The Committee on Administration (COA) is very pleased to announce that Mr. Phil Van Valkenburg has accepted the offer to serve as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Office of the General Assembly of the EPC. He is currently the Executive Administrator of Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St. Louis, MO, a position he has held since 2004. Phil and his wife, Becky, have been married for 37 years. They have two grown children and three grandchildren.

Phil’s EPC ties include past membership in Central (EPC)-St. Louis, MO, where he served as a deacon and Emmanuel (EPC)-Wildwood, MO, where he was a ruling elder. His PCA experience includes serving as the chair of the General Assembly Administration Committee, which is somewhat similar to the COA of the EPC.

Besides executive church and ministry leadership experience, Phil’s vocation includes financial, human resource and IT management, communications and fundraising. He has had direct operational oversight of a church-based medical plan during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Phil worked for five years with Campus Crusade for Christ. He received a BS from Michigan State and an MBA from the University of Colorado-Boulder. Chief Operating Officer search team member John Baird said, “Phil has a unique blend of business, local church, denominational and para-church experience that set him apart as the outstanding candidate for the COO position.”

COA chair Doug Klein, who “skyped” from London when the COA approved the COO search team recommendation via conference call said, “This marks a wonderful answer to our dream and our prayer for a Chief Operating Officer. We stand ready to welcome Phil to our leadership team and anticipate what the Lord has in store in the coming years.”

Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah expressed gratitude for the COA and Board of Benefits support during the search process and for the EPC for making the COO position possible. “I’m very thankful that our churches stepped up financially to make it feasible for us to fill this important position. Phil will make a huge difference in the office as we serve the growing number of churches that make up the EPC.”