|
Guest
|
Mission agency commissions 31 new personnel
Mar. 29, 2004
By Linda Bloom*
STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) - The United Methodist missions agency has
commissioned more than 30 new missionaries - the first such group since
a temporary moratorium was imposed due to budget restraints.
A new class of deaconesses and a small group of church and community
workers were commissioned during the March 22-25 meeting of the United
Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
They join the board's 710 other commissioned personnel who, in a variety
of categories, serve the United Methodist Church through the mission
agency. With 102 people in "non-commissioned roles and more than 250
working through partner churches, the total number of mission personnel
is 1,069, serving in 70 countries.
The 27 lay deaconesses will be assigned to a variety of community,
institutional and congregational ministries in the United States. The
four church and community workers, missionaries in rural and urban
areas, will serve in Alabama, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
In late 2002, the Board of Global Ministries imposed a temporary
moratorium on new mission personnel because of budget constraints. The
Rev. Edith Gleaves, a board executive, said the agency currently is
interviewing candidates for its US-2 program for young adults and will
commission a new US-2 class this summer.
No new full-time mission staff in the standard support category, which
numbers 291 missionaries, will be commissioned before 2005. But Gleaves
said the agency is reassessing current placements, based on needs and
resources, and is redeploying some missionaries, particularly in regions
that are part of the board's 11 new mission initiatives.
New deaconesses and the location of their ministries are Clara K.
Abrahamson, Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Carolyn Chandler, Beeville, Texas;
Laura A. Curry, Crestwood, Ky.; Nancy Daleney and Olga Diaz, New City;
Yvette Diaz, Lancaster, Pa.; D. Rebecca Dodson, New York City; Bernice
L. Dumlao, San Bernadino, Calif.; Jayne A. Edwards, Schenectady, N.Y.;
Fay C. Flanary, Boston; Margie I. Greene, Lakewood, N.J.; Octavie B.
Gunnelson, Hamilton, Ohio; Susan Hunt, Oklahoma City; Esperance Kayombo,
Caribbean; and Katherine O. Kim, San Jose, Calif.
Also, Kyung Sook Kim, Glen Cove, N.Y.; Penny J. Krug, South Bend, Ind.;
Kumja Lim, Littleton, Colo.; Marilyn D. Nixon, Houston; Hee Cho Om,
Granada Hills, Calif.; Ludid Orozco, Tularosa, N.M.; Marie S. Rivera,
New York City; Juanita Rodriguez, Lakewood, N.J.; B. Ann Smith, Rising
Sun, Ind.; Geraldine Snyder, New York City; Becky J. Warnock, Maumee,
Ohio; and Kyung Za Yim, Lynbrook, N.Y.
The new church and community workers are Gary W. Locklear, Pembroke,
N.C.;
Katie Peterson, Oakland, Tenn.; Alberto Silva, Omaha, Neb.; and Curtis
Daniel Upton, Hazel Green, Ala.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.
Elliott Wright, information officer for the Board of Global Ministries,
contributed information to this report.
********************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org |
|
|
