Transitions Within The Nashville Fellows Program
Message from the Executive Director:
Dear Nashville Fellows Community,
It is with a mix of sadness and anticipation that I tell you Clint and I will be moving to Louisville at the end of January for Clint to begin a position as Rector (i.e. Sr. Pastor) at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church. For many reasons, we know God is calling us to this church. He has made it abundantly clear through colleagues, mentors, the vision and direction of the church, and our immediate connection with the parishioners and the city of Louisville.
We are simultaneously excited and grieving. We love our community here in Nashville, and we both feel so blessed to have had jobs here that are very in-line with our giftings and passions. We have both grown immensely and are thankful to have worked alongside people who have mentored us and formed us. Personally, I feel my position as Executive Director of The Nashville Fellows has been just about the best job I could imagine. The combination of relational and administrative work, alongside the opportunity to lead and develop leaders, has made this such a rich experience. Walking alongside college graduates each year, helping them transition to the next stage of life, is a humbling privilege. Clint has commented that I have more friends in their 20's than my own age at this point. :) The life-long friendships I've gained through our growing group of alumni is such a blessing, not just to me, but to Clint and James (and our dog Denver as well!).
Please know how humbled and blessed I have been to be part of the Fellows community these past 4 ½ years. A big thank you to our board and partner churches for allowing me that opportunity; it has been a privilege to serve with them! I also want to thank the 200+ volunteers who invest in our Fellows tirelessly - from host families to mentors, Jobs Committee members, teachers, Admissions team members, Leadership Lunch speakers, and more. You have blessed our Fellows and me more than I can say! I anticipate continued growth and expansion of our program under the leadership of our board; I know good things are in store. John Kyle, The Fellows Initiative’s Executive Director, emailed me recently and described our program as going from a fledgling program to “one of the most sought-after programs in the TFI network.” It takes a team to do that, and I’m humbled to have been part of that team.
As we near the end of the year, I would be honored if you would consider a year-end gift to our program in my name. It would mean so much to me to be able to end my time with the Nashville Fellows Program by helping us reach our goal of raising $5000 by December 31st. Please consider giving, and I thank you in advance!
Theresa Wilson, Executive Director
Message from the Board Chairs:
Dear Fellows Community,
We are sad to see Theresa leave, but we are excited to celebrate her and Clint on their new journey. It is often said that change is the only thing that is certain. And we all know life is full of change. This year’s class of Fellows will walk through the change together and be supported by their churches, the Church Coordinators and the Board.
The Nashville Fellows Program has never been in a better place. So much of this is a testament to Theresa Wilson’s leadership, but also her heart to cultivate an ecumenical community dedicated to leaning in to unity. Our NFP community has never been so vibrant and engaged. We will be launching a concerted Alumni Association effort in 2020 and will soon be announcing an interim Executive Director to carry us through the end of this program year. We have a search committee that will be looking to name the next official Executive Director in May of 2020. This program has always been the Lord’s and we are confident He has someone in mind already; we will be diligently searching for this person.
As we enter a new decade together, we want to thank all those who have been involved in any way with the NFP. This program is a taste of heaven on earth. We expect to see this next decade birth leaders through our program to further enhance our city and the companies and organizations with whom they work. Thank you, Theresa, for all you have given to us and we celebrate you and your family with fond memories and grateful hearts!
Bo Bartholomew, NFP Board Chairman
Rachel Crenshaw, NFP Board Vice Chair
