Nazarene history was made when Eugénio Duarte was elected to the Board of General Superintendents. At the time of his election as the 37th general superintendent at the 27th General Assembly in 2009, Duarte was serving as director of Africa Region. A native of the island of Brava in the Cabo Verde, Duarte became the first citizen outside of the USA/Canada Region elected to the highest elected office within the Church of the Nazarene.

Eugénio Duarte was elected as general superintendent on Tuesday, 30 January 2009 on the 7th ballot at the 27th General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene in Orlando, Florida, USA. Those who witnessed his historic election can easily recall a crowd of delegates immediately swarming Duarte in celebration, lifting him off of his feet, and erupting into song as those gathered in the auditorium stood and clapped. 

When Duarte was finally able to make his way to the stage, he was followed by fellow African delegates waving a Cabo Verde flag and taking photographs. He was warmly greeted by the other general superintendents, many of whom were shedding tears of joy as they watched this historic moment unfold. 

That was 14 years ago. Since then, Duarte has travelled the world in service to the Lord and his church. Duarte retires from the Board of General Superintendents at the 30th General Assembly in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, having completed three terms of service.

Duarte accepted Christ under the ministry of the Church of the Nazarene at the age of 12. He received his call to preach shortly after his conversion, was mentored by his pastor, and was ordained by General Superintendent Orville Jenkins Sr. in 1981. 

Duarte studied at the Seminario Nazareno de Cabo Verde and earned a Master of Arts degree from Azusa Pacific University, California, USA. In 2012, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho, USA. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by Africa Nazarene University in May 2006.

Prior to his election as regional director for Africa, Duarte served as the Africa West and French Equatorial field strategy coordinator, where he facilitated the expansion of the church into Sierra Leone and the Réunion Islands and developed a strategy to enter Guinea Bissau. Duarte also served as strategy coordinator for the Africa Lusophone Field, directing the start of Nazarene work in Equatorial Guinea and as strategy coordinator for Central Africa. 

Before that, he was a teacher and the director of the Seminario Nazareno de Cabo Verde, superintendent of the Cabo Verde District, and pastor of the Porto Novo and Mindelo Churches of the Nazarene.

When he was able to take the podium after his historic election in 2009, Duarte declared to the celebratory crowd in Orlando, “This is what being a missional church gives you.” 

After 14 years of service on the Board of General Superintendents, the missional church that elected him can only express its deep gratitude for the gift of the life and ministry of Eugénio Duarte. 

“[Since] I have been a part of the Church of the Nazarene,” he told the crowd, “it has always been the case that the church teaches me how to serve. That’s all I know. That’s all I came to do. I am willing to serve.” 

To him, to his dear wife, Maria Amélia, and to the entire Duarte family, the international Church of the Nazarene expresses its heartfelt thanks not only for Duarte’s willingness to serve but to serve with humbleness, faithfulness, and Christlikeness.

--Courtesy of Holiness Today