Leadership Transition  ·  The Field's Edge  ·  Effective August 3, 2026

Transfer of
Authority

The Field's Edge

“You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.”

Numbers 27:20

Sam Raj assumes the role of Executive Director on August 3, 2026. John-Mark Echols transitions from Executive Director to Founder & Director of Ministry, retaining the theological, pastoral, and relational functions that remain essential to TFE's identity and mission. All 65 executive responsibilities have been reviewed and assigned.

65
Total responsibilities reviewed
38
Transferring to Sam Raj — Executive Director
12
Continuing with JM Echols — Director of Ministry
10
Shared — both roles maintain active involvement

Sam Raj

Executive Director · Incoming August 3, 2026

Staff Leadership

  • Run weekly all-staff meeting
  • 1:1s with Matthew, Jeff, and Brandy
  • Annual performance reviews
  • Hiring decisions Sam leads; JM ensures cultural fit
  • Staff corrections, discipline, and onboarding
  • PTO approvals and scheduling

Finance & Operations

  • Monthly financial review with bookkeeper
  • Annual budget creation and board approval
  • Expense approvals, bank signatory, payroll
  • Grant financial compliance and audit coordination
  • Insurance and QuickBooks relationships

Facilities & Property

  • Buildium property management oversight
  • Maintenance vendor relationships
  • Leases, capital improvements, facility safety
  • Village security — access codes, cameras, incidents

Programs & Neighbor Operations

  • Neighbor Care Manager oversight and monthly reporting
  • GleanUp program — operations and scheduling
  • Volunteer recruitment and management
  • Program metrics and impact reporting

Donor Development Operations

  • Bloomerang CRM data integrity
  • Year-end giving campaign
  • Grant research, writing, and compliance reporting
  • Monthly donor newsletter and annual report
  • Donor acknowledgment letters New system needed; shared

Board & Governance Operations

  • Board meeting preparation, packet, and facilitation
  • Between-meeting board communications
  • Annual governance calendar
  • Bylaws and policy maintenance Shared with JM

External Operations

  • Love Midland — meetings and relationships
  • City of Midland civic relationships JM has long history; both engage
  • External speaking engagements Both represent TFE in different contexts
  • TFE media and public communications Sam leads; JM contributes on camera

John-Mark Echols

Founder & Director of Ministry · Reports to Executive Director

Ministry Presence

  • Lead weekly Bible study in the Village with neighbors
  • Pastoral visits to neighbors; relationships with residents and alumni
  • Serve as preacher and teacher at Village worship gatherings
  • Review housing applications — provide pastoral input on intake
  • Review weekly Neighbor Care report; follow up on flagged situations
  • Deep pastoral care for complex cases — crises, end-of-life, reintegration
  • Mentor missional residents and emerging community leaders
  • Serve as pastoral mentor and founding advisor to the Executive Director

Theological & Cultural Leadership

  • Lead weekly staff devotion — substantive teaching, not a quick devotional
  • Own and steward TFE's theological framework — Home Economy, dignity through work, covenant community
  • Review all program design and Neighbor Covenant language for theological integrity
  • Write theological essays, op-eds, and long-form content for public audiences
  • Provide theological and cultural review in hiring and corrections

Donor & Church Relationships

  • Steward founding donor relationships (top 5) Shared with Sam
  • Major donor relationships ($10K+/yr) Shared with Sam
  • Mid-tier donor stewardship ($2.5–10K/yr) Shared with Sam
  • Build and deepen local church relationships — pulpit exchanges, mission partnerships
  • Provide quarterly ministry health report to the board

External Mission & Advocacy

  • TTUHSC healthcare partnership Shared with Sam
  • Carry TFE's story into Midland's business community — lunch-and-learns, company presentations
  • Pursue speaking invitations — conferences, churches, civic forums; TFE's primary external storyteller
  • Co-represent TFE publicly with Sam — JM as founding and theological voice
  • Contribute on-camera content — storytelling and video for TFE media
  • Author or review grant narratives — ensuring theological voice and founding language
– Sole responsibility ↔ Shared — both maintain active involvement + New function added in Director of Ministry role
5 Items Pending Neighbor Covenant administration, Glean Beans operations, Board member recruitment, Charity Tracker reporting, and Family Promise coordination are under active review. Decisions expected before August 3.