When a pastor is elected district superintendent, they may have little understanding of what their new assignment involves. The Asia-Pacific Region is working to address this need through new D.S. orientations.

This month, 15 district superintendents from seven Asia-Pacific countries participated in an orientation in Manila, Philippines. The orientation is a part of the D.S. School of Leadership initiated by Regional Director Mark Louw in response to needs expressed by new district superintendents.

Louw said the desired outcome of the orientation is that the participants will be equipped to effectively lead the churches on their districts.

“We desire a fresh clarity of understanding by all superintendents regarding what it means to be missional disciple makers,” Louw said. “Our desire is that from the very beginning, our leaders would learn the rhythms of effective superintendency. We also want to develop relationships with each other and establish a common language and understanding of key concepts such as “church,” “missional,” and “disciple making.” Out of that comes a sense of unity and interdependence, an understanding that we are better together than we are apart.”

Topics addressed during the Manila orientation included “The Task of the Superintendency,” “Essential Financial Matters,” and “Vision and Mission.”

The discussions during the four-day orientation were interspersed with question-and-answer sessions, as well as times of fellowship and challenges from the Word.

“I would like to give thanks for all the topics that were covered and all the people used in this DS orientation,” said Mirasol Aluad of the Philippine Southern Tagalog District. 

The region intends to continue the annual orientation so a strong, regional understanding of the Church of the Nazarene's mission is firmly established, resulting in more Christlike disciples in the nations of the Asia-Pacific Region.

--Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region