Meet Lois Artis Murray
by William H. McDonald

Serving on the Search Committee for a President for CFC and Associate GM has provided several blessings for me. First of all, it allowed me to work with some very fine people on the committee: Phil smith, Hannibal, MO; Polo Velez, Indy; Elizabeth Hamm, Atlanta; Ann Updegraff Spleth, Indy; Don Lucey, Raleigh, NC.

In addition to a lot of individual calls and letters the committee had one conference call to clarify the job description and to talk about the process and a second conference call after all resumes had been completed and examined.

A second blessing came f rom receiving and reading through the resumes of some very fine candidates. I was impressed with the talent in our denomination. During that second call, we selected the three most outstanding from a very talented field of candidates to meet for interviews in Indianapolis.

On December 17th the committee met in Indy for the interview process, which began at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. We interviewed each candidate thoroughly and then re-interviewed our top choice a second time. All three were excellent candidates but let me tell you why we chose Lois Artis-Murray.

Let me introduce Lois Artis-Murray by telling you what we wanted and what we got.

Three-quarters of this job is serving as President of the Church Finance Council. The General Board decided in the job description last year that this person needed marketing, financial and management skills.

Most recently Lois served as the Assistant Secretary for Administration in the North Carolina Dept of Environment and Natural Resources, serving as their Chief Financial Officer, managing a budget in excess of $2 billion dollars. There are the skills.

You asked for someone with effective communication skills, written and verbal. As a member of the Governor’s senior staff in NC, Lois had to work with members of the legislature on budget proposals and represent the Governor at various official functions. In Her Department in North Carolina, she implemented E-mail, voice mail and weekly conference calls with the regional offices. She was Community Liaison for Duke University, the primary contact person for local government and community relations. Many of you heard her moving witness about racism as she spoke to the General Assembly in Denver in 1997. And yesterday afternoon Lois made visible to us the people we have been unable to see. She opened our eyes with communication skills.

You asked for someone who could ensure that CFC has competent and effective leadership throughout its staff. Lois implemented a Strategic Quality plan in her state department, oversaw the conversion to a new accounting system, established new departmental policies and procedures designed to ensure financial integrity, and designed policies to ensure staff development. Her position at DENR entailed supervising a staff of 300 people located throughout the state.

You wanted someone with experience in organizational planning and implementation of program. Lois has fifteen years of experience in executive level planning, financial management, public relations, human resource management and organizational development. She is fully equipped to handle the business of the CFC.

But this position is also one-quarter time Associate General Minister. So the job description called for someone with pastoral skills, though not necessarily an ordained minister. Since 1991, Lois has been a licensed lay minister in the region of North Carolina in good standing. She is also a student at Duke University Divinity School and the Masters of Divinity degree. From 1996-1999, she co-pastored Saint Andrews Christian Church, Dudley, NC and served as Youth Leader and Choir Director. She is a pastor.

The position calls for someone with demonstrated leadership within the Christian Church DOC. Lois serves as a member of the Committee for the Discernment of Racism in North America. She has served on Board of the Division of Overseas Ministries. She has served the North Carolina region as Chair of the Commission on Church Life, regional coordinator of Christian Women’s Fellowship, and a member of the Long Range Planning Committee. In local churches, Lois has served in the areas of worship, evangelism, finance, stewardship, youth, music, and has held offices as a trustee, elder, deacon, Sunday School teacher, and choir director. Leadership on every level.

We wanted someone who could work with all people. Lois has worked for and supervised people of all colors. She has served on the NC Governor’s Minority Executive Council, organized a chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants, and preached regularly in both black and white congregations in NC. She served four years on the Board of the East Coast Migrant Head Start Ministry, working with Hispanic families.

Her own regional minister says that she "is friendly and outgoing, possesses a strength that is evident, is emotionally stable, capable of handling conflict around her and pressure from work load, a demonstrated and proven leader, with the deepest commitment and spirituality, a person of outstanding capabilities, varied gifts, integrity and faith." A reference said: "Her winning personality and good sense of humor are among her assets."

Another reference stated: "Her disposition about what is right and good in the eyes of the Lord remains steadfast in every decision she makes as a wife, mother, senior executive and pastor. A person of energy and enthusiasm."

Another reference states: "Lois has the uncanny ability to visualize the solution to a problem, and implement this solution, while motivating others toward this end. She is comfortable in team settings and is an effective leader. She has a commitment to economic and social justice. The position of Associate General Minister and President of the Church Finance Council seems to be a unique way of joining her sense of ministry with the superb management skills she possesses."

As for herself, Lois quotes Cardinal Carlo Martini, "The Lord who calls us to ministry does not call us simply to say or to do something but above all to be something." Then she writes, "The calling to the service of God is above all else a charge to be faithful to the purpose for one’s creation. God has invested in this servant more than forty years of spiritual direction, experience and training in church polity and opportunities for leadership through the local, regional and general manifestations of the Christian Church (DOC)...I view the position, Associate General Minister and President of the Church Finance Council, as more than an opportunity, but the fulfillment of a calling."