For Immediate Release
May 23, 2023

Contact: Heather Cabral, hcabral@faithinaction.org, 202-550-6880

As Faith in Action celebrates 50 years, the Rev. Alvin Herring will step aside to allow the next generation of leaders to take the helm of the organization

WASHINGTON – The executive director of the largest faith-based organizing network announced this week that he will step down from his role, effective March 31, 2024. 

The announcement from the Rev. Alvin Herring, who has served in the role for five years, comes as Faith in Action prepares to mark its 50th anniversary. 

“By stepping aside, I hope to create the space for our Board of Directors to imagine new possibilities to carry us forward for the next 50 years and to empower the next generation of network leadership to conspire, collaborate and co-create our future,” wrote Herring in a letter to the network. 

Under Herring’s leadership, Faith in Action underwent organizational restructuring and now has an entirely Black and brown executive leadership team in which four of the six members are women.

Reflecting on his tenure, Herring wrote in his letter to the network: “One of my highest priorities as executive director was to create an organization that centered the wisdom and lived experiences of Black and brown leaders, especially women. Growing our power-building and leadership capacity strengthens our collective ability to create a beloved community in which everyone thrives and has a say in the decisions that shape their lives.”

In 2021, Faith in Action received a transformative multi-million dollar donation from MacKenzie Scott as part of her philanthropic efforts to support power building within communities to further positive change. 

“Thanks to Rev. Herring’s stewardship and leadership, Faith in Action is stronger, stable and well-positioned to shape the priorities that take center stage in the 2024 elections and beyond,” said Ron White, Faith in Action Board chairperson. “During his tenure, we’ve deepened our relationship with long-time funding partners, and the gift from Ms. Scott in 2021 symbolized a vote of confidence in the direction and work of the network. We’ve also strengthened the relationship between national staff and the federations, expanding our reach and impact as we work to cultivate a world in which all people thrive.”

Herring first started with the network in 2010 as a community organizer with Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization, welcoming returning citizens home with love and joy. He went on to lead a federation in Louisiana before becoming the deputy director of then-PICO National Network in 2013. 

He transitioned from the network for a period to serve as the director of Racial Equity and Community Engagement for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where he worked to ensure that groups advocating for racial justice and equity had the requisite resources for their campaigns and initiatives before returning to Faith in Action in 2018. 

In addition to his leadership of Faith in Action, Herring played a leadership role in the Kellogg Racial Equity Anchors Collaborative, a partnership of nine civil rights organizations including the NAACP, National Urban League, Advancement Project, Demos, Faith in Action, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Race Forward, UnidosUS and the National Congress of American Indians. 

“Our goal is to select an interim executive director to overlap with Rev. Herring and ensure a smooth, stable transition of leadership as we engage a robust search process for the leader who will build on his successes and take us into the next 50 years,” said White. “In the meantime, the work of Faith in Action continues.”