Organization in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations since 2019

The foundation of the Pontifical Orthodox Old Catholic Apostolic See of Sts. Stephen and Mark


Bishop Rutherford I (Johnson), PhD, STD, JCD, ALM, MSc, FRGS
Foundation President and CEO

Bishop Rutherford Johnson is the Bishop and Papa-Catholicos of Rome-Ruthenia and shepherds the United Roman-Ruthenian Church.  He is an accomplished leader, educator, and clergyman with more than a quarter-century of international diplomatic and executive experience. He focuses on empowering others to build transformational collaborations while improving the quality of lives. As a seasoned chief executive and compassionate clergyman, he is noted for his positive, metric-driven, people-centered approach that leads teams to exceed expectations, and for his unique personal ability to build donor relationships.  For example, he regularly builds, mentors, and leads teams that provide invited expert policy advice to the United Nations General Assembly and Economic and Social Council regarding some of the most pressing humanitarian, economic, sustainability, and social issues the world faces today.  He also served as an Observer at a G20 Summit. 

His diverse training and education includes a PhD from the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, a Master of Liberal Arts degree in the field of sustainability from the Harvard University Extension School, Graduate Certificates in Corporate Sustainability & Innovation, Social Justice, and Business Communications also from the Harvard Extension School, a Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from the Harvard Business School Online, and a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degree in economics and physics respectiely from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as an STD and JCD from Pontifical Georgian College, the principal seminary of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church and founded by St. Edwin Caudill, Bishop of the Southwest, Apostolic Founder of the Diocese of Rome-Ruthenia. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2022, Bishop Rutherford received international recognition for his university teaching work as a regional recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

For more information, please see the complete biography.
For professional information, please see this page.
For information on speaking engagements, please see this page.


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