Meet Texas-born Rusty Robbins who, with his wife, Diane, became missionaries in 2008 and joined the Eurasia Region in 2018. Based at the regional office in Busingen, Germany, Rusty serves as the region’s JESUS Film coordinator.
I was born in Houston, Texas, USA, as a 3rd generation Nazarene who had an amazing set of parents: Dorothy and Larry Robbins were lay people who faithfully served their local church as teacher, carpenter, electrician, plumber, choir director, VBS volunteer and pretty much anything else that was needed. In their later years, they led a compassion program at El Paso, Texas, First Church of the Nazarene called God’s Closet. What a great legacy they gave to me! It was a privilege to be part of their journey.
I’ve been married to my beautiful, amazing and fun wife, Diane, for 35 years. For most of these years we have served in ministry together. While we have never had children, we love kids and feel that we have many “heart kids” through our friends and family!
From suits and ties to goats and horses
As a graduate of Southern Nazarene University (Bethany, Oklahoma, USA) with an accounting degree, my professional path started at the American restaurant chain called Little Caesars Pizza before I advanced in the corporate world to become the Director of Operations for a Fortune 500 company.
When God called us, Diane and I transitioned from business to ministry by serving at Bonita Park Nazarene Camp and Conference Center in Ruidoso, New Mexico, which was a very different environment. I traded in my suit and tie to chase after goats and horses!
From campground ministry to JESUS Film ministry
Eight years later, we found ourselves serving on specialized missionary contract for the Nazarene ministry, JESUS Film Harvest Partners, in Olathe, Kansas. We loved it so much that we thought this might be our last ministry assignment. But after many years, God sent us as Nazarene missionaries to lead JESUS Film ministries on the Eurasia Region, based in South Asia.
When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded around the world, we were stuck in the United States for months. It felt like we were wandering in the desert, uncertain of our next direction. But then, we found it again when the denomination re-assigned us to Busingen, Germany, at the Eurasia Regional Office.
I have great joy in serving at the regional office because I get to work with the most amazing, hugely talented and God-filled and anointed people.
Supporting Eurasia JESUS Film leaders
As ministry coordinator for JESUS Film on the Eurasia Region, my role is to come alongside our regional leaders – field leaders, district superintendents and local church pastors – to deliver ways to go where the church is not yet. We do this by balancing our efforts at reaching the lost while simultaneously developing disciples for Christ, culminating into the development of healthy holiness churches.
Our work is accomplished through God-called women and men who faithfully serve in 171 JESUS Film teams. They are the ones who really get things done.
