RUF National Coordinator OP

OPPORTUNITY PROFILE
NATIONAL COORDINATOR

LETTER FROM THE RUF SEACH COMMITTEE CHAIR
DEAR PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE,
On behalf of the Reformed University Fellowship Permanent Committee
and the National Coordinator Search Committee, I want to thank you for
your interest in RUF. I hope that this Opportunity Profile will provide you
with a fuller understanding of the mission of RUF, its role on campuses
and universities across the country and the globe, as well as the key
qualities and characteristics we are seeking for its next leader.
RUF is the campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America
(PCA). With campus ministers and staff now serving on over 160 colleges
or universities, RUF is impacting and shaping tomorrow’s leaders as well
as pastoring The Church’s covenant children during this critical stage of
their lives.
RUF has grown to include ministry to international students on U.S
campuses, ministry to students on campuses overseas, and a ministry of
church planting to support and to further our mission to reach and to
equip university students.
We encourage you to read through this Opportunity Profile and to
explore the RUF website. If after reading the profile you sense that your
gifts and experience would enable you to be a candidate, then please
review the Process of Candidacy section and follow the instructions
contained therein. Or, if you know others who would be interested,
either let us know or forward this document to them directly. If you have
any questions, please contact the office of Tommy Thomas and Laura
Coverstone (615.261.4623), the JobfitMatters consultants who are
assisting RUF in this search.
Thank you for your interest in RUF.
Sincerely,
Jack Howell Chairman, National Coordinator Search Committee

OVERVIEW
Tim Keller has said, “RUF has proven itself to be one of the most
effective campus ministries in the nation. It is fruitful in both evangelism
and discipleship and conducts it all with a theological robustness. But,
in addition, RUF is an unsurpassed developer of leadership for the
entire church. It produces thousands of new, solid church members,
hundreds of future lay leaders and elders, and dozens of new church
planters.”
It is not an exaggeration to say that Reformed University Fellowship
exists to build the future of the church. The growth of RUF”s
on-campus presence is impressive. Just 45 years since its initial
founding on the University of Southern Mississippi campus in 1973; just
45 years later, RUF has expanded to 165 campus ministries in the U.S.,
including many of the “name-brand” universities of the US. Of particular
importance is RUF’s growth over the last 15 years, as RUF has
taken root on more than 90 campuses in that time, an impressive
average of six universities per year. Fueled by a loyal stable of staff, area
coordinators, campus ministers and donors working together to reach
and equip college students, RUF is poised to make an even greater
impact on students, campuses, congregations and cities for the
Kingdom.
In the next five years, RUF seeks to expand to an additional 15-20
campuses, increase opportunities for minority campus ministers, and
complete additional church plants, among other initiatives. Significantly
increasing its impact will require RUF to invest in the infrastructure,
systems and staff of the national office to keep pace with the growth.
RUF is seeking a leader who will build upon this momentum and equip
RUF for current and future growth. The next National Coordinator
will have the opportunity to lead strategic planning efforts in broad
collaboration with the Permanent Committee, key RUF leaders, and
campus ministry staff. The Search Committee looks forward to
meeting the leader God will provide to shepherd RUF forward.

MISSION STATEMENT
Since the mid-1970’s, RUF remains committed to having ordained,
seminary trained campus ministers, campus staff, and interns serving
on the college campus; gathering student groups and equipping
them for a lifetime of service both in the church and in the world.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
RUF is the official campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America.
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) was formed in 1973 to be a
denomination that is “Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed
Faith, and Obedient to the Great Commission.”
Because of this, RUF has its theological roots in the Reformation and
embraces the system of doctrine outlined in the Westminster Confession
of Faith. On campus RUF is open to the convinced and unconvinced,
regardless of background, personal history or conviction. RUF strives to
create a fellowship of students where everyone can examine the truth
claims of Christianity in a non-threatening atmosphere.

HISTORY
1973 First RUF established at University of Southern Mississippi by
Mark Lowrey.
1983 RUF represented on 8 campuses. Mark Lowrey becomes RUF’s
first National Coordinator. Ministry to International Students
established.
1997 RUF expands to West Coast and New England
1999 Rod Mays named National Coordinator of RUF. RUF on 50
campuses.
2005 RUF-Global established at National Autonomous University of
Mexico
2014 Tom Cannon named RUF National Coordinator. RUF on
140 Campuses.

WHAT MAKES RUF DISTINCT FROM OTHER CAMPUS MINISTRIES?
1. RUF is distinct in placing a seminary-trained and ordained
minister on every campus. This means that campus ministers seek
to pastor students. In addition to meeting with students individually
and leading small groups, campus ministers lead a weekly large group,
teaching through a book of the Bible or developing a topical series
showing how the bible addresses that topic.
2. RUF is distinct in that it is a church-based campus ministry;
RUF ministers are called by the church, are subject to the oversight
of local PCA Presbyteries, and must subscribe to the Westminster
Confession of Faith. This means that RUF holds to a fixed theology
for the ministry but allows flexibility in methodology.
3. RUF is for the university. This means RUF holds a distinctive
respect for the academy and wants to serve and love people there, so
RUF makes every effort to enter by the “front door” by the university.
As their guest, RUF aims to follow their policies without compromising
RUF’s beliefs.
4. RUF sees a student’s calling at this stage in their lives to be a
student, so campus ministers encourage students in that calling and
do not busy them with activities that distract from their studies.
RUF wants students to understand that by being good students they
glorify God and lend real credibility to Christianity in the eyes of their
professors.
5. A core belief of RUF is that every person needs the gospel -
the believer needs the gospel as much as the non-believer.
This means evangelism is more organic and relational
than impersonal & decisional. Another distinction is that RUF’s
evangelism is organic and respectful, helped along by RUF’s all-comers
policy. Everyone is welcomed at RUF, not just Christians. RUF seeks to
offer the maximum amount of truth to the maximum amount of people.

RUF MINISTRIES
RUF NATIONAL (RUF) Since the mid-1970’s, RUF
has remained committed to having ordained,
seminary trained campus ministers, campus staff and
interns serving on the college campus; gathering student
groups and equipping them for a lifetime of service both
in the church and in the world.
INTERNATIONAL
RUF INTERNATIONAL (RUF-I) God has brought
more international students to college campuses in the
United States than to any other nation. RUF responds
to God’s work and obeys God’s Word by welcoming
students from all nations and equipping kingdom
ambassadors for Christ’s worldwide church. RUF
International seeks to reflect God’s grace to an
international audience.
RUF GLOBAL (RUF-G) is a ministry that is reaching and
equipping college students on international campuses. RUF
Global works alongside several global mission agencies
around the world in hopes of building the Church and
expanding the Kingdom abroad.
RUF UNIVERSITY CHURCH INITIATIVE (RUF-UCI)
RUF’s University Church Initiative seeks to plant churches
alongside new RUF ministries in university towns and
cities. This initiative grew organically before it had a
name, as former RUF campus ministers moved on to
plant churches in their “native habitat” (university towns
from San Jose, California to Burlington, Vermont), often
partnering with an ordained campus minister to establish
a new RUF work.

RUF AT-A-GLANCE
16,000+
STUDENTS
ATTEND A LARGE GROUP
BIBLE STUDY EVERY WEEK
39
RUF IS CURRENTLY IN 39
STATES IN THE U.S.
16 RUF INTERNATIONAL
LOCATIONS IN THE U.S.,
6 RUF GLOBAL LOCATIONS
16 6
CAMPUS GROWTH
RUF CAMPUSES
$38M
ANNUAL BUDGET
(2018)

THE POSITION
The National Coordinator of RUF serves as the senior executive of the ministry, exercising overall leadership for RUF and reporting to the Permanent Committee of
the PCA.
The National Coordinator is expected to collaboratively formulate vision and to provide strategic leadership in developing long-term initiatives that will advance the
mission of RUF. It is imperative that the National Coordinator be winsome in communicating clear goals and objectives to the staff at the National Office, the campus
ministry staff and to outside constituencies.
Currently, the National Coordinator leads a Senior Staff consisting of a Chief Financial Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, an Associate Coordinator/Chief Management
Officer, a Chief Operating Officer, a Cross-Cultural Engagement Consultant, and an Administrative Assistant. The intentionally inverted organizational chart
shows the initial layers of direct reports and their team size. The Campus Ministers and Staff fall within the Associate Coordinator’s team, reporting directly to Area
Coordinators. Campus Ministers are called by and accountable to the individual presbyteries in which they serve.
The culture at RUF is collegial. To thrive in this environment, the National Coordinator must have a participative and collaborative style. Leadership must come
primarily through influence and earned credibility rather than positional authority. The National Coordinator is the primary spokesperson for RUF and represents RUF
at the denominational leadership meetings.
The National Coordinator will set the tone and direction for
development and fund raising while the Chief Advancement
Officer will provide the tactical and operational means. The
National Coordinator will play a significant role in major donor
and foundation solicitations.
CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER (TEAM OF 5)
CHIEF
ADVANCEMENT
OFFICER (TEAM OF 5)
CHIEF OPERATING
OFFICER (TEAM OF 5)
ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR
(TEAM OF 21 PLUS CAMPUS
MINISTERS & STAFF)
(Note: The inverted organizational chart intentionally
reflects campus ministers as being the key in front line
ministry and the rest of the organization supporting the
campus ministers and staff.)
ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
NATIONAL
COORDINATOR
CROSS CULTURAL
ENGAGEMENT

LEADERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS
SPIRITUAL MATURITY - The primary qualification for this position is a heart for God. The successful candidate must be a
spiritually mature, humble follower of Jesus, demonstrating a deep relationship with God, knowing and relying on His Word. The
National Coordinator will model a commitment to growth in Biblical understanding and an openness to spiritual and intellectual
reflection and conversation. He will be previously ordained or ordainable in the PCA (ruling elder, deacon, or teaching elder).
GENUINE HEART FOR PEOPLE AND THE CHURCH – The right candidate will have a passion for college and university
students, including those who don’t know Christ. This person will have a genuine eagerness to connect relationally with staff, Area
Coordinators, Campus Ministers, and supporters of RUF.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP - The successful candidate will display Christ-centered servant leadership and foster team building in the
organization. The National Coordinator will drive efforts to strategically organize the teams and improve cross-functional communication.
LEADERSHIP THROUGH INFLUENCE - Given that the mission field for Reformed University Fellowship is distributed across 163
college campuses, the leadership style that best fits the organization is collaborative. The successful candidate will have a history of
leading through listening, influence, competence and spiritual depth. This person will proactively set the goal and collaboratively lead
others to reach the goal. In addition, this leader will demonstrate the following:
• A commitment to provide opportunities for women in ministry staff roles and in appropriate leadership roles.
• A commitment to cross cultural ministry – Through RUF National and RUF International ministries, RUF is ministering to
increasingly diverse college campuses. As this continues, RUF desires to be increasingly intentional about providing more
ministry and leadership opportunities to a more diverse group of campus ministers and staff.
FUNDRAISING ABILITY – As the key spokesperson for RUF, the National Coordinator will lead and support the fundraising efforts
for the ministry. He will nurture deep relationships with key partners and invite new donors to invest in the ministry of RUF.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS - The National Coordinator must be effective in a variety of public speaking venues. Writing skills are
also important. RUF’s leader must have the ability to communicate warmly and winsomely to RUF’s students, staff and constituents, as
well as the broader public. He must have an instinct to move towards people, even when it’s awkward to do so.
ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERTISE - The National Coordinator must be experienced and effective in managing an organization
that is geographically decentralized, increasingly ethnically diverse, and engaged in multiple ministries.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The National Coordinator will be expected to embrace
the following essential duties and responsibilities of the
position
CULTURE
• Communicate the vision, mission, and philosophy
of ministry of Reformed University Fellowship to
the PCA, staff, campus ministers, the Permanent
Committee, supporters, and the broader church.
• Promote and maintain the spiritual health of Reformed
University Fellowship and model a warm, humble,
Christian piety.
• Demonstrate theological integrity consistent with
the Word of God and the Westminster Standards with
spiritual and personal maturity befitting the coordinator
of a national, denominational campus ministry.
• Embody a transparency that creates a community of
vulnerability and openness among staff and interns
alike, while always having an eye towards the danger
of permissiveness.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
• Facilitate strategic direction for RUF in the short and
long term, which includes forecasting ministry growth
and outcomes, ensuring that the operations department
and development department are scaled to handle
projected growth, and aligning development,
operational, and ministry department efforts.
• Guide the ministry department, operations department,
and development department in carrying out the agreed
upon strategy.
OVERSIGHT
• Hire, manage, and develop senior staff, which includes
identifying the appropriate metrics and ensuring that the
senior staff has the resources they need to accomplish
their strategic goals. This also includes overseeing the
Atlanta office.
• Lead and oversee all levels within RUF, alongside and
through senior leadership. Collaborate with Assistant
and Area Coordinators to ensure RUF achieves its
mission.
• Communicate and partner with the Permanent
Committee so that the PC is informed and empowered
to provide appropriate direction, vision, accountability,
financial support, connections, and competence (i.e.
expertise in insurance, benefits, audits, etc.) to best
support RUF.
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
• Set vision and strategies for the financial health of RUF.
• Oversee and assist the VP of Advancement by
bolstering existing streams of revenue and by finding
new streams of revenue to support both new and
existing campus works.
ADVOCACY
• Advocate for RUF to the General Assembly, working
with the other agencies of the PCA, and promoting
RUF to the PCA in general (churches, presbyteries,
women’s ministry, etc.).
• Function as the public face of RUF to the broader
evangelical church and other national evangelical
campus ministries.

EXPECTATIONS/GOALS
The next National Coordinator will be key to stewarding growth and
charting a course for RUF’s future. The next leader will lead a collaborative
Strategic Planning effort to set goals and chart a course for RUF’s National,
International, Global, and Church-Planting ministries.
Below are some of the top priorities moving forward as identified by
a recent RUF-wide survey:
1. Provide leadership that fosters the opportunity for staff to be
engaged in shaping the future of RUF.
2. Develop more effective and creative approaches to achieving
RUF’s mission.
3. Improve the financial health of RUF through fundraising and
philanthropic giving.
Some specific goals mentioned by the RUF stakeholders include:
1. Continuing a moderate growth trajectory of 4-5 new ministries
per year,
2. Developing organizational infrastructure (i.e. systems, processes,
and people) to “catch up” with recent growth, and
3. Strategically and collaboratively plan for and achieve increased
diversity in ministry staff and leaders.
RUF is a relational ministry, and as such, its culture expects collaborative
vision and collaborative execution, as much as possible. The next leader
will need to navigate this well in a growing organization, finding
opportunities for collaboration whenever possible.

LOCATION/TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
The National Coordinator leads a geographically dispersed team, so
while the national office is in Lawrenceville, Georgia, the Coordinator
does not have to reside in the Atlanta area. Technology allows for this
person to lead the team remotely, and a significant portion of the National
Coordinator time is spent traveling to denominational meetings, RUF
conferences, donor meetings, campus events, etc. This requires proactive
planning, dedication to scheduling, and significant intentionality to develop
relationships with the entire team. As with most senior leadership positions,
this role will involve a larger time expenditure than forty (40) hours a week,
and this person should expect to be regularly present at the Lawrenceville
office.
It is expected that a National Coordinator will make a long-term commitment
to RUF. Family relationships should be sufficiently strong as to not be
adversely affected by the demands of the position and its attendant travel.

WHERE IS THE CANDIDATE TODAY?
The next National Coordinator of RUF may come from any number of
vocations or careers. Someone from one of the following areas is likely to
have the skills and experiences that are needed to lead RUF to the next
level. Each of these assumes the basic requirement of being previously
ordained or ordainable in the PCA (ruling elder, deacon, or teaching
elder) and some significant previous connection with Reformed
University Fellowship:
• A pastor of a large reformed church where missions is a core ministry
component.
• A leader of a missions organization who has demonstrated skill in
major donor development and is ready to become the leader of a
$38M organization.
• A leader of an educational institution, skilled in organizational leadership,
advancement, and communication, who is ready to change focus.
• A denominational leader who has demonstrated success in leadership
and growth.
• A successful business or not-for-profit leader who has managed a
diverse, national organization.
• A person who has been deeply involved in church or para-church
missions, has participated in public sector, charity, and/or political
fundraising, and has significant organizational leadership experience.

PROCESS OF CANDIDACY
If after reading this Opportunity Profile you sense that the gifts and experiences God has
given you are a good match for the National Coordinator role of RUF, we invite you to begin
the inquiry process. As mentioned, all candidate information and conversations are treated
confidentially. You may contact Laura Coverstone or Tommy Thomas of JobfitMatters at any
stage of the process to receive more information and ask questions. Their contact information
is below.
Please submit the following:
1. Resume
2. Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Ministry Data Form (MDF). The MDF
is not available for download but may be requested by emailing Laura Coverstone at
lcoverstone@jobfitmatters.com.
3. References: Provide the names and contact information (telephone numbers and email
addresses) for four references who know you and your career well enough to comment
on your suitability for the National Coordinator of RUF. References will be contacted only
after having requested and received your permission to do so.
4. Responses to Essay Questions: In order to help us gain a more complete picture of you and
your interest in RUF, please provide responses to the following (approx. 1-2 pages each):
• Describe your faith journey, devotional life, and involvement in your local church.
• Based on the RUF website, this document, or other inquiries you have made, what
attracts you to the National Coordinator position? Include any specific passions for
and experience with ministries to students on college campuses.
• Tell us about your specific energy for and commitment to nonprofit fundraising. Give
details about your individual successes as well as team leadership successes.
Timeline: JobfitMatters invites you to submit your information as soon as possible.
The application deadline is January 15, 2019.
Submit this information in Microsoft Word or PDF format to:
Laura Coverstone
JobfitMatters Executive Search
resumes@jobfitmatters.com