Executive Director Dan Hamil’s Resignation


Dear NAB family,

Over the last eight years, I have written tens of thousands of words to you as the NAB family with the hopes of pastorally, prophetically, and passionately stirring in you an even greater desire to love God fully, worship Him deeply, follow Jesus faithfully, and witness to this world brightly.

Today, and with a sense of sadness, I write to inform you that I have submitted my resignation as the Executive Director of the North American Baptist Conference of churches. I will conclude my service to the NAB on March 24.

I do think joyfully, though, of the strides we have made together to propel our conference on a missional/formational movement that seeks to join God on His mission to reconcile the world to Himself through Christ our Lord. It has been a privilege to see NAB mission fields, missionaries, and international partners face-to-face and remember how God is using our conference in real ways around the world. I am so pleased that in the last years we have rebirthed a church planting initiative that seeks to help churches multiply and plant new churches in neighborhoods and communities in Canada and the United States. It has been a thrill to interact with two seminaries that are doing groundbreaking work in developing leaders both in North America and in nations around the world. And it has been great to link arms with great staff and leaders at the International Office, with regional ministers and leaders throughout North America, with pastors, and with Spirit-filled board members.

My hope and prayer for the NAB is for us to remain on the course that has been set in recent years by the Governing Board, the Executive Team, and the conference as a whole, focusing passionately on our four ends: missional engagement, leadership formation, international missions, and ethnic partnerships. Now is no time to slow our pursuit of racial righteousness and elevating younger leaders. Therefore, I remain confident that our brightest days lie ahead and will be realized when we become more diverse at the highest levels of leadership – especially among the Governing Board and within the Executive Team.

You may be wondering what is next for Rhonda and me. I have accepted a position with BJC – which many of you may know as the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty – an organization which the NAB helped found and has partnered with for decades. As the only national faith-based group solely focused on protecting religious freedom for all, BJC files briefs in pivotal Supreme Court cases, advocates for and against legislation, testifies in Congress, and educates churches and other groups on issues pertaining to religious liberty.

Though I will no longer lead this conference of churches, Rhonda and I will continue to be part of the NAB family as we will attend and remain members at Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California.

My prayer is that as you continue to acknowledge God in all His ways, He indeed will make your paths straight as you seek to honor Him in word and deed (Proverbs 3:5–6).

In the Master’s reconciling grace and care,

 

Rev. Dr. Daniel Hamil


Feb. 12, 2020

Dear NAB Family and Friends,

It has been said that the only constant in life is the fact of change. So it is with the conflicting emotions of sadness and thankfulness that I inform you that the governing board recently received a letter from our executive director, Dan Hamil, informing us of his intent to resign his position effective March 24, 2020. The governing board has accepted his resignation. As all of you know Dan has served the NAB with great skill and passion during his tenure as our executive director. His reasons for stepping down at the present time come from his hope that the NAB would move to become younger and more diverse in its leadership positions. I can personally attest to the fact that he wrestled with this decision. It was not easy for him. It is also not easy for us because we will miss working with Dan and we know that to find someone to replace such an effective servant of Christ will be difficult to say the least. In terms of his future, Dan has accepted a leadership position with BJC—known to many in the NAB family as the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. We know he will excel in this new chapter in his life as he has as our executive director.

So we invite you to please join us in thanking the Lord and Dan for Dan’s years of service with the NAB. We are stronger and more unified now than when he started. He leaves us in a very good financial and spiritual position. For that we are very grateful. Obviously, we also ask for your prayers as we begin the process of transition and search for a new executive director.

With gratefulness to all of you for your prayers and thankfulness to our Lord for his unfailing love and guidance,

Yours for the governing board,

 

Dr. Mike McNeff
Moderator: NABC


Frequently Asked Questions

WHY IS DAN LEAVING?
God has opened a door of service and ministry for Dan that will allow him to travel less, providing him greater time at home to invest with Rhonda, his own spiritual depth, and in serving others in his church and community. Dan also has a deep sense that younger leaders, women leaders, and leaders of color increasingly should have a seat at the leadership table. His choice to vacate his leadership chair was prompted by his desire to make room for others to lead.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR DAN?
Dan has accepted a position with BJC – which many of you may know as the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty – an organization which the NAB helped found and has partnered with for decades. As the only national faith-based group solely focused on protecting religious freedom for all, BJC files briefs in pivotal Supreme Court cases, advocates for and against legislation, testifies in Congress, and educates churches and other groups on issues pertaining to religious liberty. Dan is excited about protecting faith freedom for all.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE NAB?
Dan will continue to serve the NAB until his last day on March 24, 2020. NAB Moderator Mike McNeff and the NAB Governing Board are working to put systems in place to appoint an interim executive director following Dan’s departure, and they will then shift their energies to seating a search committee per the NAB Constitution. They are currently seeking to discern what specific steps God’s Spirit is directing them to take.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR FINDING OUR NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR?
In alignment with the NAB Constitution, the Governing Board will assemble a search committee that will then present candidates to the Governing Board. It is possible that the Board could hire a new executive director either before or after the July 2021 Triennial. Since the constitution requires a vote for the position of executive director, the newly appointed individual would be presented to the floor of the following Triennial, which could be as soon as July 2021. The required vote for executive director is two-thirds of Triennial delegates.

WHEN WILL THE NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BE IN PLACE?
There are a number of factors that affect the timing. Ultimately, this is an elected position that will be voted on by the delegates at Triennial. If the governing board finds and appoints an individual prior to the 2021 Triennial Conference, this individual would operate in this role until they are elected by the delegates at Triennial.

Below is the exact language from the NAB Constitution:

(4.3.3) Without restricting the general authority of the foregoing, the Governing Board shall have authority (4.3.3.4) to appoint the Conference Constitutional Change Committee, the Conference Nominating Committee, and the Executive Director Search Committee and (4.3.3.5) to appoint persons to fill vacancies for the Officers or the Executive Director between meetings of the Triennial Conference.

[. . .]

(5.7.3) When required, the Governing Board shall appoint a Search Committee for the candidate for the Executive Director position. (5.7.3.1) In case of a vacancy in the Executive Director position, the candidate for Executive Director shall be elected by two-thirds vote of the delegates at a Triennial Conference business session. (5.7.3.2) If the Executive Director was appointed by the Governing Board due to a vacancy between Triennial Conferences, the Executive Director shall be affirmed to the position at the next Triennial Conference business session by two-thirds vote of the delegates.

WILL THERE BE AN INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR?
Historically, we have hired an interim executive director before beginning the search for the new executive director. Mike McNeff and the Governing Board are working on plans and those details will be announced as soon as plans are in place.

IS DAN REMAINING CONNECTED TO THE NAB?
Absolutely! Dan and Rhonda will continue to be active members of Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California.

WHOM DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
You can send all questions or comments to communications@nabconf.org, and we will forward it along to the appropriate person.