sense of obligation, but that he has witnessed something completely different.
"Mostly what I have seen is people approaching this work with a great sense of joy," he said. "What I have witnessed is people who have discovered a profound truth: no matter how much we give to the cause, we end up receiving much more. And that has brought them great joy."
Kinman said that the MDGs are a "structure to seek and serve Christ" and that people have come together "across issues" to serve the poor. He said that throughout the church, "people from the far left, the far right and everywhere in between are getting together to work, laugh and play" in support of the MDGs.
"God never allows moments of great challenge to emerge without also giving us moments of great opportunity," said Kinman. "The MDGs have helped us grasp new ways of working together."
The Rev. Dr. Ian Douglas, vice chair of the EGR board of directors and professor of mission and world Christianity at Episcopal Divinity School, said Kinman has been "a godsend in helping to develop Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation as a resource for the Episcopal Church to advance the MDGs."
"What we needed as our first executive director was someone who was passionate about the alleviation of the suffering of the poor of the world, saw the addressing of poverty as a Christian vocation, and was an excellent communicator and consummate networker," said Douglas. "That's exactly what Mike gave us. His gift has been to help us all better understand and commit to God's global mission and justice, compassion and reconciliation, particularly for the poor of the world."
The Rev. Devon Anderson, chair of the MDG leadership team in the Diocese of Minnesota and an EGR board member, said Kinman was just the kind of "catalytic leader" an organization needs to get off the ground.
"Mike helped put global poverty at the forefront of our collective consciousness as a church and he did so with a particular emphasis on mobilizing young people," said Anderson "Mike was the right person at the right time—an excellent preacher, cheerleader, encourager, and networker. Over the years I have admired his ability to raise up other people's creative ideas and get them out into the church for others to use and develop. He has a capacity to get the ball rolling on new and creative ideas."
Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation now has coordinators in more than 70 dioceses.
Before joining EGR, Kinman served as the priest for the Episcopal Campus Ministry at Washington University in St. Louis and was the diocesan campus ministry coordinator. He holds a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master of divinity degree from Yale University. He is co-founder of the Gathering the NeXt Generation network of "Generation X" Episcopal clergy. He currently serves as vice-chair of the Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns of the Episcopal Church. He lives in St. Louis with his wife, Robin, and their two sons, Schroeder and Hayden.
In January 2008, Kinman was the recipient of Virginia Theological Seminary's John Hines Preaching Award.
Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation has launched a national search for a new executive director.