Lee Named Chief Development Officer
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February 9, 2009 – The Rev. Jonathan B. Lee, an experienced religious leader, has been named Hartford Seminary’s new Chief Development Officer, starting March 20.
President Heidi Hadsell announced the appointment. Lee has been senior pastor of Rocky Hill Congregational Church in Rocky Hill, CT, since 2001.
“I am excited that Jonathan will join Hartford Seminary, bringing his understanding of faith communities and his leadership skills,” Hadsell said. “As a student in our Doctor of Ministry program, Jonathan certainly understands what makes Hartford Seminary special. He will do an excellent job articulating our mission to prepare peacemakers and promote vital faith communities.”
During Lee’s seven-year tenure at Rocky Hill Congregational Church, membership increased more than 10%, he served as member and chair of the Hartford Association Committee on Church and Ministry, and, on the national level, was a member of the Ministry Issues Implementation Committee, charged with revision of the manual of procedure for the clergy and churches of the 1.2 million-member United Church of Christ denomination.
Lee said that he applied for the position because “After twenty years serving local churches, I found myself wanting to expand my daily world and, in turn, the work environment in which I could make use of my skills and interests. Having already been a student and teacher at Hartford Seminary, I knew firsthand the broad commitments and global perspective of the school, and being familiar with teachers and staff, this was an opportunity not to be missed.”
“What Hartford Seminary has known and embraced for so long -- that we live in a world much more interconnected than we assume -- the current global financial crisis is making clear to so many others,” Lee said. “The need to engage other cultures respectfully, to develop the capacity to listen intentionally, and to lead with confidence and compassion is more readily apparent then ever before, and what the Seminary offers is critical, not just for religious leaders, but for communities everywhere.”
“Faithful people, as well as those who might describe themselves simply as responsible global citizens, need tools to engage. Hartford Seminary is uniquely able to strengthen leaders of all kinds to make a difference,” Lee said.
Lee has a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School and a Bachelor of Science from Bates College. He is completing his Doctor of Ministry at Hartford Seminary. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Seminary.
After graduation from Andover Newton, Lee became associate minister at South Congregational Church in Middletown, CT, which he served for 13 years. While at the church, he led the year-long celebration to mark its 250th anniversary. He also completed "Separate Stories: A History of South Congregational Church," which won the Congregational Christian Historical Society's Frederick Fagley Award for 1997 as the best local church history nationwide.
Lee became senior minister in Rocky Hill in 2001. He has worked on capital campaigns - at South Congregational to reconstruct the church steeple and Rocky Hill Congregational for building renovation.
His goal as chief development officer, Lee said, will be “to ensure that financial support for Hartford Seminary is as effective and lively as possible so that the mission of the school can proceed and grow without constraint. Even though the economy is challenging right now, what better time to promote interreligious dialogue, excellence in religious leadership, and preparing peacemakers?”
Outside work, Lee enjoys history and writing. He has a fondness for brass, often searching for old keys, locks, hardware and artwork. He plays the trumpet and guitar, and says he is inspired by and takes comfort in music of all sorts. “I am rarely without my iPod—though quiet is a delight for me, too.”
For further information or questions, please contact David Barrett, Director of Public and Institutional Affairs, at (860) 509-9519 or dbarrett@hartsem.edu. A photo of Jonathan Lee is available by calling David Barrett; Lee is also available for interviews.
