Mark D. Anderson, who becomes the new president and chief executive officer at Disciples Benevolent Services next month, is probably a familiar person to many Disciples.
Anderson, of Kansas City, Mo., serves on the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Board, its Administrative Committee, and chairs the General Board’s Committee on Counsel and Mediation. In the Kansas City area, he can often be found working in children’s or youth ministries at St. Andrew Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Olathe, Kan.
A social worker by profession, Anderson, 47, has devoted his professional life toward meeting the medical and mental health needs of others. With a background in non-profit management, he is an experienced supervisor, fundraiser, educator and collaborator. He currently works as the Programs and Operations Director at Ronald McDonald House Charities in Kansas City. He previously served for seven years as the executive director of SAVE Inc., a local non-profit that provides housing and housing-related services for individuals and their families living with HIV/AIDS, homelessness or other disabilities. He also served for a year as an associate vice-president at NBA, collaborating with six service units.
Anderson’s many talents and skills will be put to good use beginning Jan. 18, when he steps into the top position at Disciples Benevolent Services, one of the church’s 10 general ministries. He was selected unanimously by the DBS Board of Trustees on Saturday, Dec. 4 at a meeting in St. Louis, Mo., following an extensive presidential search process.
"I am excited about this opportunity to serve the church," said Anderson, a third-generation Disciple. "My wide range of experience in social work, health and social services can now be melded together with my faith and my love for the church. This is an exciting opportunity to move DBS forward."
He will take over leadership of a nearly 124-year old organization originally started by six women in a St. Louis-based prayer circle. The initial ministry was set up to assist widows and orphans. It later expanded to provide housing for older adults, orphanages, facilities for adults with developmental disabilities and even hospitals. At its height, DBS, then known as the National Benevolent Association, managed more than 70 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) facilities, operated 18 health care facilities, including 11 multi-level senior citizen communities, four children’s programs and three initiatives for people with disabilities. In 2004, NBA, citing financial pressures, filed for bankruptcy, and emerged from bankruptcy on April 15, 2005 as a smaller organization.
In 2007, the NBA changed its name to Disciples Benevolent Services, to emphasize its new role in partnering with other faith-based organizations within the Disciples network and beyond. Although it has narrowed its focus, DBS has maintained a commitment to providing a dynamic social health care ministry. Today, DBS provides several chaplaincy programs around the country, centers for children’s and senior services, and developmental learning centers. The organization had been led for the past five years by Dennis Hagemann.
DBS Board Chair Rev. Belva Brown Jordan said, "The Board is eternally grateful for the strong, gentle, courageous leadership of Dennis Hagemann. His commitment to the organization over the past 11 years – both as staff and as president – is worthy of praise."
"The DBS Board is excited and ready for the fresh new leadership Mark Anderson’s coming promises," said Jordan. "We are looking forward to supporting him as he shares his experience and faith-filled vision for the organization and the church."
"I believe DBS has an incredible history of mercy and care; Disciples caring for God’s children," added Anderson. "My goal is to be a compassionate listener, while at the same time, strategically acting on a collective vision."
Anderson sees DBS partnering with other general ministries, as well as the former NBA facilities that now make up Disciples Care Network, http://www.disciplescarenetwork.org/ in ways that identify strategies to fulfill mission in a collaborative context. He also intends to look toward the service units that remain a part of DBS to identify their expertise and talents, and ways to better connect those units to DBS’ future goals.
But ultimately, I want the folks sitting in the pews on Sunday morning to work with us to be a part in fulfilling God’s call to provide ministries of mercy and care," he said.
Under his leadership, Anderson indicated that DBS will not be in a listening-only mode. "We will take what we hear moving forward and what we know from other listening sessions, but we intend to be agile and move forward," he said.
Anderson also is committed to providing transparency about the ministry’s finances, and how the dollars that have been entrusted to DBS are used.
Finally, DBS can play a major role, Anderson believes, in helping Disciples live into the 2020 vision, which calls for transformed churches, new congregations, new leadership, and becoming a pro-reconciling church … all by the year 2020.
Away from his job and church responsibilities, Anderson enjoys volleyball, racquetball, and travel. One of his joys is taking time to visit his mother and siblings in his hometown of Peoria, Ill. and his home church, Glen Oak Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
"I love our church and am humbly honored to be called at this time," he concluded.
By Wanda Bryant Wills, [email protected]
