Washington DC, US
RNS
Rev Alvin Herring announced on Tuesday that he will step down next year as head of the US congregation-based organising network Faith in Action, leaving the group he has helmed for five years.
“I think this is a good moment to step aside and give younger leaders a chance to lead, more women a chance to lead and to be their champions on the outside – to herald their work and to continue to lend my support,” Herring, 66, told Religion News Service in an interview.
Rev Alvin Herring. PICTURE: Ana I Martinez Chamorro
Faith in Action is still deciding on a replacement for Herring, who previously served as the group’s director of training and faith formation before leaving for a two-year stint at the WK Kellogg Foundation, where he said he helped the organisation focus on racial justice and racial equity. He is expected to continue to serve in his current position until 31st March, 2024.
The leadership change comes as Faith in Action, a faith-based organisation previously known as PICO National Network, gears up for another election cycle. Although the group rejects political labels, it helps member congregations mobilise around a host of issues relevant to their local community – issues often seen as liberal-leaning, such as immigrant rights, the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities and prison reform.
Herring, who is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, noted Faith in Action assembled a massive voter engagement effort ahead of the 2020 election, encouraging those they contacted to register to vote and show up on election day.
“I hope…we will continue to fight for democracy every way that we can, and one of the most powerful ways to fight for democracy is to fight for the right to vote,” Herring said.
The Maryland pastor leaves behind a sprawling network that boasts active efforts in 200 cities across 25 US states. The organisation also has emerging efforts in six additional countries abroad such as El Salvador and Rwanda. It’s a fledgling global effort Herring said he has worked hard to expand.
Faith in Action also flourished financially under his leadership, aided in part by a multimillion-dollar grant in June, 2021, from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
“Now we are one of the most financially solvent organisations in our environment, with a significant endowment that will ensure the financial health of this organisation for many years to come,” he said.
Looking back, Herring said he is proud of many things that occurred while he worked at the organisation, particularly the elevation of more women and people of coloor into leadership positions.
“We’ll continue to advocate that women and young people of color be at the forefront of every important decision made in this country, and at the forefront of every important decision made in this organisation,” he said.
As for what’s next, Herring isn’t sure. He expressed a desire to embark on a bike trip across the country or focus on his art.
He still intends to remain involved in organizing, however, and expressed optimism that Faith in Action’s efforts can help bring about the changes they seek.
“I’ve lived long enough to know that sometimes change can happen in an instant if the intentions are right, if the circumstances are right, if the environment has been seeded with enough belief, enough faith,” he said. “I think this organisation is the perfect embodiment of that, so I think we have a bright future ahead of us.”
