STAMFORD, Conn. (UMNS) The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries commissioned 45 new missionaries during its Oct. 18-21 annual meeting, including 31 assigned specifically to Korean-American or Hispanic ministries.

Among the new mission personnel are seven deaconesses and four church and community workers.

Commissioned are Judith Austin of the Kentucky Annual (regional) Conference, assigned to the Salvation Army Center of Hope in Louisville; Janie Canty-Mitchel, South Indiana Conference, to the Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis; Debra Sue Chenault, Virginia Conference, to Transylvania County "Making the Connection" Program, Cedar Mountain, N.C.; and the Rev. Kenneth and Jane Hathaway, Kansas West Conference, to McCurdy School, Espanola, N.M.

Also, Dana Jones, Northern Illinois Conference, to the Board of Global Ministries in New York; Ellen King, California-Pacific Conference, assignment to be determined; Jeanne Martin, New England Conference, to KIT Clark Senior Services, Newton, Mass.; Governor Mays, Mississippi Conference, to a church and community project in McGehee, Ark.; and Sue Schoener, West Ohio Conference, to the Columbus South District in Columbus, Ohio.

Also, Johnny A. Stephens, Little Rock Conference, to a community outreach program in Pine Bluff, Ark.; Sandra Lee Sipes, Missouri West Conference, to the Empowering Women Project in Stoutland, Miss.; F. Steve Taylor, North Carolina Conference, to Robeson County Church and Community Center, Lumberton, N.C.; and Eric Torres, Methodist Church of Peru, to Wesley Heritage Foundation in Southern Pines, N.C.

The board launched its Korean-American mission pastor program in 1997. The October commissioning increases its numbers from 49 to 71. The new mission pastors, with places of assignments in their home conferences, are the Rev. Kwan Yun Cho, to Olympia, Wash.; the Rev. Chulsoo Chung, to Miami; the Rev. Michael In-Suk Chung, to Fort Lee, N.J.; the Rev. Shin Kwan Chung, to Auburn, Wash.; the Rev. Jong Taik Hahm, to New Windsor, N.Y.; the Rev. Sung Eun Jee, to Wilmore, Ky.; the Rev. Yong Han Jeon, to Rochester, N.Y.; the Rev. Dae Hyon Kang, to Fort Myers, Fla.; and the Rev. Kyong Hee Kim, to Commack, N.Y.

Also, the Rev. Taie Kyung Kim, to La Canada, Calif.; the Rev. Young Ki Kim, to Louisville, Ky.; the Rev. Chang Min Lee, to Upland, Calif.; the Rev. Chul Goo Lee, to Irving, Texas; the Rev. Goo-Il Lee, to Enid, Okla.; the Rev. Hong Han Lee, to Riverside, Calif.; the Rev. Eun Soo Park, to Aloha, Ore.; the Rev. Hisook So, to Pasadena, Calif.; the Rev. Jang Woon Son, to Houston; the Rev. Mun Sang Suk, to Brooklyn, N.Y.; the Rev. Yong Seok Yang, to Rockville, Md.; the Rev. Kyoung Dong Yoo, to Chattanooga, Tenn.; and the Rev. Yon Sil Yu, to Reno, Nev.

The commissioning also increased the number of missionaries for the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries to 20. The new missionaries are the Rev. Samuel Calvo of Costa Rica, to serve the Louisiana Conference; Ralph and Irma Figueroa, Northern Illinois Conference, to serve in Sealac, Wash.; Jerry Goebel, Pacific-Northwest Conference, to Sunnyside, Wash.; the Rev. Victor Gonzalez, Pacific-Northwest Conference, to Fruitland, Idaho; Noel Morfin, Oregon-Idaho Conference, to Rupert, Idaho; the Rev. Eleazar Rivera-Garcia, Pacific-Northwest Conference, to Woodburn, Ore.; Paul Santillan, Rio Grande Conference, to Georgetown, Texas; and the Rev. Ernesto Trevino, Methodist Church of Mexico, to El Paso, Texas.

Carolina Labrada of the Methodist Church of Mexico was recognized as a deaconess during the commissioning service. She is assigned to St. Mary's Residential Training School in Alexandria, La.

October 22, 1999

Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, New York, and Washington.