
Yesterday, the White House revealed President Obama’s replacement for Josh Dubois as the new head of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and special assistant to the president. Her name is Melissa Rogers, and she’ll be coordinating the President’s collaborations with faith-based and nonprofit organizations around the country. Before this, she chaired Obama’s Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and was the director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University Divinity School.
So, clearly, she specializes in running programs with very long names, but she’s also largely regarded as a centrist on controversial issues. Rev. Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners, said that her “genuine spirit and concern for others has earned her the trust of people on different sides if issues. Her wide and deep competence on legal and policy matters will be very helpful in her new role.” Joel Hunter, pastor of Florida’s Northland and advisor to the President said that “Melissa is an honest broker, a consensus-builder, and a problem-solver, and someone who believes that government should be actively engaged with civil society, including religious institutions and individuals, to promote the common good. I look forward to her service in the White House” …