Nazarene Pastor Appointed to Princeton Post
Rev. Gabriel Salguero, pastor of the Lamb’s Manhattan Church of the Nazarene on the Metro New York District, was appointed by Dr. Iain Torrence, President of Princeton Theological Seminary as Director of the Hispanic/Latino(a) Leadership Program at Princeton Theological Seminary. His installation was celebrated on May 5, 2007 at the MacKay Lounge at Princeton.

The Hispanic/Latino(a) Leadership Program educates clergy, lay persons, and market-place leaders to engage church and the public sphere in theo-ethical ways. The HLP is developing global leaders for the 21st Century.

Pastor Salguero is a gifted speaker, teacher and evangelist who has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Peru, Honduras, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Having received Christ as his Savior at age six under the instruction of his parents, he began short term missions trips when sixteen and into his twenties. He is a graduate of Rutgers University (B.A) and New Brunswick Theological Seminary where he received an M. Div. (magna cum laude) in 2001. Pastor Salguero is currently completing a PhD in Christian Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary.

Pastor Salguero is married to his high school sweetheart, Jeanette and they have labored together in missions and evangelism through much of Latin America and Europe. Pastor Jeanette has a B.A. (with highest honors) in Spanish Literature with a concentration in Latino/Latin American Studies and Business Administration. She is an Administrator in the RCA and is pursuing graduate work in Business Administration. Together, Jeanette and Gabriel are pastoring the Lamb's and raising their first-born son, Jon-Gabriel.

New Leadership at NCM USA/Canada
Oliver R Phillips, director of Mission Strategy USA\Canada, has announced the appointment of Rev. Althea Taylor as the new Coordinator of NCM USA\Canada, effective July 1, 2007. Althea replaces Dan Soliday who has accepted the leadership role at NCM Inc.

Today, Rev. Taylor is an Associate Pastor with Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, Bronx, New York. She studied at Clark University, Worcester, MA, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and earned a Master of Science in the Management of Technology from Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, New York and a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity. After working for almost ten years in corporate America, Rev. Taylor answered a call to fulltime ministry in 1999 and feels deeply called to lead the church in being a prophetic witness in the world.

Her ministry experience includes serving as a coordinator and liaison for Christian clubs in the public school system of New York City, Seekers Christian Fellowships, where she trained students in areas of leadership and evangelism. In addition, she served as the Youth Pastor and Administrative Pastor for Bronx Bethany. She currently serves as the Associate Pastor for Community Outreach and as the Executive Director for Bronx Bethany Community Corporation, a not-for-profit subsidiary dedicated to community outreach and serving the underserved within the community.

Rev. Taylor also served as a visiting Adjunct Professor to Caribbean Nazarene College, Trinidad, West Indies. Rev. Althea C. Taylor currently lives in White Plains, New York. She serves on the Advisory Board of Bronx Bethany’s Chosen, a gospel choir ministry committed to reaching souls for Christ through music. She sings and travels with the group as they travel to minister within and outside of the United States. Rev. Taylor also serves on the Metro New York District Nazarene Youth International Board, where she coordinates retreats and discipleship sessions for Youth in the Metro New York region for the denomination. Rev. Taylor is committed to the Lord in both word and deed and strives to serve God by serving others.

Nazarene Minister Appointed Los Angeles Gang Czar
An ordained minister who has spent much of his career developing social service and youth programs in some of Los Angeles' poorest neighborhoods was named Wednesday, June 20 as the city's new gang czar, officials told the Los Angeles Times.

Jeff Carr, a minister in the Church of the Nazarene and chief operating officer for Sojourners/Call to Renewal, an evangelical group based in Washington, D.C., will work directly for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as director of gang reduction and youth development programs.

Carr will coordinate an anti-gang strategy that Villaraigosa unveiled in April. The approach calls for police and social service agencies to target eight "gang reduction zones" in South Los Angeles, the Eastside, the northeast San Fernando Valley and other areas.

The new director of anti-gang efforts will oversee an e valuation of the city's existing 23 gang prevention and intervention programs and recommend which should continue.

Villaraigosa's office told the Times the mayor picked Carr because of his ability to develop successful youth programs and his expertise at running nonprofit organizations. Officials said they thought his work in the faith-based sector would be an asset in his new public role, which will carry the title of deputy mayor.

Mexico – US Border Initiative Update
The Border Initiative Task Force will present its strategy for cross-border ministry to District Superintendents from both Mexico and the United States at a Border Initiative Conference in Phoenix October 23-24, 2007. The hope of the Task Force is that each border district (Mexico North, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Northeast, Arizona, New Mexico, Southern California, Southwest Latin American, South Texas, Texas-Oklahoma Latin, West Texas, and Western Latin American) will embrace the call to work across borders to best reach a growing, diverse population with the message of the gospel.

While progress has been slow due to organizational and structural differences on both sides of the border, this initiative is set up for great success. Dr. Roberto Hodgson, Hispanic Mission Director for the USA and Canada says, “We have been carefully crafting the Border Initiative strategy, hoping that it can be more than just another program. We want it to be missional, impacting the districts on the border for the long term.”

Haitian Annual Convention a Hugh Success
With a sense of purpose, more than 500 Haitian Nazarenes from the U.S. and Canada rallied in corporate worship at Fort Pierce First Haitian Church of the Nazarene from July 5-8, 2007, to celebrate God's faithfulness and to respond to the urgency of sharing the Good News with a lost and hurting world.>>>READ MORE.

Haitian Church Organizes with 100 Members in South Florida
On April 1st, 2007, Southern Florida District Superintendent Dr. David Nixon presided at the organization of a new Haitian congregation in Fort Piece, Florida. Rev. Joseph Dessources, previously a District Superintendent in Haiti, spent two years building a congregation that was able to recognize more than 100 charter members. Haitian Mission Director, Rev. Pascal Permis was also in attendance at the celebration noting, “This is a church with great future, and I am thrilled to see what God can do when we work together.”

Chinese Ministry Alive and Flourishing in Northern California
There is a sizable Chinese population in Northern California and the Church of the Nazarene is actively involved in reaching out to this important people group. District Superintendent Dr. John Calhoun is committed to recruiting and training new Chinese pastors. Rev. Sam Chung, Chinese Mission Coordinator, has great excitement for growth in this region. A number of independent Chinese congregations are in discussion about joining the Church of the Nazarene and a number of clergy candidates are ready for ministry placement when suitable assignments are found for them. For information on starting a ministry among Chinese in your area contact Rev. Chung at office@churchofthenazarene.org or 626-935-8807.

Sale of Property to Fund Native American Ministries 

USA/Canada Mission Strategy Director, Dr. Oliver Phillips, has announced the sale of the site of the former Nazarene Indian Bible College in Albuquerque, New Mexico with funds to be used for an expanded mission to evangelize Native people groups in the United States and Canada.

The sale was recommended by Native American leaders and approved by the Board of General Superintendents.  After several years of study Native American leaders concluded that the financial assets from the sale of the property should be used to advance new strategies for mission leadership development as well as evangelism among Native peoples in Canada and the United States.

The Albuquerque Sandia Church of the Nazarene purchased the campus on November 1, 2006 for its new location from the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene. The Sandia church will continue to use the campus for a variety of ministry opportunities for various people groups, including Native Americans.

Looking toward the future of missions among Native Americans in the Southwest United States, the Southwest Native American District has initiated the Native American Rebuilding Initiative as a 10% Special through which donations could be made.

Churches and districts are encouraged to continue to send teams to the area. Phillips has also announced that as of January 1, 2007 Barry and Charlie (Charlotte) Carney will assume the responsibility as coordinators of Work & Witness for the United States and Canada. The appointment is a collaborative initiative between Mission Strategy and the World Mission Department.  

Reads to Retire
Dr. Terry and Joan Read, career missionaries in the Church of the Nazarene have announced their retirement after 40 years of ministry around the world. The Reads have served in Kenya, Haiti, and Brazil before assuming their current assignment as Regional Mission Directors on the Canada Quebec District. They have been effective leaders in growing the Church of the Nazarene among French-speaking Canadians. The Reads will be traveling and speaking across the US and Canada through the summer of 2008 before retiring to California. The denomination is grateful for the tireless work and effort Terry and Joan have put into their various ministry assignments over the years.

Appleby Assumes New Position
Rev. Jerry Appleby, Founder and Executive Director of Reaching Our City, a Compassionate Ministry Center in Oklahoma City, is leaving the organization to take on the new role of Director of Assessment and Training for NCM, Inc. In this new role, Jerry will coordinate and assist member organizations in the CMC network in the area of organizational development.

Rev. Appleby and his wife, Polly, have served the Church of the Nazarene in a wide range of ministry assignments as pastor, missionary, and administrator. The Appleby’s have been instrumental in the growth and development of a number of Compassionate Ministry projects.

The Reaching Our City Board of Directors has asked Rev. Kevin Rodgers, a long-time board member, to serve as Interim Executive Director. Rev. Rodgers has been involved in the ministry of ROC for a number of years and is well prepared to lead the staff and volunteers of Reaching Our City through this time of transition.

Nazarene Disaster Response Continues to Grow
During the Springs and early Summer months of 2007, Nazarene Disaster Response has seen an outpouring of support for several disasters in the Midwest. In May, a large tornado ripped through the town of Greensburg, KS, devastating most of the buildings and leaving hundreds homeless. Then, in June, severe rain storms left dozens of Southeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri towns under large amounts of water.

In both instances, the response of local Nazarenes has been tremendous. NDR is primarily a volunteer organization, which can only be effective through the response of local congregations in or near areas affected by disaster. Nazarenes in Dodge City, KS and throughout the Joplin District have responded with physical presence in the wake of these disasters. In addition, congregations and individuals from across the United States have given generously of their financial resources to support these efforts.

Both the physical and financial response to these needs have exceeded similar efforts undertaken in the past. NDR National Director, Rev. Steve Creech, is encouraged by the increased attention by Nazarenes to the needs of those affected by disasters and by the scope of the response. In the past, NDR operations consisted mainly of repairing church buildings or the homes of church members. In the last few years, as a result of the generosity of donors, NDR has been able to extend beyond the boundaries of the denomination and affect who communities with the love of Jesus Christ. For more information about Nazarene Disaster Response visit www.ndrusa.org.

NCM Offers Executive Director Leadership Development Retreat
The Executive Directors’ Leadership Development Retreat promises to be a time of reflection and renewal for those who give leadership to Compassionate Ministry Centers in the US and Canada. Leaders will meet in Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel, October 29-31, 2007 for a time of renewal, fellowship and encouragement. This retreat will center on personal development, self care, and stress management in an atmosphere of peer-to-peer learning. This is not another "how-to" session or a series of lectures; the NCM Leadership Development Retreat will allow participants to dialogue with other directors in similar situations and help them discover how to grow as a leader. For more information and reservation, visit the retreat website at www.nazarenecompassion.org.

Siloam Mission Expands Services to Winnipeg’s Less Fortunate
God’s grace and provision has helped Siloam Mission realize the most exciting twelve months in our twenty-year history. We have grown in staff (48) and volunteers (over 500/month). We have grown in capacity ($4.1M annual operations budget). Most importantly, we have expanded our programs beyond our meal, clothing and support services. Three words characterize our newest ministries: healing, rest and transition.

Healing - A $1,000,000 estate gift allowed us to build an onsite walk-in medical clinic, Saul Sair Health Centre at Siloam Mission, that will be fully operational August 7th. However, we already offer health services, including wound care and foot care for the homeless.

Rest - In May we opened one of Canada’s signature shelters: Hannah’s Place Emergency Shelter at Siloam Mission. Our contemporary, dignified, state-of-the-art shelter saw 1,500 beds filled and 254 different homeless people benefit from safe beds and hot showers in the first month of operation. No matter how hardened a homeless person appears to be, all long for a place of safety and rest… which they receive at Hannah’s Place.

Transition - Since last September, Siloam Mission has offered an employment training program called MOST (Mission: Off the Street Team). A partnership with the Winnipeg downtown business association, MOST provides employment skills training, mentoring and support services. This has proven to be a highly effective program seeing, on average, one homeless person per month graduating to become gainfully employed by local businesses while also achieving major life changes.

Siloam Mission is a Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Centre located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (800 miles north of Kansas City). Rev. John Mohan has served as CEO and President since November 2001.

Nueva Luz Receives Use of Building for Youth Program
R-Life, a community program geared towards youth age 12-24 at the Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center in Cleveland, OH has a new building. Because of the positive impact this program is having on the community, a local stakeholder has given R-Life the use of a 1,600 square foot building with gym facilities as a base of operations. The new site comes free of charge and with very limited restrictions; it resides only one block from the previous location.

R-Life provides a safe environment for young people in some of the most impoverished and trouble neighborhoods of Cleveland. The focus of the program is on youth development through prevention and intervention programs to raise a generation of leaders to serve their neighborhoods and make a difference in the city. There is a holistic message of health evidenced in events like the Youth World AIDS day rap concert and free HIV screening held December 1st, 2006.

Because of the new facilities, R-Life is able to provide more consistent, year-round services to the youth in the program. Nueva Luz Executive Director, Rev. Max Rodas says, “we thank God for this provision because R-Life will begin its new fall programming in this amazing location. This a great benefit to our fight against systemic poverty and social issues plaguing Cleveland’s youth.”

Upcoming Mission Strategy Events:

• SNU Regional Hispanic Conference – July 18-21, 2007 in Oklahoma City, OK
• Black Nazarene Southeast Regional Fellowship Gathering – July 19-22, 2007 in Memphis, TN
• Cambodian Conference – July 20-22, 2007 in Crystal, Minnesota
• Eritrean Conference – August 6-12, 2007 in Mechanicsburg, IL
• TNU Regional Hispanic Conference – September 5-8, 2007 in Lake Placid, Florida
• Rogers-Cunningham-Bowman Ministerial Institute – October 1-5, 2007 at ENC
• Sudanese Ministries Conference – October 5-7, 2007 in Lincoln, Nebraska
• ENC Region Hispanic Conference – October 10-13, 2007 at Camp Taconic, NY
• National Black Nazarene Conference – July 24-27, 2008 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort, FL
• Hispanic Centennial Celebration – August 5-7, 2008 in Pasadena, CA

The Mission Strategy E-news is a bi-monthly e-communication of news and information on multicultural, urban, and compassionate ministry.

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