He is most renowned for expanding the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches to become the largest organization of its kind in North America and the largest volunteer organization in Minnesota.
ST. LOUIS PARK, MN, February 07, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Gary B. Reierson, DMin, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Reierson celebrates many years of experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
With more than 40 years of professional experience, Dr. Reierson was the director of the Collegeville Institute Fellows Program at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research from 2013 to 2017, also serving as president and chief executive officer of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, now known as the Greater Minneapolis Community Connections, from 1989 to 2012 and a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Theology and Seminary at Saint John's University from 2007 to 2014. Prior to obtaining these roles, he was an adjunct professor at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 1986, and an associate minister at Plymouth Congregational Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota from 1977 to 1987. Earlier in his career, Dr. Reierson was an associate minister at the United Church of Christ in New Brighton, Minnesota from 1975 to 1977 and a teaching specialist in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minneapolis from 1973 to 1975.
Alongside his primary endeavors, Dr. Reierson currently serves on the board of directors for the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (past chair) and the advisory board for the Center of Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota. Previously, he sat on the board of trustees and was the former treasurer of the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, on the board of directors of the Tri-Council Coordinating Commission/Anti-Racism Initiative, the Division of Indian Work, the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing, and the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. Locally involved as well, he was on the boards of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Franklin Bank, the Peace Foundation, and the United Way of Minneapolis.
Dr. Reierson began his career as a student at the University of Minnesota, receiving a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in 1977. He then joined the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, earning a Master of Divinity, with honors, in 1978 and a Doctor of Ministry, with distinction, in 1986. He later completed a Mini Master of Business Administration for nonprofit organizations with the University of St. Thomas in 1991, and he has completed post-doctoral study at the University of Oxford in England, the Bossey Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches in Switzerland, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy, and the Centro Pro Unione also in Rome.
Among his notable achievements, Dr. Reierson is most renowned for expanding the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches to become the largest organization of its kind in North America and the largest volunteer organization in Minnesota, consisting of 25,000 volunteers, 700 member congregations, 33 programs and 100 employees who have served over 300,000 people per year. Likewise, he has received three grants from the federal Compassion Capital Fund, which has resulted in over $5 million invested in the community to increase the capacity of grassroots groups in addressing human needs. Impressively, he has further focused the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches' efforts on mobilizing the faith community to become a leader in welfare reform, addressing childcare, informal support networks for those making the transition from welfare to work, and affordable housing. He has also authored and co-authored four books and contributed 33 articles to professional journals.
Throughout his career, Dr. Reierson has been recognized for his contributions. The recipient of the Outstanding Unity Award from the Minnesota State Baptist Convention, he also received a Recognition Award from the Ogoni Youth Leadership Forum for advocating for the resettlement of Ogoni Nigerian refugees and the development of services for West Africans in the Twin Cities, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and the David W. Preus Leadership Award. He was also given the WCCO Good Neighbor Award, the International Leadership Institute Award in recognition of a decade or more of service towards the elimination of social injustice and intolerance, the Ecumenical Partners Award from Urban Ministries, the Joseph Jones Russell Sermon Award, and the Award for Preaching of the Christian Sermon Society. Dr. Reierson has also been featured in numerous honors publications, including the fourth edition of Who's Who in Religion.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Dr. Reierson has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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