Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County announces the appointment of Interim Executive Director, Rev. Will McGarvey
The Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County (ICCCC) proudly announced the appointment of Rev. Will McGarvey as their interim Executive Director. This position was left vacant when the prior Executive Director, Rev. Brian Stein-Webber, left the council to take a position with Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary after serving the council for nearly 12 years. The appointment of Rev. McGarvey was effective September 1, 2012. In this role, Rev. McGarvey will be responsible for overseeing the overall functions of the council and will play a leading role in furthering its objectives.
“The work of the Interfaith Council is so important here in Contra Costa County. Our work supporting Winter Nights Shelter, the Chaplaincy in the Juvenile Detention Facility, and our Social Justice Alliance provide an opportunity for people of faith to work together to make our county a better place. I’m happy to be able to help the Executive Committee focus on our mission, and organize our committees to help the member congregations work toward greater understanding among our faith groups. This is among the most important piece of work during this time of increasing religiously motivated violence,” said Rev. McGarvey after accepting the appointment.
“We are so thrilled to have Rev. Will McGarvey back in a leadership role. The Executive Committee of the council was unanimous in its decision to appoint him to this position. Will is greatly respected in interfaith circles, and his prior experience and working knowledge of the council will be extremely valuable when he rolls up his sleeves to go to work. We are looking forward to working with him to promote interfaith harmony and understanding, and to make a difference in each of our communities,” said Rev. Alexis Easton, President of ICCCC, on behalf of its Executive Committee and member organizations.
About Rev. McGarvey: Rev. Will McGarvey has served as pastor at Community Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg, CA, a PC (USA)-UCC congregation, for the last eight years. CPC shares ministry with their sister congregation, First Congregational Church of Antioch (UCC). Will grew up in the LDS tradition and served a two-year mission in New England before finding a new spiritual path within Progressive Protestantism. He has long been active in interfaith circles, including the early meetings that organized interfaith chaplains for the 2012 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Will did his seminary studies at San Francisco Theological Seminary, where he specialized in theology of the environment. Rev. McGarvey served on the Executive Committee of the ICCCC from 2004 to 2010, acting as Vice President for many of those years. He has also been a part of East County United, an association of the Council that does programming and events in East County. He may be reached at eye4cee@gmail.com or by calling 925.597.9797.
About Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County: ICCCC is a non-profit, 501 c (3) organization solely governed by its Executive Committee. Its mission states, “We as people from a diversity of religions, spiritual traditions and sectors of society, gather to manifest our unity as we promote the spirit of community, service and cooperation through the work of the Interfaith Council.”
The Interfaith Council, as the Council of Churches, was originally organized for the primary purpose of providing chaplaincy ministries in various county institutions on behalf of local congregations. The Council became interfaith in 1997, widening its membership to include congregations and faith organizations that represent the growing pluralistic population of Contra Costa County. The council remains committed to supporting the religious and communities in our county. Program areas have expanded to include Health and Faith in Action, Social Justice, Finance, Spirituality, Youth and Education.
There are more than 100 congregations and organizations holding membership and affiliation from a wide range of Christian and other faith traditions, including Jewish, Buddhist, Baha’i, Unitarian, Islamic, Hindu, Sikh, Unity and Religious Science.
