News

Carnahan Tapped as GBOD's New Finance Chief

Charles R. Carnahan

(NASHVILLE, Tenn., August 5, 2008/GBOD) — The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) has tapped the Rev. Charles R. Carnahan to serve as its new chief administrative officer and treasurer, effective September 1.

Carnahan will lead the agency's financial and operational areas, including accounting, human resources, building services, strategic systems and communications, in addition to providing general oversight of the agency's fiscal affairs.

"I am delighted to announce that the Rev. Charles Carnahan has been appointed to GBOD as the chief administrative officer, replacing Mr. Foye Webb, who is retiring after many years of service," says the Rev. Karen Greenwaldt, top executive for GBOD.

"Charles brings great skill, ability and leadership to this significant office at GBOD. An able leader and administrator, Charles will continue to move GBOD forward through its ministry of administrative leadership," said Greenwaldt.

Carnahan currently serves as the treasurer-director of administration and the conference benefits officer for the New England Annual (regional) Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he is responsible for staff support of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, Conference Trustees, Conference Personnel Committee and Conference Board of Pensions and Health Benefits.

"Charles brings to the GBOD almost two decades of financial and administrative experience from both the public nonprofit sector and the general church. He's the right person to provide financial and operational leadership to the agency," says Foye Webb, GBOD's departing chief administrative officer/treasurer.

Previously, Carnahan served as chief operating officer of CAB Health Recovery Services, Inc., a leading substance abuse treatment and prevention agency serving northeastern Massachusetts and greater Boston. In this position, he was responsible for revenue generation, facilities management and day-to-day operations.

Carnahan also directed the AIDS Project Worcester, Inc., leading it through a process of organizational/financial restructuring and revenue growth.

A Boston area resident, the Rev. Carnahan has led or consulted with human service organizations throughout the U.S., U.K., Latin America and Asia.

He served for five years as an international program officer with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, where he managed health projects, programming, and training worldwide, including programs in Canada, Guatemala, Uruguay, India, Zimbabwe, Brazil and other locations.

In 1991, President George H. W. Bush, Sr. recognized Carnahan with the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Action Award for leading an interfaith, community-based HIV/AIDS organization in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, while former Texas Governor Ann Richards and the City Council of Dallas honored him for his work with persons living with HIV.

An ordained elder in the North Texas Conference, the Rev. Carnahan has earned an executive MBA from Suffolk University, a Master of Divinity degree from Southern Methodist University, and a B.S. in business administration from Louisiana Tech University.

The General Board of Discipleship's mission is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, GBOD (www.gbod.org) is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, call the Media Relations Office toll free at 877-899-2780, ext. 7017.