Experience includes social justice, homeless work at historic Presbyterian church in New York City
by Kathy Melvin | Presbyterian News Service
Luciano Kovacs
LOUISVILLE — World Mission announced Friday it has named Luciano Kovacs as the new area coordinator for the Middle East and Europe. Kovacs is filling the position that became available when Phillip Woods became associate director for strategy, program and recruitment.
“Luciano’s international ecumenical experience gained through his work with the World Student Christian Federation, and his background in the prophetic witness of the Waldensian Church (our Reformed Church partner in Italy) will be invaluable to World Mission as we align ourselves with General Assembly’s call to be a Matthew 25 church,” said Woods. “Luciano particularly impressed us in his presentation on how World Mission could embody PMA’s strategic objectives, drawing on his experience of transformative mission and walking the talk through ministry with homeless people in New York while working with Jan Hus Presbyterian Church.”
Most recently, Kovacs served as executive director for North America and global program director for advocacy and solidarity at the World Student Christian Federation. He also served as social justice director for Jan Hus Presbyterian Church in New York City. Before that he was Jan Hus’ assistant director, then director of homeless outreach and advocacy. During his career he has also worked at the International Turin Center in Turin, Italy and as the European regional secretary of the World Student Christian Federation.
Kovacs has a “Laurea” degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Turin. He took additional courses in history, sociology pedagogy, cultural and post-colonial studies. He continued his education at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, University College Dublin and University College London.
In addition to his work life, Kovacs has been an active volunteer working with the World Council of Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the American Waldensian Society, the Agape Ecumenical Center in Prali, Italy, the World Student Christian Federation and the Italian Federation of Protestant Youth. He has a love for the arts, writing and acting, and while at Jan Hus Presbyterian Church produced six off-off Broadway plays with an ensemble theater group recruited from former classmates of HB Studio Theater School.
Kovacs is bilingual and has served as an Italian-English translator. He also has a working knowledge of German, French and Spanish. He will begin his new position on March 1.
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