July 24, 2008

WILSON, NC – The eight Regions of the Southeast Regional Fellowship (SERF) have called the Rev. Skinah Hamlin to serve as Minister of Reconciliation and Anti-Racism Ministries, beginning on September 1, 2008. The Regional Ministers of these eight Regions (Alabama-Northwest Florida, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) began a process of collaboration to share this full-time staff position at a SERF retreat in 2006. Since that time there has been a process of defining the position, seeking funding, and screening and interviewing candidates.

Rev. Skinah Hamlin has most recently served as Director of Multicultural Education, Chief Diversity Officer and First Year Experience Instructor at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, a position she has held for the past four years. Prior to that she served in various roles at Bennett College, Greensboro, NC, including Executive Assistant to the President, Instructor of Political Science, and Director of Program Activities for Recent Graduates. Rev. Hamlin received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bennett College, a Master of Arts in Political Science from Howard University, Washington, DC, and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. She was ordained to the ministry at Covenant Christian Church in Cary, NC.

A native of North Carolina, Rev. Hamlin brings experience in administration, teaching, program development, fund-raising, research, and grassroots organizing to this new ministry. She has also served in positions of ministry in congregational settings, the most recent of which was as Associate Pastor with First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Greensboro, NC.

The North Carolina Region will serve as home base for Rev. Hamlin's work with the Regions of the Southeast; however, much of her time will be spent visiting in each of the Regions, building relationships with key leaders, and working with Regional staffs, Boards, and Anti-Racism Teams to develop strategies for each Region to move toward becoming a pro-reconciling/anti-racist expression of the church.

In addition to the financial commitments of each Region in the SERF cluster, made possible by the annual Reconciliation Offering, grants from the General Reconciliation Commission and the Oreon E. Scott Foundation are providing the necessary support for funding this position. It is envisioned that Rev. Hamlin will work in cooperation with the General Reconciliation Commission in her new role.

Disciples News Service