Cindy Schmelzenbach will become the Asia-Pacific Region’s first regional member care coordinator March 1. Cindy, wife of Melanesia South Pacific Field Strategy Coordinator Harmon Schmelzenbach, currently serves as personnel and member care & development coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene's Melanesia South Pacific Field.

Member care is "the ongoing preparation, equipping, and empowering of mission personnel for effective and sustainable life, ministry, and work,” according to the Global Member Care Network. It is also one of the nine regional priorities that helps the Asia-Pacific Region organize activities.

The region includes six fields and 175 employed and volunteer missionary personnel.

“I am honestly very energized in thinking of the opportunity to serve in this role," Cindy said. "It is truly a privilege to serve on the Asia-Pacific team."

Marty Hoskins, personnel coordinator for Global Mission, expressed his full support of this development.

“I’m excited that Cindy has accepted this new role of member care coordinator for the Asia-Pacific Region,” he said. “Cindy brings expertise because of her training and experience, but more than that she brings a passion for developing and caring for people, especially those called to serve as missionaries. Not only is this a first for Asia-Pacific but the first for any of our Global Mission regions. We look forward to working with Cindy as we help each of our regions develop and implement member care.”

One of Cindy's first tasks is coordinating a March meeting of field member care coordinators, to be held in Manila, Philippines. She has also begun writing a series of monthly articles that will be posted on the Asia-Pacific regional website.

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region