Local church leader will head national organization

The Rev. Peg Chemberlin, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Churches, was elected president of the national organization Thursday -- the first Minnesotan to hold the position. She will oversee an organization representing 45 million people from more than 100,000 congregations.

"The mission of the National Council of Churches, like the mission of the Minnesota Council of Churches, resonates with my own personal mission," Chemberlin, 58, said.

"I have spent the past 13 years in Minnesota building bridges, creating unity and building faith communities, and that's what I expect to continue to do on a national scale."

The National Council of Churches represents a wide range of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical and African-American congregations. It also maintains what it calls "a working relationship" with the Roman Catholic Church.

It provides support to member congregations as well as sponsoring several programs, including ministries education and an international justice and advocacy commission.

Among its political activities is an Eco-Justice Program that advances environmental causes, particularly ones involving global warning, and the Save Darfur Coalition, which calls for restoring human rights in Sudan.

Chemberlin "has worked tirelessly to develop strong, meaningful relationships with all faith communities" in Minnesota, said Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

"Her wisdom, accessibility and passion for improving partnerships between faith communities will benefit the National Council of Churches," he said.

Chemberlin's appointment is a six-year commitment, with the first two spent as president-elect. She will continue to live in the Twin Cities, giving the area two national religious leaders, following Leith Anderson's recent election as president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

"I'll be serving on the right-hand side of the president, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian of the Armenian Orthodox Church," she said. "I'll spend some time learning the job. But there's a lot of travel involved for the president, so I imagine that I will be called on to step in for him as needed."

Her election came on the final day of the council's annual assembly, which was held in New York City. There was an installation service after the vote was announced.

"That's a religious thing we go through," she said. "My term doesn't officially start until Jan. 1, so I get a chance to catch my breath first."

She said that the job came to her; she doesn't even know who nominated her. "The first I heard about it was when the nominating committee called to ask if I was willing to serve if I was elected, which is something they have to do before you can be listed on the ballot."

She already was well known on a national level and was often called on to be the keynote speaker at other states' Council of Churches assemblies. Chemberlin has been particularly active in expanding the local council. Under her tenure, the membership has grown 30 percent and its budget has exploded from $600,000 to $3.8 million.

"Under the Rev. Chemberlin's leadership, the Minnesota Council of Churches has been a model" for such organizations and has expanded understanding among its diverse member churches, said Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches.

While the organization is hoping she can continue that growth on a national scale, it's also interested in her networking skills. One of her priorities in Minnesota has been creating relationships with non-member congregations. She drew the attention of the national media following the 35W bridge collapse when she organized an interfaith prayer session that involved Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus.

"I've been very blessed in my 13 years with the Minnesota Council of Churches," she said. "A lot of that has to do with the excellence we have as an organization."

Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392

Jeff Strickler • jstrickler@startribune.com