Phil VanValkenburg
Phil VanValkenburg will retire from his role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the EPC Office of the General Assembly on June 30. He and his wife, Becky, will return to St. Louis, Mo., where their two adult children and four grandchildren live. Prior to accepting the then-new position of COO in 2012, VanValkenburg served as Executive Administrator for Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Prior to taking that responsibility in 2004, he spent many years in business, parachurch ministries, and lay church leadership, including serving as a deacon and elder in two other St. Louis EPC churches.
“Phil’s contributions to the EPC have been immense,” said Jeff Jeremiah, EPC Stated Clerk. “He led nearly every major project involving the operations of the Office of the General Assembly over the past six years. Among these were the relocation of the office from Detroit to Orlando, including taking the lead in hiring our current administrative staff. He also oversaw a revamp of our Annual Church Report process, and guided us through a legal entity restructure in which World Outreach and Benefit Resources, Inc., are now in essence wholly-owned subsidiaries of the EPC. That was no small task, and the result is a significantly reduced exposure to risk.”
Jeremiah noted that VanValkenburg also led a conversion of the EPC’s communications and technology infrastructure systems.
“God has been very present and merciful through immense organizational change, and I deeply appreciate His calling me to serve Him with the EPC,” Phil told the National Leadership Team at their April meeting. “Please pray as Becky and I spend more time with each other and our family, unite and serve with the right church, and reconnect with many friends. Pray that God will open opportunities for me to use the gifts and time He’s given me to advance His kingdom—and keep me busy!”