GBGM Commissions Newest Class Of Mission Personnel

ATLANTA (GBGM) – Twenty-four persons assigned to United Methodist-related ministries from Tonga to Macedonia, Liberia to Chile, were commissioned here Dec. 12 by the General Board of Global Ministries.

Bishop Michael Coyner, episcopal leader of The Dakotas Area, presided over the Service of Commissioning held at First United Methodist Church in Decatur, Georgia . Bishop Bevel Jones (retired), who serves as Bishop in Residence of the host congregation, was the preacher.

Persons commissioned, their home annual conferences and places of assignment, include:

• Rev. Dr. Ellen Carter (West Virginia Annual Conference), assigned to the Methodist Church of Mexico as a Southeastern Conference Staff member;

• Rev. Chet Cataldo (The Dakotas Annual Conference), assigned as a pastor to the Methodist Church of Lithuania;

• Mrs. Jodi Cataldo (The Dakotas Annual Conference), assigned to church leadership and Christian education to the Methodist Church of Lithuania;

• Mrs. Karen Chung (California-Pacific Annual Conference), assigned to ministries with women in Japan;

• Rev. Young Gil Chung (California-Pacific Annual Conference), assigned as a pastor in Japan;

• John Elmore (North Alabama Annual Conference), assigned as a work team/construction project coordinator in the Methodist Church of Chile;

• Rev. Patrick Friday (North Alabama Annual Conference), assigned as a church developer and leadership trainer in Latvia (Northern Europe Central Conference);

• Beatrice Gbanga (Sierra Leone Central Conference), assigned as a nurse and trainer at Ganta Training School in Liberia, West Africa;

• Rev. Cynthia Anne Girton (North Indiana Annual Conference), assigned as coordinator of Operation Classroom/Volunteers in Mission in Liberia, West Africa;

• Rev. Daniel Godwin, (Alabama/West Florida Annual Conference), assigned to church development/pastoral leadership in Venezuela;

• Mrs. Lisa Godwin (Alabama/West Florida Annual Conference), assigned to community development ministries in Venezuela;

• Rev. Shana Harrison (North Carolina Annual Conference), assigned as a chaplain to Colegio Psicopedagogico Juan Wesley in Santiago, Chile;

• Dr. Kelley Jewett (Minnesota Annual Conference), assigned as assistant medical director of Ganta Hospital in Ganta, Liberia, West Africa;

• Rev. A-Mutombu Kayij (New England Annual Conference), assigned as a pastor in Algiers, Algeria, Northern Africa;

• Mrs. Kona Kayij (New England Annual Conference), assigned to leadership development of women and children in Algeria;

• Mary Kelly (California-Nevada Annual Conference), assigned as a teacher in Tonga;

• Rev. Mark Lykins (North Carolina Annual Conference), assigned as a pastor within Argentina's Iglesia Evangelica Metodista;

• Rev. Patricia Lykins (North Carolina Annual Conference), assigned as pastor and Christian educator, Iglesia Evangelica Metodista, Argentina;

• Rev. Samuel Manu ( California-Nevada Annual Conference), assigned as a teacher and pastor at Queen Salote College in Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga Islands;

• Mrs. Sharlene Manu (California-Nevada Annual Conference), assigned to family outreach ministries at Queen Salote College in Nuku'alofa Tongatapu, Tonga Islands;

• Carol Partridge (California-Nevada Annual Conference), assigned as director of Christian education to the United Methodist Church of Macedonia;

• Katherine (Kay) Twilley (North Alabama Annual Conference), assigned as a rural health care educator and substance abuse prevention educator in Bolivia's Iglesia Evangelica Metodista;

• Rev. Frederick Vanderwerf (Minnesota Annual Conference), assigned as a church development consultant/university student ministry developer in L'viv, Ukraine (Northern European Central Conference);

• Mrs. Stacy Vanderwerf (Minnesota Annual Conference), assigned as a church development consultant/university student ministry developer in L'viv, Ukraine (Northern European Central Conference).

During the service, the new mission personnel were commissioned with the traditional laying-on of hands and were presented with an anchor cross necklace, reflective of early Christian iconography.

Their commissioning marked the successful completion of a 14-week period of preparation and training held at the Mission Resource Center–a cooperative effort of the GBGM, Emory University's Candler School of Theology and the Interdenominational Theological Center.

Other worship leaders participating in the service included the Rev. Thomas Green, pastor; the Rev. John L. McCullough, Associate General Secretary of the Board's Mission Personnel Program Unit; Mrs. Jo Ann Bookout, GBGM Director, of Atlanta.

The General Board of Global Ministries, the official mission agency of The United Methodist Church, currently supports more than 1,800 mission personnel serving throughout the world.