I was walking down Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles on the beautiful, sunny morning of Monday, October 11, 2010 with a big smile on my face. I passed worker bees rushing with briefcases and coffees, dogwalkers with as many as 8 clients neatly prancing along their sides, bicyclists, artists working on a mural, friendly people chatting, stern parking enforcement officers, and a full film crew with props that read "New York City." Yet the excitement pulsating through my veins came from more than just this exhilarating, life-filled atmosphere; it was the unmistakable nerves of a first day at work.
I have written before about the tremendous healing that I have received as a staff member at an organization like PCU, which has exposed me to a more compassionate, loving and justice-oriented version of Christianity. Aside from that piece, I am filled with gratitude for the skills and experiences I have collected during my time here. Working at a small nonprofit organization requires versatility and a wardrobe of many different hats: an administrator must morph between an office manager, an event planner, a webmaster, a graphic designer, a program coordinator, and a database guru. Playing these roles at PCU has been an honor, a privilege... and a whole lot of fun!
Working for Progressive Christians Uniting has been especially meaningful to me because I support the mission from which our work emerges. My job, I have found, is an expression of my faith and my commitment to addressing social injustices. Whether it was supporting the Occupy movement in 2011, bringing Michelle Alexander to speak to a crowd of 1,000 people on mass incarceration in 2012, working on LGBT acceptance in Christian communities through Breakthrough Conversations in 2013, or raising awareness through Climate Change and Faith small groups in 2014, PCU has kept me involved in the crucial justice issues of our time.
I will be departing at the end of the month to move across the country with my partner Steven and begin seminary this fall at Yale Divinity School. Although I am very eager to embark on this journey, I will dearly miss working at PCU and interacting with so many wonderful people (not to mention the joys of living in sunny southern California!). But I am not leaving empty handed. I will be carrying all of the necessary tools that I have acquired, a heavy lesson book from my experiences here, and of course the leaning, towering stack of hats that any good administrator keeps on hand.
Farewell friends,
Sean Patrick Coady
Associate Director