Rev. J. Bennett Guess Joins CHHSM Team

The CHHSM board and staff are pleased to announce the call of the Rev. J. Bennett Guess to the position of vice president. Guess will assume this role in April following a five-year tenure as executive minister of Local Church Ministries and a UCC national officer.

“Ben’s extensive ministry in a variety of UCC settings makes him the ideal candidate for this newly created position,” says Michael J. Readinger, CHHSM president and CEO. “He knows the local church setting, marketing and communications, administration, and the national and conference settings of the UCC. Ben is a gifted writer, speaker and preacher who will bring exciting new ideas to ways in which the connection between the UCC and CHHSM can become more robust.”

CHHSM launched a national search to fill the vice president role in December 2015. More than 50 candidates applied from all across the country.

“We were blessed with applications from many settings of the UCC, from the association industry and from healthcare providers in several care disciplines,” says the Rev. Loey Powell, executive associate to the president and CEO at CHHSM. “Fifteen candidates were interviewed and then six were selected to proceed to the final round of interviews. We were very pleased with the diversity of applicants and finalists.”

“The selection of Ben to fill this role was a difficult one given the highly qualified pool of candidates,” says Readinger. “We feel that we have called the perfect candidate to join our team. Ben brings national recognition and all of the skills we were seeking as well as a gracious spirit of compassionate servant leadership.”

“After a period of discernment, I decided that I would not be pursuing reelection next year to another term as LCM’s Executive Minister,” Guess says. “This opportunity allows me to continue serving the UCC in a new and exciting way, and it enables me to use the many skills my career experience has afforded me. I will deeply miss working with my LCM colleagues and my friends and peers in the Covenanted Ministries, but my new role will provide many opportunities for continued collaboration, new partnership initiatives and the advancement of the health and healing service ministries of the UCC.”