SPEAKERS
Dr. David A. Busic was elected general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene at the 28th General Assembly held in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, in June 2013. At the time of his election, he had been president of Nazarene Theological Seminary since 2011. Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, David was ordained in 1991 by Dr. John A. Knight. After being an associate pastor in Oklahoma and Kansas, he served as senior pastor for three Churches of the Nazarene: Vineyard Community Church (Livermore, California), Central Church (Lenexa, Kansas), and First Church (Bethany, Oklahoma). During his tenure at Bethany First, Dr. Busic helped initiate and establish the Swaziland Partnership in 2007 to help reduce the HIV/AIDS rate and assist vulnerable children in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Africa. Dr. Busic received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Nazarene University in 1988 and a Master of Divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1993. Southern Nazarene University conferred a Doctor of Divinity degree upon him in 2010. He earned a Doctor of Ministry in theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary.
He has a distinguished tradition of service to the denomination. He has been a member of the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene, during which time he was also elected president of the USA National Board. From 2005 to 2013 he was a member of the Board of General Superintendents’ Thought Partners, a think tank for critical issues facing the church. Busic was co-editor for Preacher’s Magazine from 2000 to 2007. He has also published numerous articles, book chapters, and authored five books, Perfectly Imperfect: Character Sketches from the Old Testament; Perfectly Imperfect, Character Sketches from the New Testament; The City: Urban Churches in the Wesleyan Tradition; Way, Truth, Life: Discipleship as a Journey of Grace; and his most recent volume, The Praying Pastor: Learning to Lead from your Knees. His preaching is widely respected throughout the church, making him a sought-after speaker and leadership advisor. Dr. Busic and his wife, Christi, live in Edmond, Oklahoma. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
Stan Reeder was elected by the Board of General Superintendents to the position of USA/Canada Regional Director. The Church of the Nazarene’s General Board ratified the election with an email vote coordinated by Gary W. Hartke, general secretary. Fili Chambo, jurisdictional general superintendent for USA/Canada, Carla Sunberg, secretary of the Board of General Superintendents, and Verne S Ward III, Global Missions director, prayerfully led the nomination and election process. Reeder succeeds Robert Broadbooks, who is retiring after 12 years as regional director. Reeder will begin working with Broadbooks on 1 February 2021 and will assume his new position on 1 March 2021 after one month of orientation and training. “Stan Reeder and his wife, Janet, are a blessing to the Church of the Nazarene,” Chambo said. “Throughout his ministry, Dr. Reeder has prioritized equipping believers to become missionally effective, faith-filled, and fully engaged in making Christlike disciples. We are confident that his passion for working with others to develop strategies and resources to respond to the needs of the church in Canada and the USA will benefit not only the USA/Canada Region but also the global Church. We look forward to partnering with them as Stan assumes this new role.” Reeder, a citizen of both Canada and the United States, has pastored in both countries for more than 20 years. Most recently, he served as superintendent of the Oregon Pacific District, a position he held for 11 years. “Stan has a passion and commitment to share the message of the gospel with those that are yet to hear,” Ward said. “Stan’s practice is to share his time, his heart, his experiences and resources to encourage and equip others to minister effectively.” Reeder is the founder of the USA/Canada Region’s RAND Project, an 18-month vibrant church renewal program. He has also served on several Nazarene boards, including the District Superintendents Advisory Council, the Northwest Nazarene University Board of Trustees, and the Nazarene Theological Seminary Board of Trustees. “It is with gratitude and excitement that Janet and I embark on this new journey,” Stan said. “Our deep love for the Lord and the people of the United States and Canada makes it a joy and honor to serve in this responsibility. We look forward to linking arms with you to see many lives transformed by the power of the good news of Jesus Christ.” Reeder holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Manitoba, a Bachelor of Theology from Canadian Nazarene College (now Ambrose University), a Master of Divinity from McMaster University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Janet, have two adult sons and one granddaughter.
Christiane (Cricket) Albertson is the Executive Director of Titus Women, a ministry of the Francis Asbury Society. Titus Women is committed to sharing the joy of the Spirit-filled life through Bible Study, daily, corporate prayer, discipleship, and publishing. Cricket graduated from Asbury University and Asbury Theological Seminary with a degree in theological studies. She continued theological training by working with Dr. Dennis Kinlaw for 18 years, compiling and editing several books of his writings and sermons, including This Day with the Master, Prayer: Bearing the World, Malchus’ Ear, and Holy Happiness. She has also published the Dennis Kinlaw Podcast which features his sermons. Cricket has edited Beth Coppedge’s, All of Me for All of Jesus and Linda Boyette’s Jesus is Enough. Cricket is the author of Passing on the Passion: Raising the Next Generation to Love God. She has produced several online Bible studies available on Titus Women YouTube and Titus Women Podcast. Cricket is an online instructor at Asbury University for the Christian Studies Department. Cricket and her husband, Matt, have three adult children and live in Wilmore, KY.
Dr. Sam Barber was elected District Superintendent of the South Central Ohio District in April of 2022. He and his wife, Jill, have served four churches as lead pastor for over 33 years. Their ministry has taken them from Ohio to North Carolina and to Kansas before returning to South Central Ohio. Dr. Barber holds a Doctor of Ministry from Nazarene Theological Seminary as well as master’s degrees from Malone and Duke Universities, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from MVNU. In addition to pastoral ministry, Dr. Barber has served as adjunct professor, guest speaker, trustee, and author, most recently publishing, A People of Grace: Becoming Disciples Together, along with articles for Holiness Today. He was elected to the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene in 2023. Sam is passionate about discipleship and believes that the Great Commission is not reserved for the spiritually elite but is instead, the very heart of the gospel and interwoven with the decision to follow Jesus. Sam is married to Jill who has served in ministry and leadership roles across the years in the local church, the business world, and the denomination. She has served Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, Nazarene Theological Seminary, and the United States Canada Region of the Church of the Nazarene. She currently serves as the Communications and Connections Director for SCO. Jill is also a writer having been published in both Grace and Peace and Holiness Today. The Barbers have one son, Ross, who lives in New Albany, OH, and serves as the Director of Audio for The Columbus Vineyard churches. Sam and Jill have loved serving the church across more than 30 years of ministry.