Lewis receives inaugural award

The Virginia Theological Seminary awarded the inaugural Dean’s Cross for Servant Leadership in Church and Society Feb. 15 to Octavia “Tay” Woods of New York (lay honoree) and Rev. Canon Harold T. Lewis, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church (clergy honoree. The Dean’s Cross was awarded by Rev. Ian Markham, dean and president of Virginia Seminary, and by Rev. Peter James Lee, bishop of Virginia, during a special evensong service in the Seminary Chapel.

REV. HAROLD T. LEWIS

Established in November 2008, the Dean’s Cross award recognizes outstanding leaders who embody their baptismal vows to “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.” Selected annually by the Seminary Dean in consultation with the chair of the board, the honorees receive a handmade silver cross, modeled after the Seminary Chapel cross, and a certificate.

“Our work here at Virginia Seminary is formation,” said Markham, “and this award celebrates the well-formed life, which involves living out the values of the baptismal covenant and making a difference in society.”

Lewis was honored for his gospel values and powerful witness to the genius of Anglicanism with its respect for learning, tolerance and openness. Author of “A Church for the Future: South Africa as the Crucible for Anglicanism in a New Century,” Lewis tells the story of the South African Church from its role in the first Lambeth conference to the present day.

During his dinner remarks, Lewis said, “I often talk about having a glimpse of the heavenly Jerusalem as the very purpose of our existence, and with this award am reminded by that great hymn by Dr. Bowie: ‘Give us, oh God, the strength to build the city that hath stood too long a dream, whose laws are love, whose crown is servanthood, and where the sun that shinneth is God’s grace for human good.’”

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Names New Head

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has tapped a new president to lead the national Christian oversight and accreditation agency.

After serving as acting president for the past 11 months, Dan Busby was officially named ECFA’s president on Mar. 1, culminating a national search that began following the sudden resignation of former ECFA president Kenneth A. Behr in late April 2008.

Michael Batts, chairman of ECFA’s board, said Busby was “clearly the right person for the job.”

"Dan not only has a stellar track record of leadership and innovation in the arena of financial accountability and integrity, but he is a nationally recognized authority on the subject,” Batts said. “He is the primary 'go to' person in America on matters related to financial integrity for Christian ministries and churches."

Before stepping in last year as acting president, Busby had served as vice president and senior vice president of ECFA since 1998. He was also named by Your Church magazine as one of the three CPAs in the United States who ministers would prefer to prepare their tax return. His two tax and finances books for ministers and churches have been annually revised and published by Zondervan since 1990.

"Dan Busby has the proven experience, support of the staff, confidence of the membership, quality of character and leadership skills to effectively lead ECFA into the challenging years ahead," commented ECFA board vice chair Wes Willmer in the agency’s announcement Tuesday.

"The board of ECFA realizes what a tremendous servant leader we have in Dan, and we are thrilled to have him as president," added board member Lauren Libby.

During the period that Busby served as ECFA acting president, the agency reportedly experienced one of the largest single-year membership increases in its history and was named one of the "Best Christian Workplaces in America" by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute. Other ministries in the list include MOP International, InterVarsity Press, Tyndale House Publishers, and the DeMoss Group.

Regarding his new position and the responsibilities that come with it, Busby said that he is “extremely humbled and honored.”

"Accountability, transparency and integrity have never been more important for churches and Christian ministries and the donors who support them," he stated.

Founded in 1979, ECFA provides accreditation to evangelical Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate compliance with established standards for financial accountability, fund-raising and board governance. Members include Christian ministries, denominations, churches, educational institutions and other tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. Collectively, these organizations represent more than $18 billion in annual revenue.