Chuck Ezell is acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The OPM “serves as the human resource agency and personnel policy manager for the federal government.” according to its website. 

Ezell was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve in this role. Ezell previously worked in the OPM overseeing data analytics. Since the inauguration, Ezell has been providing guidance to help federal agencies align with the president’s executive orders.

But Chuck Ezell is not an insider to Washington. Rather, he comes from central Georgia where he has served as a ruling elder at a PCA church. According to Ezell’s pastor, Chuck is a skilled shepherd and teacher. His wife is also active in the women’s ministry.

A month ago, you could find Chuck on stage at church playing guitar. Now, Chuck finds himself in the news headlines as he implements the president’s executive orders regarding the federal workforce. 

ByFaith recently interviewed Ezell to learn more about him and the opportunity he was provided to serve the president. 

Tell us about your Christian experience. What were the major turning points in your journey as a follower of Christ?

My father was a Southern Baptist minister. I was born in Texas but soon moved to Georgia. We bounced around Georgia for much of my childhood as he took different pastorates. I was taught the central truths of the Christian faith from a young age.

But I had a crisis of faith in college. I began to question what I really believed. For me, it led me to read and study the Bible more intensely. By God’s providence, I was led to books like Knowing God by J.I. Packer and Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. They were referencing people like Augustine, Thomas a Kempis and John Calvin which got me interested in historical theology. 

Around that same time, God also led me to a ministry on my campus called Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). My experience in RUF changed my life. My campus minister could talk theology and help me process all the things I was questioning. He introduced me to reformed theology and patiently answered all my questions. We also had a shared love of Counting Crows which helped as well. God used RUF to set me on a trajectory for the rest of my life. 

You were introduced to the reformed faith in college. What has your relationship with the church been like since then?

I’ve been part of reformed churches my whole adult life. I met my wife in college and we’ve lived Georgia our entire marriage, though we’ve bounced around from Athens to Atlanta before settling in central Georgia. During that journey, we were able to be part of the initial group to help launch Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Athens and Ivy Creek in Lawrenceville, now known as Restoration Presbyterian. My love of guitar gave me a way to contribute in both places. 

We were active in helping plant a church with another reformed denomination at one point. We ended up leaving that church and returning to the PCA. We appreciated the PCA because of its principle adherence to a reformed system of doctrine in which there can be disagreements on issues that aren’t primary. 

We finally settled into life in central Georgia where God led us to a PCA church. We fell in love with the church and the pastor. I was ultimately called and ordained to serve as a ruling elder there. I play guitar usually twice per month as part of the worship team. 

How does a ruling elder from central Georgia end up serving in a key role in Washington, D.C.?

I feel like Joseph must have felt when he found himself to be second in command in Egypt. How did I end up here? There’s no simple explanation apart from the providence of God. My career has been in software development and engineering with large data systems. 

Initially, I worked in the private sector for a number of years travelling globally as the vice president of a company providing data and analytics software for large enterprises. Eventually, I felt my calling as a father and husband was more important than my role at that company. I did something many would consider to be foolish. I quit my job and took a low-level position within OPM who has a large office in central Georgia. It was a significant paycut but it enabled me to be more present and active in the life of my children.

I started coding software systems within OPM and that led to giving me large projects to handle. My responsibilities have grown over the years to overseeing the data and analytics for the federal workforce. 

A few months ago, I got a call from one of the president’s advisors. I assumed it was a headhunter trying to recruit me back to the private sector which happens somewhat regularly. I took the call which led to a series of meetings with representatives from the president’s administration. All the sudden, I was offered the opportunity to serve as the acting director of OPM. I humbly accepted the opportunity to serve America and the president in this way. 

What exactly does OPM do?

The Office of Personnel Management serves as the human resource department for the federal workforce. We set and enforce policies. We provide guidance and direction on how federal employees operate. 

When the president signs personnel-related executive orders, it is left to us to provide guidance among the federal workforce. One example is the executive order relating to telework. Once the executive order was signed, our team was entrusted with the responsibility of providing guidance to the departments and employees on how everyone will be brought back into their buildings for work. We support the organization of those efforts, and provide oversight and status back to the White House and Congress. 

What sort of interaction with the White House does your position involve?

My office interacts with the White House every day. Our leadership team at OPM has experts in policy, law, unions, etc. We draft memos and directives for the federal workforce to shape compliance with orders from the executive branch. We submit those memos and directives to the White House for review and approval. This requires a working relationship with the president’s chief of staff and other top advisors. 

How does your faith influence the way you serve in this role?

First, it has forced me to spend more time in prayer. I’ve had death threats and all sorts of vitriol come my direction. When you are in leadership, you become a target for criticism and people with malicious intentions. I’ve had to remove much of my personal information from the internet. People have tried to hack my email and phone. It has forced me to turn to God in ways I’ve never had to before.

Second, I try to lead with my values. As a Christian, I believe integrity is important. The man that writes the memos by day needs to be same man my wife, children, and friends see behind closed doors. It also means trying to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in the way I conduct my life at work, being generous, patient, and kind. 

Finally, I’m reminded that I’m where I am by God’s providence. As much as an honor it is to serve at the request and pleasure of the president, I know that God has also sovereignly ordered my steps to be where I am today. I trust that he will give me the wisdom to do the work he has called me to do. In times like this, I am thankful for the PCA and the prayers of God’s people. 

Editor’s note: The name of the PCA church where the Ezell family currently belongs and its pastor have been withheld for security reasons.