Philip Woods named Presbyterian World Mission associate director for strategy, program and recruitment

New position responsible for strategic alignment with changing global concerns

by Kathy Melvin | Presbyterian News Service

Philip Woods. (Photo provided)

LOUISVILLE — The Rev. Jose Luis Casal, director of Presbyterian World Mission, announced today that the Rev. Philip Woods has been named World Mission’s associate director for strategy, program and recruitment. The past two years he has served as coordinator of the area office for the Middle East and Europe in Louisville.

In his new position, Woods will coordinate World Mission’s strategic alignment with its programmatic work to be consistent with God’s call, changing global concerns, global partner needs, U.S. constituency engagement, General Assembly referrals and the Presbyterian Mission Work Plan. He will lead the effort to increase diversity among World Mission staff, mission personnel and Young Adult Volunteers, as well as providing leadership to the four area office coordinators and the Equipping for Mission Involvement team.

“I am excited about the opportunity to work with Philip in this new capacity,” said Casal. “From my first day here, I have discovered, step by step, the gifts and skills of this quiet and profound human being. His multiple gifts and extensive experience in the ecumenical and missiological environment make him the ideal person to lead the program, strategy and recruitment process. Philip was one of the first to join me in the search for a new vision for this historical moment to which God is calling us. He readily accepted the difficult responsibility of co-facilitating our current strategic planning process that, I am sure, will lead us, along with all our international and national partners, mission co-workers, young adult volunteers, our colleagues in other PMA ministry areas, Presbyterian agencies, mid-councils and all the people of the church, how to do mission in this different and challenging 21st century. I am grateful to God who placed in Philip’s heart the desire to serve in this new role while we discover together with our new Executive Director Diane Moffett and our Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson the new future God is holding on his hands for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).”

Woods was secretary for mission enabling with the Council for World Mission, an international mission agency comprised mostly of Reformed and Presbyterian churches in 31 countries committed to equitable sharing in mission. He led the organization’s $18 million grants program first from London, then from Singapore. He is an ordained minister of the United Reformed Church of Great Britain (URC), where he served for over a decade as secretary for international relations.

He has extensive experience in several areas, including partnership coordination, peacemaking and refugee resettlement. As secretary for international relations for the URC, he has worked with churches on every continent. Woods moved to Louisville with his wife, Donna Miller (Buland), formerly of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

Woods will serve as associate director alongside Tamron Keith who continues to serve as associate director for administration, providing leadership to World Mission director’s office staff, the young adult volunteer coordinator and mission personnel team coordinator.

World Mission will immediately begin recruiting for the Middle East and Europe Area Coordinator position. Those interested can access the job description and application information by following this link.