Kansas City--The burgeoning ethnic population and membership within the Church of the Nazarene is one of the most critical challenges facing the denomination as it readies to celebrate its 100th birthday. With almost 18 percent of the congregations in the U.S. and Canada considered ethnically specific or multicultural, resourcing these congregations and training new leaders for starting new congregations requires focused and strategic planning for the future.
Multicultural Press Release -- January 30, 2008
Rev. Talomua Mona, pastor of the Midcity Church of the Nazarene in San Bernadino, California has been appointed as the mission coordinator for Samoan ministries in the USA and Canada. Mona was born in Western Samoa, graduated from Fuller Seminary in 1996 with a M.A. in Theology, serves as the Samoan Coordinator/Church planting for the San Diego District, and chairperson for the Samoan Conference United States & Canada. Mona is married to Fetaiai and they have five children, 2 boys 3 girls.
Upon the resignation of Dr. Jorge Barros, Rev. Alexandre R. Pessoa has been appointed as the mission coordinator for Portuguese Speaking ministries in the US and Canada. Barros said about his decision to step aside, “It is now time to make room for someone else whom God will allow to take His work to a new and higher level.”
Pessoa is on staff at Clear Lake Church of the Nazarene in Houston, Texas, developing a new ministry for the international community of college students.
Born in Brazil, he is married to Evelyn and they have a three year old son, Pedro.
Before moving to the US in 2005, Alex graduated from Nazarene Theological University at Campinas and was one of the Worship Leaders and Youth/College Pastors at Campinas Central Church in Brazil.
Rev. Dennis Solis, founding pastor of the multi-racial CrossPoint Community Church of the Nazarene has been appointed as the multicultural churches coordinator within the Mission Strategy Ministry. As we have encouraged the formation of ethnic-specific congregations, it is necessary that we give attention to the opportunity to nurture and resource multicultural and multi-racial congregations.
Dennis, an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, was born and raised in Southern California where he pastored a multi-racial church in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Mid-America Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary (M. Div). Solis is married to Sherrie and they have two grown children-Nathan and MeLissa.
As mission coordinator, Dennis will assist in the development of resources; represent the church with multicultural networks, and to be available to districts and pastors who seek a better understanding of transitioning congregations to multicultural models.
Rev. Charles A. Tillman has been appointed as Black ministries recruiter, Charles was saved under the ministry of Dr. Charles Johnson at Meridian Fitkin's Memorial Church of the Nazarene. In 2003 Tillman accepted the call to lead Woodville Church of the Nazarene in Richmond, VA and has served as the Virginia District's Director of Black Ministries.
Tillman serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Nazarene Bible College and Eastern Nazarene College, member of the National Black Strategic Readiness Team, and has served on the District Advisory Board, Board of Ministerial Studies, and the Board of Ministerial Credentials. Charles is an experienced educator and instructor and has served as an Administrator at 4 different colleges and universities. Pastor Tillman is married to the former Georgia (Mae) Hudson and has three children: Charles II, Jonathan, and Adam.
Binh Quoc Huyn has been appointed mission coordinator for Vietnamese ministries. Huyn currently serves on the Oregon Pacific District, planting new Vietnamese congregations. He also hosts and moderates a weekly Christian radio talk show to spread the Word of God to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese families on "Vietnamese Public Radio" and "TNT Radio Network," broadcasted over 20 cities throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia.
In collaboration with World Mission, Jose Pacheco is now assigned to the UCME department. Pacheco assists in the production of Spanish Literature for the USA/Canada context. With varied needs in production, translation, and contextualizing, Pacheco will help the USA/Canada Region equip and serve our growing Hispanic Nazarene constituency. Increasingly, there are English materials that could be adapted to the Hispanic context.
--Reported by Oliver Phillips, director of Mission Strategy