Yesterday morning, I submitted my resignation, effective immediately, to Rooftop 519. It isn’t easy when you help birth an organization from idea to fruition, but it is easy to take action when there is only one option.

I love our purpose and our team. Some of the best adventures of my life were done under the banner of Rooftop. We did incredible work in the lives of the kids we help. Equally amazing is the change in hearts of those who help these little ones.

My resignation was based on a perpetually divided vision… a difference in culture and values. The most recent being a belief in how to address conflict. When a personal difference developed to an impasse, I asked for a “mediated reconciliation”. I called a special meeting this Monday night to discuss it with them. This follows a Matthew 18:15 process of restoring relationship.

Our meeting began at 7 p.m. The board chair prayed. There was an instantaneous (and scripted) motion to adjourn the meeting. The majority ruled in favor of adjourning. My formal grievances and proposed solutions were never heard. It was over.

I wrote and submitted my resignation the next day, Tuesday. That night there was another board meeting. The board chair prayed. There was an instantaneous (and scripted) motion to terminate a very good man’s position on the board of directors. He asked for a reason, and he was simply told they didn’t need one.

Here is the resignation I submitted on Tuesday:

June 11, 2013 

Dear Rooftop 519 Board of Directors,

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this organization. I appreciate the gifts of time, talent and treasure you have all brought to our effort.

This letter serves as my resignation. I had proposed for reconciliation, but it appears we do not have the same objectives. Therefore, I can no longer remain in my position.

Please select a board representative to work with me through this transition. I intend to have all Rooftop 519 responsibilities completed by the end of this month. Should it please the board, June 28, 2013 will be my final day as President/CEO.

Sincerely,

Shawn Manley

One Wednesday I received an email that acknowledged  receipt of my resignation. They had not accepted it. They would not give me a liaison. They would not give me a timeline. They made unreasonable demands. It mentioned that they were praying for me a couple of times. I was forbidden to contact individual board members. Not one of the remaining board members called me, or would even return my calls. One board member sent a snarky follow-up to the initial email from the board chair. Proverbial salt in a wound.

I am not sharing my second resignation letter because doing so would uncover individuals in a dishonorable way, not because I dishonored them, but because there is gross negligence by key leaders. I don’t make that statement lightly.

My resignation leaves them in a difficult position. Rooftop 519 is an organization with no financial partners, no volunteers, huge liabilities and no leadership. I didn’t set them up to fail, but instead, they have rushed head-long into a path of oblivion.

God doesn’t really care about organizations. He cares about people. I am excited because the people of God continue to march forward, and a 501 (c) (3) dissolution (or whatever action) doesn’t stop Kingdom work.

I am working with my highly trained and capable friends to bring Elijah to the healer. We really have an amazing team. We may carry other children to healing in the future, but for now, I am just focused on each hour of each day. Elijah will be here this August for treatment at Shriner’s Hospital in Portland.

This is Elijah Anderson. He will be coming from Liberia to Portland Shriner’s Hospital this summer for skin grafts.

I would like to offer my public apology to any volunteer or partner that I offended through this process. Experiencing a loss is never easy, and I although I am not perfect, I am making an attempt to bring honor . I humbly confess to being stretched incredibly thin these last several days, and frankly, I don’t have the answers to many of the questions.

My sincere thank-you to everyone who has sent me nuggets of love an encouragement, especially my awesome wife. For the first time ever, my monthly cell minutes are gone. My phone rings off the hook, and my text inbox is bursting. You are awesome friends, and you are the reason why my faith and hope are greater than ever.

My cell is 424.653.8323. Call or text me… I would love to hear from you. May God work all things together for good, and may he grow something great in our ashes.

Through the Roof,

Shawn Manley

Proverbs 24:14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” William Aurthur Ward

One week from today I will be in Philadelphia at the 2013 Justice Conference. Rooftop 519 and Artists Inspring Action have teamed up to create Justice Does, a huge, interactive mural that will engage people in stories and themes of Justice.

See the wallpaper on my blog? That’s a tease of the artwork we’re creating for this experience (credit to Jacob Herring and Pope St. Victor for their work).

This vision started one year ago at the 2012 Justice Conference. Now is our opportunity to use beautiful, meaningful art to depict our growing theology of justice. We have the chance to inspire more people to serving the poor, widows, orphans and strangers.

Biblical justice will never be boiled down to a description, a soundbite or tweet. It is a holistic experience and understanding of the compassion, complexity and beauty of the heart of God is bending towards those in need. Thousands of us will push together at the Justice Conference. Would you please push with us by telling our story? #JusticeDoes

Every week I post privately to our board of directors of Rooftop 519. It is usually a written as a (fairly boring) report, but this week I shared something that happened to me today. I’d like to open it up to all who read my blog.

-Shawn

A friend of mine, Steve Ridgway, is the interim director of Open Doors USA. He was hosting another friend, Joel Parker, the executive director for Nations Films. Danny Owens (our creative intern) and I had lunch with Steve and Joel. It was a very special afternoon for all of us. After all, I was introduced to my first frozen banana.

Hanging with Joel and Steve in Balboa.

During our time together, even in the midst of a really fun afternoon, my mind would slip back to an email from Nicaragua I received this morning. Danny and I were buying fabric at the remnant store in the fashion district in LA, and an email popped in on my phone from a woman I’d met last July named Jenmy. She wrote:

Peace and good. Christ’s peace is always circling each undertaking humanitarian, thank you very much for the opportunity and blessing to write to you is a real honor… you might not remember me but we met at the IMA Helps humanitarian mission Jinotega 2012.

I remembered her. I remembered the teenage girl she brought with her, Joseline. A girl who had a large portion of her pituitary gland removed. I was informed by the doctor who saw Josaline in triage that the Nicaraguan surgeons simply did not have the experience to do the procedures she needed. Dr. Amy told me that this surgery could be done “blindfolded” in Austin, where Amy had done her residency.

I beg for mercy hear us Joseline is almost like my daughter, is a feisty girl, are three operations since we have done here in Nicaragua…

What does it take to beg for healing? What lengths would Jenmy go to? What do her prayers sound like right now?

Thank you for your humanity that Jesus always guide and humanize him as usual bless you forever.

Hope does amazing things. I am hoping with Jenmy for Josaline’s healing. I honestly don’t know if we can help her, but I am connected to her passionate plea. Not only do I hope with her, but I am making contact with doctors to see what we can do.

Pending positive news I leave with faith in God that request will be heard, many blessings.

In three weeks we are creating an art installation at the Justice Conference. There are eight themes of injustice being represented in this massive work. During the next several weeks, I will be gently, yet consistently distracted by the desperate plea of Jenmy. It gives me motivation, and my hope is strengthened by her need. Our art helps to tell the story of children like Joseline. I want to tell the story of these kids, in beautiful ways that people want to experience. In our inmost being, we want to know that we mater and that we have a purpose. God is calling people to help children like Joseline, and I feel very blessed to be a part of such sacred work. Is he calling you to help too?

Pray with me for Joseline.