OHIO COUNCIL OF CHURCHES SELECTS REV. DR. JACK SULLIVAN, JR. AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Ohio Council of Churches (OCC), the 99-year-old state ecumenical organization, has named the Reverend Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., a career pastor, ecumenist and social justice advocate, as its new executive director. Sullivan, 59, has served as senior pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Findlay, OH since February 2017. He will begin his ministry with the OCC January 1, 2019.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Sullivan is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) US and Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Ohio University, Athens, OH; a Master of Divinity degree from Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY; and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH. Sullivan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Bethany College, Bethany, WV.
With prior service as pastor, Christian educator, regional minister, and death penalty abolitionist, Sullivan is past convener of the OCC’s Justice and Advocacy Team. He is president of the governing board of Ohioans to Stop Executions; co-president of the Disciples Justice Action Network; life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the NAACP; and member of the governing bodies of EcuMentors men’s ministry; the Ohio Region, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); the Ohio Conference, United Church of Christ; Findlay’s mental health agency Century Health, and LGBTQ+ Spectrum Support Group; the Ohio Poor People’s Campaign; Death Penalty Action; and Journey of Hope: From Violence to Healing, a national anti-death penalty organization. Sullivan has given leadership to committees of both the National and World Councils of Churches, and has participated in ecumenical gatherings in Zimbabwe, Switzerland, and Israel/Palestine.
Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas, Sr., President of the Governing Board of the OCC says: “The Ohio Council of Churches is very fortunate to have Reverend Jack Sullivan take the helm as our Executive Director, for such as time as this. We know without a doubt, that he is the one God has chosen to lead us as we seek our way forward as a major ecumenical voice and presence in the State of Ohio.”
Based in Columbus, the Ohio Council of Churches is a partnership of 17 Christian faith denominations. Established in 1919, it is one of the nation’s oldest state ecumenical councils.