Rev. Lois M. Powell of the United Church of Christ has accepted the role of Executive Associate to the General Minister and President for Leadership Development and Diversity initiatives.

The Executive Associate position involves assisting the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, the UCC's general minister and president, fulfill his commitment to "strengthening leadership development opportunities," according to a UCC News report.

In her other role, Rev. Powell will also help identify future leaders for the denomination. She identified the position as an opportunity "to use a lifetime of experience in the UCC, and various settings, to make connections that will lead to innovative opportunities around leadership development."

She will start working in her position by mid-November, according to the report.

The following were identified as some of her plans:

- create opportunities for women and other emerging multicultural leaders in the UCC as pastors of larger congregations and as conference ministers.

- Create and develop the Stillspeaking Leadership Institute. She will reaching out to communities in the UCC to mentor future leaders and support their training and development

- Reach out to seminary presidents and staff who relate to seminaries regularly to identify people who are in their second and third careers and have skills beneficial to the church in various ways.