Open the Bible is a US-based ministry which produces a range of resources in different formats helping people to engage with the arc of scripture. After encouraging initial contact with a UK market, a new leader was required to launch the ministry in the UK with initial support from a team in the US.

This was a highly unusual role. It required both a love for scripture and the entrepreneurial spirit to get a charity only recently registered as a legal entity off the ground. As such, the successful candidate would need to be comfortable with high-levels of ambiguity and bring an appetite for partnership building from day-one.

Our research was guided by input from a wide network of advisors given the emphasis on unearthing candidates with the right mindset and skills as opposed to experience in a particular sector or type of organisation. We presented a longlist of 5 candidates, 3 were invited to interview and after a series of discussions with the preferred candidate, a successful appointment was made with a start date agreed later in 2022.

From John Martin (the appointed candidate):

"I am excited about the prospect of helping Open the Bible UK explore fruitful avenues for how their ministry might flourish 'across the pond'. Colin Smith's US-based ministry and resources are already enjoyed in the UK, and there is now the opportunity to see how this can be further adapted and expanded for the UK scene."

"When Carnelian approached me about the role of Executive Director, I appreciated being able to discuss the role and ministry openly and honestly with them - it was a truly collaborative and multiway process for all involved, and I felt able to be quite direct in seeking clarification along the way, as the Carnelian team were clearly determined to be thorough and take the necessary time to reach the best outcome for everyone."