NCN News
Top Stories for the week of May 8, 2015
Earthquake response: Feeding hungry in Nepal
“We are in the wilderness. We are unable to die. We are unable to live,” said a young woman in
Tindhara, Nepal, a small community east of Kathmandu.
Tindhara is in the Sindhupalchok district, where almost half of the casualties occurred following
the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country April 25. In Tindhara, 34 people died and
of the 223 houses, 212 collapsed and 11 were rendered unsafe to live in. Without tents, the
community members have been creating shelter using corrugated metal from the ruins of their
homes, propping them on stilts made of branches or bamboo.
The families were hungry, too. Their farm tools were buried under heavy brick and sharp beams
of broken wood, and any food that had been stored in homes was now mixed with dust and
mud, making it inedible.
More than a week after the earthquake, the more than 200 families in Tindhara still had not
received any aid.
Nepal District Superintendent Dilli and the Nazarene disaster response team loaded four flatbed
trucks with hundreds of 50-pound sacks of rice, along with some salt and oil, and started driving
toward Tindhara May 3. The 60-km trek from Kathmandu took more than six hours because of
the weight of their loads and the poor condition of the earthquake-scarred roads.
The trucks loaded with food were brought by a team of more than 20 Nazarene pastors, lay
leaders, and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries staff. Each family gathered to pick up rice,
salt, and oil — enough food to feed each family for a month.
Reflecting on the days when they were waiting for help to arrive, one woman said, “We just
boiled water and take that water; that’s all [we’ve had] since the earthquake.”
The pastors assembled a list of every household and how many members lived in each home
to determine their food allotment. The distribution took about three hours.
“If we do not get this food, we may die,” said Juamaya Tamang. “We do not have anything in
the house.”
Juamaya and her husband, Jitbhadur, built a shelter after their house collapsed during the
quake. Although Juamaya was outside, Jitbhadur was buried in rubble and had to be dug out by
their neighbors.
Their story is common.
"On our journey [through the Sindhupalchok district], we were able to witness the full extent of
the damage wrought by the earthquake,” said Joerg Eich, NCM coordinator for the Eurasia
Region. “The whole area is destroyed. All of the traditionally-built houses have collapsed, and
even the ones that are still standing have huge cracks and really can't be lived in anymore."
Nazarene church leaders chose Tindhara because of its remote location as well as a
connection to a young Nazarene from Kathmandu who hopes to establish long-term community
development programs there.
“I’m very happy,” the young man said. “I can help my neighbors. Please support us and
encourage us to raise our God and our Jesus.”
Juamaya and her husband echoed the thanks of the young Nazarene man.
“[To] those who brought and those who gave, tell them thanks from our heart,” Juamaya said.
“You came while we suffer and you brought us these things and we are giving thanks from our
heart.”
How to Help
Pray for those who are grieving, pray for those who are hungry and hurting, pray for vulnerable
children and families, pray for those responding to the disaster, and pray for our church leaders
and members in Nepal.
Make checks payable to "General Treasurer" and send them to:
Global Treasury Services
Church of the Nazarene
P.O. Box 843116
Kansas City, MO 64184-3116
Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.
In Canada, make checks payable to "Church of the Nazarene Canada" and send them to:
Church of the Nazarene Canada
20 Regan Road, Unit 9
Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3
Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.
Intermountain District elects new superintendent
General Superintendent David W. Graves announced the election of J. Scott Shaw as
superintendent of the Intermountain District.
Elected on the third ballot, Shaw will take over for retiring Intermountain District Superintendent
Stephen Borger on May 30.
"I am deeply honored to be elected the district superintendent of the Intermountain District,"
Shaw said. " Dr. Stephen Borger has given 13 years of tremendous service to the district, and I
am blessed follow him in leadership."
Shaw is currently pastor of the Bremerton, Washington, Church of the Nazarene and secretary
of the Washington Pacific District.
"For the past 23 years I've pastored an incredible group of people in Bremerton, Washington,"
he said. "I know God has something good for their future.
"When I was introduced to the district assembly, I mentioned that in some of my reading I came
across an interesting piece of history. According to the writing of C. T. Corbett in a book
titled Our Nazarene Pioneers, my grandfather, Dr. Charles A. Gibson, accepted the assignment
as pastor of Boise First Church in Boise, Idaho, in 1917. While a great deal has changed on
the Intermountain District in almost 100 years, I am confident that people carry the same need
for the freeing power of Jesus. I look forward to encouraging pastors and leaders as we work
together in that mission."
Shaw previously led the Pasco, Washington, Church of the Nazarene and served at Spokane
Valley, Washington, Church of the Nazarene.
He has a Bachelor of Arts from Northwest Nazarene College (now University) and a Master of
Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary.
Scott and his wife, Vicki, reside in Olympia, Washington.
Côte d’Ivoire South District receives new leader
General Superintendent Eugénio R. Duarte appointed André Aimé Maloula interim
superintendent of the Côte d'Ivoire South District. Maloula will serve for two years.
The current district superintendent, Djédjé Yao Clément, served in the position for 12 years. He
resigned in order to take an assignment as area coordinator of Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry,
and Mali. He and his wife, Lucie, moved to Mali in March.
The Côte d'Ivoire South District is the first French-speaking district in West Africa, and
throughout the years has pioneered the work of the Church of the Nazarene in Burkina Faso
and Guinea Conakry. Clément began the Church of the Nazarene's work in Guinea Conakry
several years ago, and the country's first elder was ordained there in November 2013.
"We rejoice in this example of 'passing the baton' (mentoring) between Rev. Djédjé and Maloula
and pray for the Lord to sustain our leaders," said Daniel Gomis, Africa West field strategy
coordinator.
--Church of the Nazarene Africa Region
Ohio church upgrades homes, neighborhoods through Paint the Town
A couple of houses on Blaine Avenue will have a new look come Monday morning.
If Marion First Church of the Nazarene and Downtown Marion Inc. have their way, those will be
only the first of many across the city to benefit from Paint the Town, a volunteer effort seeking
to improve the appearance of homes and neighborhoods citywide.
"In essence, the purpose behind the initiative is to upgrade the appearance of at least two
homes on a particular block to stimulate a change in the overall appearance of targeted
neighborhoods," said Vaughn Sizemore, a consultant for Downtown Marion.
Paint the Town began as a discussion in 2014 between leadership of Marion First Church of the
Nazarene, whose home is at 233 W. Church St., and representatives of Downtown Marion.
Together they "began to research a concept aimed at the regentrification of neighborhoods in
and around the downtown area. Simply stated, many homes in the core of Marion might be
dramatically improved in appearance with fresh paint," Sizemore said.
The Rev. Gregg Parkman, First Church of the Nazarene's associate pastor for young adults
and community outreach, said the project began modestly.
"We were actually looking out the back of the church and some of the houses back there, and
we thought, 'Those are not bad houses,'" Parkman said. "All they need is a coat of paint. That
whole project started with that conversation."
Sparking interest
The Rev. Don Diehl, the church's lead pastor, said he hopes Paint the Town catches on with
other churches and organizations as well.
"We hope some other churches see that and think, 'Hey, maybe we could do the same,'" Diehl
said. "And we could accomplish a few great things in Marion if all of us joined arms and get it
done together."
First Church of the Nazarene's pastors and Downtown Marion representatives decided owneroccupied homes would be targeted for the free assistance.
Beth Meadows, Downtown Marion board president, said her organization is "thrilled to be able
to partner with them in this project, and hopefully it won't stop with Marion First Church of the
Nazarene. We hope there will be more churches, other organizations, who say, 'I want to be a
part of that. It means a great deal to us.'"
Parkman said in selecting the first painting project, which will paint houses at 320 and 321
Blaine Ave., which are located across the street from each other, planners turned to the
relationship fostered by the church's Adopt-a-Block ministry. The volunteers will apply primer
Friday and paint Saturday.
Through the ministry, church members were assigned to eight streets — Blaine and Olney
avenues and Chestnut, Leader, High, Orchard, Pleasant and Pearl streets — where they visit
homes each Saturday morning.
"We take notes on how we can pray for them," he said. "If there's something we're promoting
for the church, we give them invites for that; just a lot of touches, anything we can do for them,
can we pray for them. We invite them to our services."
Trustworthy approach
Diehl said approaching homeowners with whom they were familiar enabled Paint the Town
organizers to overcome the potential barrier of mistrust by homeowners suspicious about
people offering to paint their houses for free.
The two homeowners were excited to be chosen, he said, adding that one said she had been
"praying for several years" that someone would paint her house "because she knew she didn't
have the strength to do it or family members that could do it for her. To her, it was an answer to
her prayer."
About 55 volunteers, including 15 retirees who are doing the preparatory work, are helping to
paint the house. Diehl said the church has two members, Adam Reed and Trent McDaniel, who
are contractors that are leading two teams of painters.
Sponsors for the first two houses are Sherwin-Williams, which is donating the paint; The
Warehouse, which is providing food for the volunteers; Peacock Water, which is providing water
and supplies for the volunteers; Snyder Funeral Homes; and the Fahey Bank, Sizemore said.
Tim and Krystyne Kelly are providing T-shirts for volunteers.
Contributions to Paint the Town can be made to Downtown Marion, which is a 501(c)(3)
organization, to which all donations are tax-deductible.
Parkman said he hopes the project not only helps the people whose homes are being painted
but also the sense of community in Marion.
"We really want to make a statement that the church and some of these organizations we
partner with are here to make a difference in Marion," he said. "We want to stick with people
that own their homes, give them the extra help that they may need. If you see a need, fill a
need. That's kind of our slogan."
--Republished with permission from The Marion Star
California team prove service has no age limit
A team of 19 people between the ages of 65 and 80 (and one 30-year-old youngster)
journeyed from Pasadena, California, USA, to Auckland, New Zealand, last month on a Work &
Witness trip to help the Seabrook Church of the Nazarene.
The Seabrook church is in the process of transforming a former factory cafeteria into a church
sanctuary.
"This is a lot of work as New Zealand has very stringent building laws," said Neville Bartle, New
Zealand district superintendent.
The team worked long hours for 12 days, painting, putting new cladding on the outside of the
building, installing doors, and decorating.
"The results were impressive," Bartle said. "Their visit was a huge encouragement to the
Seabrook church members who are looking forward to having the project completed so that
they can enjoy their new sanctuary."
The team also took time to visit other Nazarene churches and enjoy the New Zealand scenery.
More teams are needed on this project. To learn more, click here.
--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region
Brazil Nazarene College receives recognition for music program
The Brazil government officially recognized the bachelor's degree in music offered by Brazil
Nazarene College.
The national government, through the Secretary of Regulation and Supervision of Higher
Education of the Ministry of Education Department, granted official recognition under ordinance
No. 310 on April 28, 2015.
The announcement was made by Matteo Ricciardi, coordinator of the college's bachelor's in
music.
“The publication of the decree came at a very appropriate time,” Ricciardi said.
Brazil Nazarene College has operated since 2008. In addition to the bachelor's in music, it
offers a Diploma in Theology, which was officially recognized in 2014.
For more information, visit the college's website.
--Church of the Nazarene South America Region
ENC community runs for water well in Haiti
Eastern Nazarene College students, alumni, and employees ran the Providence, Rhode Island,
Half Marathon May 3 to raise funds for a water well at the Waney Church of the Nazarene in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The team raised more than $8,500 for the well through fundraising and partnerships with family,
friends, and churches. One fundraiser, a campus-wide ".5K Fun Run" organized by the Student
Government Association, included a .5K distance race, leap-frog and skipping races,
and obstacle courses.
"The race we're called to run is to run for others, not for ourselves," said Chaplain Corey
MacPherson, one of the half marathon participants. "I'm so proud of these students that they
are running this race not for themselves, they are running it for others."
Over spring break, a mission team visited the Waney church and met the pastor and community
members. The well is just one of the college's Haiti initiatives. In March, a team installed solar
panels at a medical clinic and continued research on earthquake prediction through the
Engineering Department and Haiti-native Dr. Pierre-Richard Cornely.
--Eastern Nazarene College
MVNU announces new head coach for women’s basketball
The Mount Vernon Nazarene University Department of Athletics announced Amanda Learned
was selected as the new head coach of the women's basketball program. Learned comes to
MVNU from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, where she has served as the
assistant women's basketball coach and head junior varsity coach.
"We are thrilled to add Amanda to our coaching staff," said Keith Veale, MVNU athletics
director. "I think our search committee did an excellent job sifting through candidates and found
someone in whom we have a lot of confidence. Amanda is a young, competent coach who won
the committee over with her relational ability and her desire to coach at MVNU. We are excited
for the players in the women's basketball program. They will learn more than just basketball
from Amanda. Her heart to point them toward Jesus and build their faith was evident throughout
the interview process."
Learned has been at Trinity Christian College for the past five seasons assisting the head
coach with coordination of the day-to-day operations of the program. She played an integral
role in practices and preparations for games, recruiting, organizing film exchange, scouting,
game planning, and working with players one-on-one to develop their skills. Learned also
helped develop and start the junior varsity program and has served as the head coach for the
past two seasons. Learned played a key role in guiding Trinity Christian to the quarterfinals of
the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament this past season.
"I would first like to give God the glory for opening this door for me at just the right time,"
Learned said. "I am honored, excited, and humbled to be joining the MVNU community. I would
like to thank Coach Veale, Dr. Spaulding, Dr. Sessink, and the rest of the search committee for
this opportunity to be the head women's basketball coach. I could not be more thrilled to be part
of such an upstanding university that continuously strives for excellence in every aspect of life. I
am looking forward to leading the team, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for the
women's basketball program."
Learned is a 2009 graduate of Trinity Christian College. She was named the CCAC Freshman
of the Year following the 2005-2006 season and was named to the All-Conference team as a
sophomore, junior, and senior. She earned NCCAA All-Region Honors three times and was an
NCCAA All-American Honorable Mention as a senior. She helped guide the team to the
conference tournament title in 2007 and the school's first-ever trip to the NAIA National
Championship tournament.
During her college career, Learned amassed 1,424 career points and 813 rebounds, ranking
her seventh and sixth respectively in the Trinity record books. She owns the school career
record for three throw percentage (78.6 percent) and holds the single-season record for free
throw percentage at 85.9 percent, which she set during the 2006-2007 campaign.
Learned holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sports and Leisure Studies with minors in coaching,
education, and theology. Learned will finish her master's degree in sports science from the
United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama, in early July.
She will become the seventh head coach in program history since the inaugural season of
1977-1978.
--Mount Vernon Nazarene University
In Memoriam
The following is a weekly listing of Nazarene ministers and leaders who recently went home to
be with the Lord. Notices were received May 4-8, 2015.
Ernest "Ernie" Daniels, 84, of Paulding, Ohio, passed away May 4. He was a member of the
Paulding, Ohio, Church of the Nazarene, serving as a church board member, Sunday school
superintendent, greeter, and usher.
A. Scott Hendrix, 45, of Colony, Kansas, passed away May 4. He was a chaplain, previously
serving on the Kansas City and Joplin districts. He is survived by his wife, Michelle Hendrix.
For previous editions of In Memoriam, see the "Passings" section by clicking here.
Note: Please join with us in prayer for the families who have lost loved ones. Click on names for
full stories, funeral information, local online obituaries, and/or guest books (if available). To
submit an entry of a minister or church leader, send to [email protected].
--Compiled by NCN News