Church mourns the death of General Superintendent Emeritus Raymond W. Hurn

Overland Park, Kansas--General Superintendent Emeritus Raymond Walter Hurn passed away January 20. He was 85.

Hurn was born in Ontario, Oregon on June 27, 1921 to Walter and Bertha Hurn. He graduated from Bethany Peniel College (now Southern Nazarene University) in Oklahoma City with a degree in philosophy and religion.

In 1942, he met and married Madelyn Kirkpatrick in Hutchinson, Kansas, and went on to pastor for 16 years in Hays, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Atlanta; Norman, Oklahoma; and Medford, Oregon.

Hurn served as district superintendent of the West Texas District for nine years before moving to Kansas City to direct the Department of Home Missions at Nazarene Headquarters. He served in this position for 17 years, which included eight years of administration of overseas home missions.

As a life-long learner, Hurn completed graduate classes at Tulsa University, Oklahoma University, and Fuller Theological Seminary. In 1967, he received a doctor of divinity from Southern Nazarene University.

He was also well-known for his work in the area of church growth and development of urban/ethnic outreach programs for the Church of the Nazarene and other denominations. In 1980, he received the Church Growth Executive Award. He also served as program chairman for Houston '85: Consultation on Evangelical Ethnic America, which accommodated 37 denominations.

Among his many written works are Unleashing the Lay Potential in the Sunday School, Mission: Possible, Finding Your Ministry, Black Evangelism, Which Way From Here?, Spiritual Gifts Workshop, Mission Action Sourcebook, and The Rising Tide: New Church for the New Millennium. He was also editor of Mission Alert, a publication generated from his Department of Home Missions assignment at Nazarene Headquarters.

In 1985, Hurn retired from the Department of Home Missions and moved to Colorado Springs. In that same summer, he was elected to serve as general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene, where he served for eight years. He retired from that position in 1993.

Hurn and his wife, Madelyn, have resided in the Kansas City area since 1968. They spent three years in Colorado Springs, but returned to Overland Park, Kansas soon after he was elected general superintendent. Hurn leaves his wife, Madelyn, his two daughters, Connie Isbell and Jacque Oliver, his grandchildren, Baraq Isbell, Amy Russell, Danielle Prince, and his great grandson, Thomas Prince. He also leaves his sister, Helen Ogburn and her husband, Jack, his brother, Ed and his wife, Dolores, sister-in-law, Marge Hurn, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Bertha Hurn, and his younger brother, Paul.

Hurn was a member of Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene.

Memorial services were held at Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene on Wednesday, January 24. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Care of Kansas, the Kansas City Rescue Mission, or the Ministerial Scholarship Fund at Southern Nazarene University.
--Kansas City Star Obituaries

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Fairbanks addresses MVNU community for final time as president

Mount Vernon, Ohio--On Thursday, January 25, E. LeBron Fairbanks addressed the Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) community for the final time as its president. The service took place in the R.R. Hodges Chapel/Auditorium and was open to the public.

As the institution's fifth president, Fairbanks has faithfully served MVNU and the surrounding Knox County, Ohio community for 18 years. During his tenure, much growth and change was witnessed by all on MVNU's campus:

• Enrollment increased to 2,670 (150 percent increase)
• Operating budget to $43 million (300 percent increase)
• New and expanded academic programs for undergraduate and graduate students taught in traditional and non-traditional formats
• University transition
• Discipline-specific national accreditation
• Midwest regional academic recognition
• New academic and resident life facilities
• Addition of eight satellite campuses
• Development of Campus Ministries division
• Cultural diversity initiatives
• Property expansion from 279 to 405 acres
• MVNU endowment expanded to $12.6 million (400 percent increase)
• Debt burden ratio reduced to 2.1 percent
• Foundation Board created to manage endowment and university funds
• Strategic plans and leadership agendas to guide the university through the decade

MVNU held a Farewell Celebration for the Fairbanks in December, where they were honored with a variety of tributes, memories, and recognitions. They will be sorely missed at MVNU and within the community.
--MVNU (Note: All funds expressed in U.S. dollars.)

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Cuba Nazarene Bible College now under the leadership of Grisel Blaya

Havana, Cuba--This week, Grisel Blaya Ramos began her duties as the new rector of Cuba Nazarene Bible College in Havana, Cuba. She was elected to the position earlier this month.

The election process for a new rector began after Andres Fernandez, who has faithfully served many years as rector, announced his retirement. Caribbean Regional Director John Smee initiated the constitutional process of electing a new rector, a process that included additional direction from General Superintendent Jerry D. Porter, World Mission Director Louie E. Bustle, and the leadership of the Cuba Church of the Nazarene.

On the opening night of the Cuba District Assembly later this month, Fernandez will be honored for his years of service to the college, as well as for his pastoral ministry. Blaya will be presented to the assembly as the new rector of the college.

Blaya began her extended education at the University of Havana, where she studied psychology. She also earned a bachelor of theology from Cuba Nazarene Bible College and completed a licenciatura degree from Seminario Nazareno de las Américas (SENDAS) in San José, Costa Rica. Blaya is currently concluding her studies for a master of science degree in religion from SENDAS.

As rector, Blaya says, "My focus will be on … among other things . . . to recover the doctrine of holiness in all of the students, and renew the mission, vision, and holistic formation of the students."

Blaya was ordained in 2002 and has pastored several churches in Cuba. She was serving as the pastor of the Punta Brava Church of the Nazarene at the time of her election as rector. The Punta Brava church is located on the campus of Cuba Nazarene Bible College.
--Caribbean Region Communications

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Soliday to become CEO of NCM, Inc.

Kansas City--Dan Soliday, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM) coordinator for the USA/Canada region, has resigned to assume a new role as chief executive officer of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc. (NCMI).

Soliday has served as part-time president of NCMI since his arrival at Nazarene Headquarters in 2004. Since that time, NCMI has greatly expanded its role as an intermediary to the more than 180 compassionate ministry centers that serve the poor and marginalized in communities across the U.S. and Canada. Due to Soliday's efforts, NCMI has become critical to the acquisition of funding for international compassionate ministry efforts.

Before coming to headquarters, Soliday served as the English congregation pastor and administrative pastor/chair for the multi-congregational board of the historic Los Angeles First Church of the Nazarene in California. Before moving to Los Angeles, Soliday directed Friendship Community, Inc., in Forth Worth, Texas.

Soliday has also worked with Catholic Charities, assisted in the creation of a compassionate ministry collaborative, and has taught at Texas Nazarene Bible College. He is a graduate of Nazarene Theological Seminary and MidAmerica Nazarene University.

"Dan is acutely gifted to move NCMI to new horizons," stated Oliver R. Phillips, director of Mission Strategy USA/Canada. "Although he will be missed, Dan will help raise the awareness of the church's involvement in ministries of compassion, and work to acquire non-Nazarene funding for denominational involvement in the alleviation of the effects of human and natural disasters."

Althea Taylor, associate pastor of the Bronx Bethany (New York) Church of the Nazarene, and executive director of Bronx Bethany Community Development, Inc., has accepted the offer to serve as a consultant on behalf of NCM USA/Canada until a permanent coordinator is hired. Taylor is a recent graduate of Howard University School of Divinity.
--USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism

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NCN News Briefs for January 26, 2007

• The Caribbean Communications team recently returned from the Dominican Republic, where they filmed some stories for an upcoming World Mission DVD. The team also had the opportunity to take still photographs. A web gallery containing these photos was created here: "Faces of the Dominican Republic." Those wishing to use any of these photos for Missions Education, NMI services, or other, please write to communications@caribnaz.org. (--Caribbean Communications office)

• Lydia Wilke Howard, a retired Nazarene missionary to Africa and the Cape Verde Islands, is turning 100 on February 3. For contact information, read more
  
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