New Chief Officer

Just reporting. Significantly it's on the GA website before I've posted, which is different from last time when I reported before it got on the official website.

Well done, Derek.

STATEMENT BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UNITARIAN AND FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES

The Executive Committee is pleased to announce that Derek McAuley has been
appointed to the post of Chief Officer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and
Free Christian Churches. It is anticipated that he will take up the position in
December 2009.


Derek, aged 50, has been active within the Unitarian movement at
congregational, district and national levels and has been a member of the
Executive Committee since April 2008 and General Assembly Treasurer since April
2009. He served as a member of the Hibbert Trust collaborative inquiry into the
future of liberal religion: “Shaping the Future”.


He has been a senior manager in the National Health Service for 17 years in
Merseyside and Manchester and also brings long experience as a voluntary sector
trustee and chair.


Derek said;

”I am excited to be offered this opportunity to serve the Unitarian
denomination in a new way and look forward to working closely with current
staff at Essex Hall, members of the Executive Committee and Unitarians across
Great Britain and Ireland.

I want to play my part in developing the movement across the spectrum of its
activities and for Unitarianism to grow both numerically but also as a group of
communities sharing common values of liberal religion.

I have benefited immensely from my association with Unitarianism and I want to
see others share that experience. I have a lot to learn but am looking forward
to starting work as soon as I can at Unitarian Headquarters.”



Executive Committee Convenor, Sir Peter Soulsby said;

“The Executive Committee are delighted to be able to appoint Derek to the
post of Chief Officer. He brings a wealth of experience in leadership and
management from both outside and within the Movement. His commitment and
experience will be a tremendous asset and we look forward to working closely
with him to take forward an agenda of change.