Tag: Sally Vonner

For Immediate Release

July 13, 2023

New York, NY – United Women in Faith today announced an installation service for its new general secretary and CEO, Sally Vonner. She is a native of Tyler, Texas, and will be installed on July 29 at 3 p.m. at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas. Vonner is the second Black woman to hold the position. The first was Theressa Hoover, who served from 1968 to 1990.

“I am honored to helm a sisterhood of women who believe our love in action can change the world for good,” Vonner said. “I look forward to leaving the organization’s headquarters in New York and being among the members across the United States. I anticipate increasing our focus on service and advocacy to address the needs of women, children, and youth. I am also thrilled to help provide our members and supporters with opportunities for spiritual growth, leadership development, and transformative education about the world God so loves.”

Vonner began her term as general secretary and CEO on June 1, 2023. The organization’s May 22 board vote culminated a six-month nationwide search. But she is no stranger to United Women in Faith. Vonner joined the organization’s national staff in 2010 as Assistant General Secretary of Membership and Leadership Development. Following a reorganization in 2018, she became the Transformation Officer, coordinating the organization’s visioning and strategic development to positively impact the lives of women, children, and youth. She oversaw an organizational rebranding that opened new ways for women to join, introduced program innovations and initiatives, and rolled out United Women in Faith as the new public-facing name.

“Sally is not just a woman who knows this organization, but she is also a visionary who possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience,” said ‘Ainise ‘Isama’u, United Women in Faith board president. “She is the kind of leader who understands where we’ve been, where we are, and where we need to go.”

“Sally’s grasp of the current strategic plan will enable her to lead United Women in Faith boldly as we live out our belief that love in action can change the world,” said Cynthia Rives, board vice president. “Equally important, she brings stability in a time of change as she is 

well-grounded in our organization, knowledgeable of our history and today’s United Women in Faith.”

Vonner is ready for the new challenge.

“My primary focus is to continue and expand the mission and reach of United Women in Faith as we put our love and faith in action to improve the lives of women, children, and youth around the world,” Vonner said. “I will lead with faith and trust in God, the support of the directors, the Program Advisory Group, my colleagues and, most of all, the members of United Women in Faith.

The Tyler, Texas, native has served The United Methodist Church in several other capacities including women’s retreat leader, and jurisdictional conference delegate and alternate in 2008, 2016, and 2020 representing the North Texas Annual Conference. Vonner was an organizer for the denomination’s work on immigration assistance, community development initiatives, and work dismantling racism. She was commissioned as a U.S. missionary by the General Board of Global Ministries in 2000 to serve in the North Texas Annual Conference as the Communities of Shalom Coordinator. Vonner also served as the Associate Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Texas Annual Conference, 2005-2010.

A longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vonner regularly attends Teaneck United Methodist Church in New Jersey, where she is a member of the local United Women in Faith group. She is an active member of the Bergen County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Vonner enjoys spending time with her adult children, Wesley and Lessie, reading, walking, and traveling.

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For Immediate Release

June 29, 2023

NEW YORK, NY – United Women in Faith, the largest denominational organization for women, today issued a statement regarding the Supreme Court decisions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina. The statement can be attributed to Sally Vonner, general secretary and CEO of United Women in Faith, and Elizabeth Chun Hye Lee, director of mobilization and advocacy for United Women in Faith: 

“We are gravely disappointed in this decision, which represents a massive step backwards for racial equity. We are concerned about the immense harm this decision will have on students as well as the long-term precedent of eroding affirmative action. United Women in Faith also joins the United Methodist Church, which 

, and reiterates our support for affirmative action as an important tool in efforts to achieve equity. The resolution states:  

“The implementation of affirmative action has resulted in concrete gains for people of color and women in higher education and the corporate world. However persuasive [the alleged grounds of opposition to affirmative action] seem on the surface, they tend to slough off or to ignore the persistence of significant and widespread inequalities of opportunity affecting women, ethnic and racial persons, and persons with disabilities throughout our social system. 

From the perspective represented by The United Methodist Church, the most fundamental premise underlying the concept of affirmative action is both moral and spiritual. Concern for the disadvantaged and the oppressed is a major feature of the message of the Hebraic prophets and of Jesus. According to biblical teaching, we are mandated, in the face of inhumane discrimination—whether that discrimination is intended or unintended—to do what we can to redress legitimate grievances and to create a society in which the lives of each and all will flourish. For this fundamental reason, we reconfirm our commitment to the concept of affirmative action.” 

“We are disappointed in the decision but not surprising; there has been a long-lasting campaign against affirmative action, which exists as part of a broader current backlash to historic and present-day racial and gender justice movements. In alignment with the collective body of the United Methodist Church, United Women in Faith remains committed to the principles of affirmative action as a vital tool in advancing the civil and human rights of women, people of color, and people with disabilities, while simultaneously strengthening the fabric of our whole society and enriching the lives of all persons. We have a moral interest and a practical interest in this issue. Of the National Mission Institutions we support, 5 are HBCUs.”  

“While we are mourning today’s decision, we are not defeated by it,” said Elizabeth Chun Hye Lee, Director of Mobilization and Advocacy for United Women in Faith. “We recognize that the Supreme Court has brought both high’s and low’s for the broader movements for racial justice and gender justice. Today’s low will not be our resting place. As women of faith, we will continue to work in support of affirmative action in the church and in the world.”