10 Years in the Making...

Today marks 10 years since I became an employed Nazarene missionary. After 5½ years serving as a volunteer Nazarene missionary (from September 2009 – February 2015), I was invited into a newly-created partner-funded "Specialized Assignment" category. In this hybrid arrangement, I would continue to raise my funding, but it would now be used to cover my salary and benefits as an employee. (Click here to read my special announcement from March 2015.)

At first glance, this may not seem like a very significant milestone since it didn't affect my ministry assignment in Romania or the necessity to raise funds. However, it did mark the beginning of my employment, and as such, Global Missions considers this as the official start of my years of service as a missionary. It also marks the beginning of receiving a salary and benefits (like health insurance and the ability to make contributions to a retirement account).

THANK YOU!

On this 10-year anniversary of being employed as a Nazarene missionary, I want to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has been supporting me, both in prayer and financially. During these past 10 years, there have been several circumstances that could have become financially challenging: 

• When I became an employed missionary, I had to raise double the amount that I raised as a volunteer in order to cover my new salary.
• My home assignment schedule was interrupted several times: due to the pandemic, increased responsibilities, and then sabbatical. 
• Additional (unplanned) expenses, inflation, and the rising cost of living have increased the amount that I need to raise each year.

In each of these situations, you have continued to generously support me as I minister in Romania. Thank you!

Where my funds have come from: 

I want to take a moment to highlight the sources of my funding over the past 10 years.

1. Over a third of my funding (43% to be exact) has come from my home church in York, Pennsylvania: Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene. I am so grateful for a home church that supports me in so many ways.
2. A third of my funding (33%) has come from individuals, families, and churches that make donations to my deputation account. I am grateful for all the one-time, occasional, and annual donations that I receive, but I have to give a special "thank you" to the faithful monthly donors whose regular contributions I can rely on. 
3. Less than a third of my funding (24%) has come from churches where I have spoken on home assignment. Since my home assignment schedule was interrupted multiple times over recent years, I've actually only taken half of the home assignment that I was originally expected to take during these past 10 years (which is why this percentage is considerably lower than expected). Some churches continue to partner with me months or years after I have spoken in deputation services with follow-up donations. Several churches on my home district and the Mid-Atlantic NMI have periodically contributed to support me during the past five years. I am grateful for each of these churches which has partnered with me.

This chart shows the source of my funding over the past 10 years:

Sponsored Deployment

I serve as a Nazarene missionary on sponsored deployment. (In 2019, the terminology changed from "hybrid specialized assignment," but the name change does not affect my status or benefits.) This simply means that my financial support comes primarily from sponsors. (Nazarene missionaries on global deployment receive the majority of their financial support from the World Evangelism Fund.)

I am occasionally asked why I'm "still" raising my funds as a sponsored missionary, instead of receiving funding as a global missionary. My simple answer is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I've been raising my support since 2008, and this setup works well for me because I have an established network of generous supporters. This arrangement wouldn't work for all missionaries (especially those with large families or those without such a supportive home church and home district). Thank you for your continued partnership with me!

Looking Ahead

I currently need to raise $30,000/year. About 75% of that goes to cover my salary, taxes, and benefits (like retirement savings & medical reimbursement account). The remaining 25% covers operating expenses (housing, transportation, and ministry-related expenses) in Romania.

In addition to the $30,000/year that I am responsible for raising, Nazarene Global Missions covers my health insurance, employer contributions to my retirement savings, and a few other benefits (totaling approximately $5,000/year).

Opportunities to Partner with Me

Monthly Supporters: Over the past few years, I've lost a handful of monthly supporters, bringing monthly donations down to a 10-year low. Would you consider becoming a monthly donor? Click here for information about making a monthly or one-time donation.

Home Assignment: I am resuming my normal annual home assignment schedule of spending 6 weeks in the US each spring. In 2025, I will be on the Mid-Atlantic and New England Districts and still have openings in my schedule. I've also begun to put together my schedule for 2026, which will bring me to the Mid-Atlantic, Florida, and Kansas City districts. If you're in one of these areas, I'd love to share with your church or small group. Click here for more information.

News & Prayer Updates: In addition to my e-newsletters, I post updates on my blog, the Romania Nazarene blog, and on my Facebook page. Check out my recent blog posts: 2024 Highlights and Reflecting on 15 Years of Ministry in Romania. I also share monthly prayer requests and praises, which are posted here.

THANK YOU for your continued partnership with me as I serve in Romania!