The Fellowship of Reconciliation, the oldest interfaith peace and justice organization in North America, is proud to announce the appointment of a new executive director to guide FOR-USA’s renowned global work for progressive social change. The Reverend Dr. Emma Jordan-Simpson of Brooklyn, New York, has been selected as the national branch’s 26th executive director. An esteemed religious and community leader, she assumed her position at FOR in September 2018.
“I’m fascinated by the boldness of the vision that birthed this movement for peace and racial equality over a century ago,” said Dr. Jordan-Simpson. “We face political, social, and communal challenges today that are both new and historic. I’m looking to engage with the people who have been left out of the work of imagining a new world, the people who bring the tools needed to address structural violence, and the people whose interests and life experiences point the way for us to create a more just world.”
Dr. Jordan-Simpson is a committed child advocate, experienced non-profit executive, and faith leader, and brings to the Fellowship a depth of expertise in organizational development, fundraising, and strategic alliances. During the past two decades she has served tenures as executive director of Girls Incorporated of New York, the Children’s Defense Fund of New York, and Edwin Gould Services for Children and Families, all while maintaining a chief pastoral position at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Emma as executive director,” said Chrissy Stonebraker-Martinez, co-chair of FOR’s National Council and co-director of the InterReligious Task Force on Central America. “We need compassionate and visionary leaders who can respond effectively to today’s demands for intersectional and intergenerational movement-building. Her proven experience of helping organizations move boldly through change will be a major asset in this time of great transition.”
“As someone who grew up with an intimate awareness of the profound impact of structural violence and abuse on families and communities, Emma inspires us with her radical commitment to a lifetime of nonviolent action and community empowerment,” said Matt Meyer, co-chair of FOR’s National Council and chair of the search committee. “Her deep dedication to challenging mass incarceration and the cradle-to-prison pipeline, promoting gender equity, and advancing youth empowerment in distressed communities is a compelling reflection of our universal call to overcome the ‘Triple Evils’ of racism, militarism, and extreme poverty today, a half-century after Dr. King was murdered for professing that mandate.”
Dr. Jordan-Simpson is an ordained Baptist minister and an alumna of Fisk University (B.A.), Union Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Drew University (D.Min.). She serves as vice president of the board of directors of the American Baptist Churches of Metro New York, and is a board member of numerous other organizations, including the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, and Community Connections for Youth.
Media Contact: Ethan Vesely-Flad, +1-510-701-5267, pr@forusa.org
