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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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May/June 2005 |
Mission board commissions deaconesses, church workers
STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) - Fourteen deaconesses and six church and community workers, including an Indiana woman, were commissioned during the April 11-14 meeting of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Also honored were 18 retiring missionaries, eight of whom were present.
Deaconesses are members of a lay order of service that dates back to the 1880s in Methodism and much earlier in some Christian traditions. They serve in a variety of church, community and institutional settings in the United States. Church and community workers, another century-old service category, are assigned to U.S. urban and rural ministries.
Before the April commissioning, the agency had 495 people in mission service, including 115 deaconesses and 45 church and community workers. The largest category of service, with 245 people, is regular or "standard-support" missionaries, with 189 in international service and 60 serving in the United States. Other mission personnel serve as missionaries in Alaska, at the Red Bird Missionary Conference in Kentucky, through the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries, and in other capacities, including young adult short-term service.
The Board of Global Ministries has another 106 "non-commissioned" mission workers, and helps support 266 people linked to units of the denomination or partner churches in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Rev. R. Randy Day, the board's chief executive, told directors that mission personnel numbers are down about 100 people since last year, as time-limited programs have ended and financial constraints have made it difficult to replace all missionaries who are retiring or ending their terms of service.
New deaconesses and their places of service include Lynn Barnes, Elkin, N.C.; Margarette "Jeannie" Chaney, Abilene, Texas; Eun Mi Cho, Albany, N.Y.; Charmaine Cothran, Chicago; Ann W. Farris, Arlington, Va.; Carol Gullatt, Huntsville, Ala.; B. Lee Manns, Cherry Hill, N.J.; Patricia Marks, Springfield, Va.; Robin Minick, Jackson County, N.C.; Anne M.B. Robeson, Mobile, Ala.; Beverly Welch, Bath, N.Y.; Nazgul William, New York City; Cherryetta Williams, New York City; and Diane Wood, Richmond, Va.
Church and community workers and their places of service include Nancy Daleney, New York City; Robbie Lonewolf, Norfolk, Neb.; Mary Z. Longstreth, Indianapolis; Debra Price, Keyser, W.V.; Charissa Shawcross, Detroit; and Victoria A. West, Connellsville, Pa.
Retiring missionaries who participated in the commissioning service in Stamford included Charles and Pearl Arnett, who served 16 years in Nigeria; Larry Asher, 35 years, Nepal; Phyllis Asher, 37 years, Nepal; the Rev. Don David Cobb, 33 years, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia and Tonga; Minioneti Cobb, 31 years, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia and Tonga; and Elizabeth and the Rev. Yugo Suzuki, 28 years, Japan.
Other retiring missionaries are Maureen Carr, 39 years, United States; Barbara Crouse, 37 years, United States; Randall Crouse, 43 years, United States; the Rev. Hugh Johnson and Shirliann Johnson, 44 years, Algeria; Judith Newton, 28 years, Japan; the Rev. Harold and Roberta Smith, 10 years, Senegal; the Rev. William and Grace Warnock, 22 years, Cameroon, Lithuania, Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Elliott Wright is the public information officer for the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008