A: It depends how you count (and what you count). It’s been 25 years since I first went to Romania as a college student. In those 25 years, I’ve spent about 18 years in Romania. Of those 18 years, I’ve been a Nazarene missionary for 17 ½ years (1 year after college plus the last 16 ½ years). Of the last 16 ½ years, I was a volunteer for the first 5 ½ years, so my official “years of service” as a Nazarene missionary are the past 11 years that I've been employed.
Q: How long do you think you'll stay in Romania?
A: I don't plan to leave after a certain number of years...yet it's also still too early to say whether I'll retire here. Let's just say that I'll stay in Romania until God leads me somewhere else.
A: Although I live in Romania, I don't have all of these facts memorized. Several years ago, I compiled a lot of facts about Romania and posted them on my blog. I suggest visiting a website like romaniatourism.com for the most recent official answers to these (and many other) questions.
A: It means that I rely primarily on donors (sponsors) to cover my expenses of $30,000/year. The money that I raise goes into my “deputation account” and is used for my salary, operational expenses, transportation, and other ministry-related expenses, both in Romania and while in the US on home assignment. About a third of my donations come from my home church, a third from speaking at churches during my home assignment, and a third from monthly donors.
Q: Are you a volunteer missionary?
A: Although some missionaries on “sponsored deployment” are volunteers, I am not. I'm an employed missionary and receive the benefits that come from being an employee. I haven't always been an employed missionary. From 2009-2015, I was a volunteer missionary, which meant that I did not receive a salary or benefits. (I could only use support funds for certain ministry-related expenses.) However, since 2015, I have been employed – which means that I can use some of the funds I raise to cover my salary and some of my benefits. Other benefits (including health insurance and contributions to my retirement) are provided from the World Evangelism Fund.
Q: Is Home Assignment like a Sabbatical?
A. No. A missionary sabbatical comes once every 7 years and is focused on providing the missionary with rest while being disconnected from ministry responsibilities. Think of Home Assignment as an extended business trip. I do Home Assignment every year for about 6 weeks. (Different missionaries have different H.A. rotations, depending on their family and ministry contexts.) Home Assignment includes speaking in churches in different parts of the U.S. about Nazarene Missions, fundraising, and reconnecting with supporters – all while keeping up with responsibilities in Romania (like Zoom meetings, answering e-mails, etc.), keeping track of and submitting travel expenses for reimbursement, spending time with family and friends, scheduling regular medical checkups, etc. When I return to Romania after these 6 or 7 intense weeks, I’m always greeted by Romanians who are ready for me to “get back to work” after my “extended vacation.” Truth is: that’s when I really need a vacation!
Q: How many Nazarene congregations are in Romania?
A: We have 3 organized churches in Romania: in Sighisoara (the town where I live), in Tigmandru (a village nearby), and in Bucharest (about 5 hours away). Click here to read an overview about the Church of the Nazarene in Romania.
Q: What does a normal day look like for you in Romania?
A: There is no normal day. Some seasons include more travel, others involve more face-to-face ministry, others involve lots of meetings, and other times there's a lot of computer work that needs to be done at home. Sometimes I get most of my work done during "normal business hours," and other times ministry stretches into the evenings and weekends.
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| Picture of working from home on a "normal day" |
Q: How can we stay connected and support you long-term?
A: Visit my website (www.jepjon.com) to read updates and prayer requests, to sign up to receive my e-newsletters, to follow my Facebook page (Jonathan Phillips in Romania), and to learn how to financially support me. You can also visit RomaniaNazarene.blogspot.com to read updates about Nazarene ministries in Romania.
Q: Are there other ways we can partner long-term with the Church of the Nazarene in Romania?
A: Absolutely! Check out the Partnership Opportunities blog page where I've listed many different ways you can partner with us in Romania -- from financially supporting a ministry project or missionary to serving in Romania (short or long-term) to praying for Nazarene ministries in Romania.
This is just a sampling of the most common questions I was asked during this year's home assignment. Check out my Frequently-Asked Questions page to read other FAQs that I've compiled over the years. If you have other questions, feel free to write them in the comments section below.
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