(RNS) The president of the group American Atheists, Ed Buckner, will retire this fall after two years in office.
Taking over the organization from Ellen Johnson in 2008, Buckner saw the organization through a corporate reorganization, joining the Secular Coalition of America, and a boost of fundraising.
Neal Cary, chairman of the board of directors of American Atheists, praised Bucker’s work.
“We are grateful to Ed for his considerable efforts and very hard work over the past two years in building a stronger organization and ushering in much needed changes,” Cary said in a statement.
Buckner’s retirement will take place sometime this fall pending board agreement for a replacement.
He cited needing “more time to write and reflect, as well as simply to relax more,” among several reasons for leaving his position, adding that “the organization needs fresh leadership.”
Buckner said he will remain as an active member and volunteer of the organization.
Before he goes, however, Buckner had a few things to say on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly denouncing the collective prayers addressing the oil spill.
The governors of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas joined with the lieutenant Governor of Florida on June 27 for a day of prayer dedicated to the oil spill.
Buckner criticized the event, saying “this is about as deep as you can get when it comes to promoting irrationality and faith-based superstition.”
“Perhaps the politicians need to get up off their knees and spend more time mobilizing the resources to deal with this catastrophe.”
Although he does not have a vote on his successor, Buckner has recommended group spokesman Dave Silverman, along with Kathleen Johnson, founder of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, as candidates.
With all the advances in the past two years, Buckner said he is “optimistic about the future of secularism in general and American Atheists in particular.”