The Rev.Dr.Phil Gillis,Shaker Heights,Ohio,is the new chairman of the Board for Koinonia Partners Inc. He assumed the position at the November 2003 Koinonia Board meeting at the farm. He succeeds David Castle in that position.

Gillis said his passionate goal for Koinonia was to “make the ideals of Clarence Jordan relevant to the 21st Century and to put those ideals into practice.” A retired United Methodist Church pastor,Gillis spent the last five years of his ministry as the vice president for development at Flat Rock Homes Inc.,a United Methodist related home for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled.

Prior to that he was District Superintendent for the United Methodist Church, Cleveland, and before that he served as a parish pastor in five different churches in eastern Ohio. Gillis is married to Joanne and they have three grown children and one
granddaughter.

A word from Phil …

When my wife Joanne and I volunteer at Koinonia,I like to check the pulse of other volunteers.

We volunteer for the month of November and into early December so we get to meet quite a few short-term volunteers who go by the names “RVers ” and “snow birds.” We gather Friday at 4 p.m.to share our rewards and our suggestions for improvement.

Let me list some of the rewards:

• A place to center and focus
• Fellowship and friendship
• Peaceful atmosphere
• Learning, spiritual growth, getting to know Clarence Jordan
• Satisfaction for working hard and team work
• Making life long friends

Let me list some of the suggestions for improvement:

• Better maintenance of vehicles
• More time spent for learning and fellowship
• Invite more people to volunteer
• Improve the RV park
• Improve communications
• Offer better accommodations

Let me invite you to come and volunteer.Come, share the rewards. Come, help Koinonia improve with your gifts and your suggestions. You are always welcome.