Family-planning initiative seeks consultant

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) seeks a consultant to serve as an educator, advocate and organizer for its “Healthy Families, Healthy Planet” initiative. The project is a year-long effort to build a strong constituency of United Methodists to support increased funding from the U.S. government for international family planning.

The project entails a partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee and Operation Healing Hope, a GBCS initiative on maternal health.

Project entails a partnership with the General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee and Operation Healing Hope.

GBCS has received a grant from the United Nations Foundation to educate United Methodists about the importance of international family planning and to explore how the church can make a difference.

“Worldwide, an estimated 200 million persons have no access to family-planning information and services,” said Linda Bales Todd, GBCS director of the Louise & Hugh Moore Population Project. “This leaves them without resources to plan families, space their children, prevent AIDS transmission or unplanned pregnancies and thereby abortions.”

The consultant will be responsible to forge partnerships with 15 to-be-identified Annual Conference Boards of Church & Society willing to address this issue. The consultant will work closely with the chairs of these boards to implement a strategy for action.

The consultant position requires 26 hours per week with 35% travel. The consultant primarily will work out of his or her own office with up to two days each week in the GBCS office in the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill.

Todd said the consultant will be responsible for advocacy work on the issue of family planning. She said this will mean working with other United Methodist initiatives and secular coalitions, meeting with U.S. congressional offices as well as implementing a plan of action with United Methodists in the United States.

At least two years of legislative advocacy experience is required. Because this is a short-term project and the work plan will be implemented within United Methodist conferences, knowledge of the denomination and its structure is highly recommended.

Pay for services is $50,000 for a 12-month commitment.

Application deadline is Nov. 30.

Full position description is available at Healthy Families, Healthy Planet’ Consultant on the GBCS website under job openings.

For more information, contact Linda Bales Todd, (202) 488-5649.