Rev. Dr. Nancy Maeker named Acting Director of A Minnesota Without Poverty

We are pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. Nancy Maeker will be the Acting Director of A Minnesota Without Poverty as of July 1, 2008.  A Minnesota Without Poverty is a movement that has grown out of the Saint Paul Area Synod of the ELCA, and as of April 1st it has become a program of the Minnesota Council of Churches.

Rev. Peg Chemberlin, Executive Director of the Minnesota Council of Churches, said, “Nancy’s deep and abiding commitment to this movement to end poverty in Minnesota is energizing and contagious.  She has been so dedicated to this work, and we are grateful that she is willing to continue to work to end poverty in Minnesota in her new call to her ministry with the Minnesota Council of Churches.”

A Minnesota Without Poverty is a statewide, ecumenical, and interfaith movement to end poverty that originated from A Common Foundation: Shared Principles for Work on Overcoming Poverty.  The movement to end poverty was born out of deep convictions from within the religious community, and articulated clearly as one of three foci of the vision for the Saint Paul Area Synod of the ELCA (SPAS-ELCA).  Nancy provided the staff leadership from SPAS-ELCA, helping the effort to grow from a Saint Paul, to a Metro Area, to a statewide focus, and from a Lutheran to an ecumenical to an interfaith movement.  

The Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020 was established as a direct result of A Minnesota Without Poverty, and, therefore, will remain the major focus of the movement’s time and energy in future years.

Nancy has served as bishop’s associate in the Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) since 2002. Prior to her call to the synod, she served as pastor for community ministries at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis.  Nancy will continue her role with the Saint Paul Area Synod until she moves to the Minnesota Council of Churches on July 1st.  

As the Bishop’s Assistant in the Saint Paul Area Synod, Nancy related to North Conference and North Central Conference; Ending Poverty Leadership Team; Inviting All Leadership Team; Equipping Leaders Leadership Teams; Hunger Task Force; and Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy.  Additionally, Nancy has been directly engaged with the Minnesota Council of Churches, serving on the Program  Commission and its Steering Committee.

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