Covenant News

Calver to Leave World Relief International

BALTIMORE, MD (July 16, 2004) - Dr. Clive Calver has announced his resignation as World Relief president effective Sept. 30, Covenant News Service has learned. He and his wife, Ruth, will then serve as ministers-at-large until March 31 next year.

Calver has been president of World Relief for seven years. During that time he led a difficult restructuring of the organization and consolidation effort to a central office in Baltimore. World Relief International has worked in partnership with the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) in several areas, especially in responding to various disasters around the world.

"He is a visionary leader who accepted the challenge on behalf of the evangelical church at large to care for the hurting of this world," said Jim Sundholm, director of Covenant World Relief of the ECC. "He has strengthened the efforts of churches working with other churches on behalf of the suffering. That's been his mantra." Disaster relief responses this past year under the World Relief International and Covenant World Relief partnership have touched lives in Iraq, Liberia, Iran, Haiti and eastern Congo, Sundholm noted.

"I have marveled at Clive's giftedness to tell the story of God's concern for the poor," said Gordon MacDonald, chair of World Relief Board of Directors. "I regard him as the best there is when it comes time to awaken the hearts of Christians to an often-forgotten part of the passion of Christ: to move in the direction of the weak, the poor, the suffering. World Relief will always regard Clive Calver as the man who led the organization to a place of respect and partnership with a growing number of American churches. We both believe that World Relief is heading into an exciting future."

The board has named Admiral Tim Ziemer, U.S. Navy, retired, who is currently the executive director, to be World Relief's acting chief executive officer during the transitional period to new leadership.

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