Solidarity welcomes new executive director

Solidarity welcomes new executive director
April 17, 2019 Susan Oxley
Br Bill Archbishop Juba Fr Jim

Above image from left: Br. Bill Firman, FSC; Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro, FSCJ, Juba, South Sudan; Fr. Jim Greene, MofAFR

Solidarity with South Sudan is going through a major transition this month. During the April Board meeting in Rome, Brother Bill Firman, FSC, officially resigned his position as executive director after 10 years of exceptional service. Father James Greene, Missionaries of Africa, was appointed the new executive director. Brother Bill announced his resignation last year, and Father Jim has been in South Sudan since January, getting to know Solidarity and its ministries and communities.

Brother Bill traveled to South Sudan from Australia in 2009 to help initiate the Solidarity Teacher Training College (STTC), first at Malakal and later in Yambio. He brought his educational and administrative gifts to Solidarity and helped to shape the institutions as they are known today, especially the STTC, which has achieved national status and acclaim for the training of primary school teachers.

Brother Bill facilitated the formation and training of local boards of directors for the STTC and the Catholic Health Training Institute in Wau. He facilitated the development of the strategic plan, enabling Solidarity to move toward its goal of capacity building for South Sudanese to the point where they are able to assume responsibility for these institutions. He has also been instrumental in the re-institution of the Religious Superiors Association of South Sudan and the building of the Good Shepherd Peace
Center.

We are grateful to Bill for the generous sharing of his gifts with Solidarity in South Sudan. He will be greatly missed by both Church and society leaders as well as Solidarity staff.

Father Jim brings a rich background in missionary service as well as experience in financial administration and justice and peace to his new role with Solidarity. He worked for several years as a pastor in Malawi and as general treasurer for the Missionaries of Africa, both the Irish Province and the international congregation based in Rome. Prior to joining Solidarity, Father Jim had been based in Jerusalem as treasurer for the Jerusalem ministry of the Missionaries of Africa and that of Ethiopia and Beirut.

We welcome Jim to his new role of executive director of Solidarity with South Sudan, based in Juba.

Sister Joan Mumaw, IHM
President and Chief Administrative Officer, Friends in Solidarity

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