VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/12/18)—At the November 3 meeting of the American Baptist Churches of Ohio Board of Region Ministries, the Board voted to call Rev. Mark Click and Rev. Jane Gibbons as Co-Executive Ministers for the region beginning January 1, 2019.  Rev. Click will serve as Executive Minister for Administration and Denominational Relations, and Rev. Gibbons will serve as Executive Minister for Program and Ministry Development.

Both Rev. Click and Rev. Gibbons have served ABC of Ohio as Region Ministers, Click since 2008 and Gibbons since 2000.  As American Baptist Clergy, both bring extensive years of ministry experience in ABC congregations and have gifts tailored toward the respective roles to which they have been called.

Rev. Mark Click was ordained as an American Baptist Minister in 2000. He served as the pastor of two ABC of Ohio churches and brings a passion for growing the local church. He received his MDiv from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio in 1994. He brings many administrative gifts, along with vision casting, to his new position as Executive Minister of Administration and Denominational Relations.  In his new role, Click will attend the Regional Executive Ministers Council, National Leadership Council, Multi-Region Corporation, and other traditional ABC Executive Minister related entities.

Rev. Jane Gibbons was ordained as an American Baptist Minister in 1994. She brings a specialty of gifts in Christian Education and coaching, and has a deep passion for pastors and the ministry of the local church. She served two ABC churches in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Charleston, W.Va. as Associate Pastor of Christian Education and other ministries.  Her many gifts in program development and grant writing make her a perfect fit for her new ministry in ABC of Ohio.  Jane holds a MDiv from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

Rev. Click and Rev. Gibbons are breaking new ground as they begin their ministries as Co-Executive Ministers for ABC of Ohio, and they have worked well as a team in partnership in Region ministry for 10 years. Rev. Dr. Larry Swain, current Interim Executive Minister for the region, will transition to serving as Executive Staff Coach for 6 months in 2019.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.