On February 22, the Board of General Superintendents and General Board commissioned 13 missionaries and recognized seven retiring missionaries during a hybrid in-person and virtual service in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Missionary commissioning is a time to gather together to acknowledge the work of God in calling individuals to cross-cultural ministry, and a recognition of the gifts and graces given to those willing to say “yes, I will go.”
Six of the newly commissioned missionaries serve in the Eurasia Region. Joel and Kristin Burchfiel live in Lisbon, Portugal, and serve the Eastern and Western Mediterranean Fields in the areas of finance, missions teams, and compassionate ministries. Chad and Crystal Gibbons serve at the Eurasia Regional Office in Busingen, Germany, in finance, discipleship, and communications, with Crystal also serving as the Global Missions Communications Coordinator and Joshua and Katie Haun serve as church planters in Sofia, Bulgaria.
“The Commissioning Service was a special experience for us! The retiring missionaries were given a standing ovation as they concluded a season of service to the church, and here we are at the beginning of ours. We feel so blessed to be sent by the Global Church of the Nazarene officially and sent out with many other fantastic Nazarene missionaries that we are blessed to serve alongside” shared Katie Haun.
As these newly commissioned missionaries step into their calling, we invite you to join in prayer for them and their families. Pray for strength, wisdom, and open hearts as they serve, and that God will continue to move through their ministries to bring hope and transformation around the world.
– shared by Kristin Burchfiel, Portugal
