Shelter the People

Presbyterians Today Magazine
December 2006

Shelter the People
By Suzanne P. Campbell

Jonathan Reckford was hired to become CEO of Habitat for Humanity International effective September 12, 2005, but Katrina changed all that. He had planned to concentrate on completing his final weeks as executive pastor at Christ Presbyterian seven months after Katrina and Rita devastated the coastal regions, more than 178 houses were under construction or completed. These were located in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Operation Home Delivery plans to have 1,000 houses completed or under construction by mid-summer 2007.

The Habitat Story

“I was deeply honored and tremendously humbled to be selected as the next CEO of Habitat for Humanity International,” Reckford said, shortly after taking his new position. “My total immersion in the world of Habitat (over those first few days) filled my mind with numbers and facts, about the amazing accomplishments of this ministry.”

In 2006 Habitat, which builds homes in partnership with low income people, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary. The organization was founded during 1976 in Americus, Georgia by Millard Fuller, who served as its president until January 2005. In its first twenty-four years Habitat built 100,000 houses, using volunteer labor and the sweat equity of those who would become the new homeowners. It only took five more years to build the next 100,000. Today one million people worldwide are living in Habitat homes they helped to build. An amazing accomplishment but not the end of the story. “More than 1 billion people worldwide live in inadequate shelter,” said Reckford. “Nearly 100 million have no homes at all.”

Reckford’s Story

Reckford’s journey toward Habitat seems almost ordained. “My maternal grandmother, Millicent Fenwick, was a formidable character,” he said. “She had a huge passion for civil and human rights as well as social justice. She often quoted Micah 6:8: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? KJV. Reckford has carried that verse within him since childhood.

Sitting comfortably in the suburban Minneapolis home he and his wife Ashley have filled with mementos of many cultures, he recalls the steps he’s taken to arrive at this point in his life. He’s dressed in a sweater, slacks and moccasins: he wears his sandy hair short. His wire- rimmed glasses give him an almost professorial air which is further enhanced by his confident, yet thoughtful, responses. His eyes warm with pride as he speaks of the couple’s three children. Their son Alexander is 10; daughters Grace and Lily are 8 and 5 respectively.

“When I was 7, about Lily’s age, my father had a teaching sabbatical at Oxford so our family lived in England for a time,” he said. That was his first taste of another culture. After completing a BA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina, he went on to Stanford University. There he obtained an MBA with a certificate in public, non-profit management. He was preparing for what he sensed would be a future of service to others. During that period he had a second opportunity to live overseas. When he was 24, and still in graduate school, Reckford spent a year in South Korea where he worked with the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee.

A Career in Business

A successful career in business followed. It included positions with Goldman, Sachs & Company, Marriott Corporation and Circuit City, where he was a senior vice president. Then he moved to Minneapolis to accept the position of President of stores for the Musicland division of Best Buy. It was then that Reckford, who had been raised Catholic and later became Episcopalian, discovered Christ Presbyterian Church in suburban Edina. “We felt such a clear sign of Christ’s work there that our family decided to join the congregation,” he says. It was to be another important step in the journey.

“I had a long-term desire to combine my business skills with my ministry goals,” said Reckford. “I started to volunteer at CPC. I lead strategic planning for the church and facilitated both elder and staff retreats. I also worked with individual pastors and ministry teams to improve effectiveness.” These activities were not new to Reckford. “I was deeply involved in lay leadership at our previous (Episcopal) churches in Orlando and Richmond,” he said. “In both cases, a key ministry was to pray with and counsel the priests in the leadership/management aspects of heading the church.” Eventually Reckford felt that the timing was right to leave Best Buy. This left him available for other opportunities.

Reckford’s First Full Time Ministry Position

CPC’s senior pastor, John Crosby, had long wanted to have an executive pastor to work on such things as setting strategic direction and job coaching. “The two of us talked about it,” said Reckford, “John discussed it with the session and they decided to create the position.” Though he was not an ordained pastor, Reckford interviewed and was hired. “My passion is helping organizations figure out where they’re supposed to go and develop concrete ways to get there,” he said.” I have always felt this direction should also have social value.

“To me it was a natural progression from the business world to working in the church, and in my case, to go from there to a non-profit organization such as Habitat,.” said Reckford. He particularly enjoys helping organizations to move forward. “It takes a different skill-set to found something than to develop and run it,” he says. “The latter is more entrepreneurial.”

His Moment of Holy Discontent

Reckford leans forward, his eyes sparkle and he becomes more animated as he speaks of God’s call on his life and ministry. “I think we all need to experience a moment of Holy Discontent,” he said. “That is when you see (something) and say, ‘I can’t stand that and I’m going to do something about it.’ And then get off the couch and act.

“My holy discontent moment came in 2002 on a CPC mission trip shortly after I left Best Buy. We were to work with people from the dalit or Untouchable caste in India.” Under the auspices of Witnessing Ministries for Christ, this movement in India is supported by a number of Presbyterian churches throughout the United States, including CPC.

“ I learned that half of those children die by the age of 13 if nothing intervenes to stop it,” said Reckford. “During my work with them, God let me know that I needed to respond. I saw evidence there of the incarnational work with the rural Indian Presbyterian church. It literally grows by thousands of people a month.” The ministry is run by a former Untouchable. “The experience was critical in my decision not to go back to another business job,” said Rockford, “though I had no idea Habitat was in my future. It was more a sense that I needed to do something more directly mission oriented.”

Joining Habitat for Humanity

Three years later, that mission opportunity presented itself. Habitat for Humanity International was searching for a new executive officer. Paul Leonard, interim executive officer and former chair of the Habitat International board of directors, outlined the characteristics they sought. These included someone with Christian character and compassion whose life demonstrated not just the ability to say the words, but to live the words. They sought someone with experience in change management, who believed in diversity. Someone with international experience who understood and respected different cultures. “We found that person in Jonathan Reckford,” said Leonard. “With Jonathan stepping into the CEO role, I look forward to returning to volunteer service with Habitat for Humanity confident in the knowledge that capable and committed leadership is in place to move this ministry forward.”

Reckford’s journey continues. He is eager to move into the new challenge before him. He plans to continue the mission Millard Fuller set forth, building on the organization’s strengths and helping it to continue using those strengths even more effectively. “It’s not my job to replace Millard,” said Reckford. “He will always be the founder of Habitat, but I hope to contribute in my own way.” One change will be that 100 of the 350 staff members who are now in Americus, will move to Atlanta and so will the Reckford family. This will put them three hours closer to the airport, an important advantage since Reckford’s duties are already taking him all over the globe.

What the Future Holds

Speaking at a World Habitat Day celebration at Columbia University in New York last October, Reckford outlined the next steps. “My dream for Habitat is that it will migrate beyond being a home building organization to developing family and community transformation more than it ever has before,” he said. “The ultimate goal, is to eradicate poverty in housing worldwide. The need is staggering . . . and these are the silent sufferers. Their daily struggles escape the gaze of the media spotlight. There are no celebrity telethons to support them.

“In addition to continuing our own development we want to partner with others. Together we can achieve a world where everyone has a safe, decent place to live. (There are) So many numbers - of accomplishment, or continuing hardship. So many faces - of those desperately in need of simple, secure housing, and of those ready to help. I am thrilled to begin the journey as Habitat’s CEO.”

Reckford went on to ask for the prayers and support of existing and new Habitat partners. “Together,” he said, “we (can) build houses and healthier communities where, as Habitat’s mission statement says, ‘every person can experience God’s love and can live and grow into all that God intends.’ ” On a personal level, Reckford would like Habitat to someday provide support to the Presbyterian ministry in India which changed his life.

Further information about Witnessing Ministries for Christ can be found on their website www.witnessingministries.org