Larryl Humme has been appointed the director of Advancement for the Reformed Church in America. He stepped into this role on May 15.
“I’m most excited to see how God is going to take this 392-year-old vessel [of the RCA] and make something new and exciting out of it. That’s what gets me going the most,” says Humme. “I’m super grateful for all those generous souls who make this work and this ministry of the RCA even possible.”
Humme is not new to development work in the RCA. Beginning in 2015, he served as regional coordinator for Development and then as associate director of Development. From 1999 to 2004, he was the RCA’s director of Development, followed by a decade as vice president of development for Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. He also served as a fundraiser for the RCA from 1993 to 1999.
He notes that the focus of fundraising is commonly on an organization and its story, but that such an approach often leads to missing out on the stories of the donors themselves and the reasons that they care about a particular cause. Humme says he is energized by getting to hear those stories.
“Our donors have stories that bring them to our table,” says Humme. “There’s an unlimited amount of stories out there waiting for us to ask the details.”
“I am excited that Larryl is taking this position,” says general secretary Eddy Alemán. “Larryl brings to this work a deep and abiding commitment to the mission and ministry of the RCA as well as over 30 years of fundraising experience and nonprofit organizational management. He loves collaborating with coworkers to find the best way possible to advance the kingdom.”
Humme’s new position also marks a change in the department’s name from Development to Advancement, representing an expansion of the team’s mission and responsibilities.