Chine McDonald, director of communications & membership, will be leaving the Evangelical Alliance in March to start a new role with World Vision UK.

Chine was the first black female director to be appointed to the Alliance's leadership team and among the youngest in its 170-year history.

She will now be joining Alliance member World Vision in a new role as head of Christian influence and engagement.

Commenting on Chine's departure, Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance, said: "Chine has been offered and accepted a very exciting new role at World Vision UK, and will be leading an incentive to connect with the Church across the UK in a whole new way.

"Although we are sad to see Chine go, she goes with our prayers and much blessing. Chine has made an amazing contribution to us as an Alliance over the last six years and her appointment as a director is an indication of the respect she has gained right across the organisation." 

World Vision is the world's largest international children's charity, bringing real hope to millions of children in the world's hardest places. Steve Wood, director of marketing & communications at World Vision UK, said: "We are very excited that Chine will be joining us.

"We are about to embark on the development and implementation of a new strategy to engage and further equip the church for mission that will help the world's most vulnerable children. It is our prayer that this is not only transformational for the children we serve but also for the church as it continues to shine God's unconditional love into the world.

"The passion, experience and expertise that Chine brings will be of significant benefit to us as she takes on the role. I am looking forward to the impact that I am sure she will have on the role, the organisation as a whole, and to children's lives all over the world."

Chine, of Nigerian descent, is an author and writer who studied theology at Cambridge University before training as a journalist.

Chine joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2010 as editor, and later became head of media and communications, before joining the leadership team in 2014 as director of communications & membership.

For the past two years she has been responsible for the organisation's corporate communications, including its editorial, web and social media output, as well as the business development, membership, fundraising and marketing teams.

She played a key role in the launch of threads in 2012 – the Alliance's online collective of people in their 20s and 30s exploring faith and life – which has won both Best Christian Blog and Best Multi-Author Blog three times at the Premier Digital Awards (formerly the Christian New Media Awards).

Commenting on her new role, Chine said: "I'm delighted to be joining World Vision at this exciting time and looking forward to playing my part in engaging UK Christians in this vital work of transforming the lives of children in the world's toughest places. I am passionate about the Christian faith being good news and demonstrating the difference we can make when we stand together for justice, peace and the well-being of all.

"Although I'm excited about this new chapter, I will miss the amazing family of the Evangelical Alliance that has been my home for the past six years. I'm privileged to have worked with an amazing team of people and grateful for the opportunity carved out by Steve Clifford for me to join the leadership team. I'm looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Alliance in my new role at World Vision."