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Board of Global Ministries Sends Forth New Missionaries and Deaconesses

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STAMFORD, Conn.-- Twenty one individuals were commissioned by the Board of Global Ministries as missionaries or deaconesses charged with taking the Gospel of the Lord into the world on behalf of the United Methodist Church. The service of commissioning was held Oct. 24 at the Stamford Marriott during the Board's semi-annual meeting.

Those newly commissioned as missionaries and deaconesses, their annual conferences, and their assignments are:

Carolyn (Dee Dee) Heffner (recognized), West Ohio Conference, assigned as teacher, McCurdy School, Espanola Valley, New Mexico; Dr. Dennis Heffner (recognized), West Ohio Conference, assigned as executive director, Northern New Mexico Group Ministry, Espanola, New Mexico.

Six missionaries will serve as church and community workers. They are the Rev. David Draggoo, West Michigan Conference, assigned as director of Looking Glass Community Services, Detroit Conference; the Rev. Dwala J. Ferrell, Virginia Conference, assigned as executive director of Petersburg Urban Ministries, Petersburg, and Virginia; Randy J. Hildebrandt, Holston, assigned as director of youth ministries, Jubilee Project, Sneedsville, Texas.

Also, Nancy Tomlinson Hobbs, Holston Conference, assigned to Big Stone gap District Church and Community Renewal Project, Big Stone Gap, Virginia; Lynn Miles, North Alabama Conference, assigned as program director health ministry director, and parish nurse program director at Shepherd's Center, Birmingham, Alabama; the Rev. P. Michael Watts, Virginia Conference, assigned to work with youth rebuilding housing, Petersburg, Virginia.

Assigned to a broad range of ministries were 10 persons commissioned to the office of deaconess, one person reinstated as deaconess, and two persons transferred to the office of deaconess. They are Juliet H. Choi, New York Conference, assigned as medical missionary and nurse, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; A. Kay Clifton, West Ohio Conference, assigned to reach out to the community through global mission initiatives, Cincinnati, Ohio; Elsie Cyrus, Louisiana Conference, assigned to Jordan United Methodist Church Community Service Outreach Ministry, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Alice Lee, Greater New Jersey Conference, assigned to work with Korean immigrant women and children, New Jersey Community Church Hospital Ministries, Leonia, New Jersey. Also, Marcia L. Florkey, West Ohio Conference, assigned as coordinator, Church Without Walls ministry, Cross Point United Methodist Church, Trotwood, Ohio; Bong Jo Lee, California-Pacific Conference, assigned to the Methodist Theological Seminary in America, Los Angeles, California; Teresa Mee-Sue Park, California-Pacific conference, assigned as executive director of Koreatown Community Center in Los Angeles, California; and Kathleen Ellen Peterson, Memphis Conference, assigned as director of church and community ministries, Fayette County Cluster of United Methodist Churches, Memphis Conference.

Also, Lou Ann Staggs, Mississippi Conference, assigned to children's programs, New Albany District Ministry, New Albany, Mississippi; and Sook Hee Yoo, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, assigned as teacher, Educare Learning Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Reinstated to the office of deaconess was Dr. Nancy Faine, Florida Conference, assigned as teacher, Mineola Elementary School, Mineola, Florida. Transferred to the office of deaconess were Dr. Liwliwa T. Robledo, Rocky Mountain Conference, assigned to administer, supervise, organize, and teach, Akron Elementary School, Rocky Mountain Conference; and Shanti Samuel, Wisconsin Conference (assignment to be determined).

The Board now supports 2546 missionaries serving in 71 countries.
General Board of Global Ministries
United Methodist Church
475 Riverside Drive - New York, New York 10115
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