The 30th General Assembly, held in June 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, elected Dr. Christian D. Sarmiento as the 45th general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene. At the time of his election, he had been the Director of the South America Region since September 2005.
Sarmiento was born in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Gerald Johnson ordained him in 1989. Dr. Sarmiento and his wife, Margit, were among the first members of the Church of the Nazarene, and he became the denomination’s first pastor, in Colombia in 1976. Sarmiento also had pastorates in Ecuador and was instrumental in planting churches in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Guatemala. Dr. Sarmiento served as district superintendent of the Ecuador Sierra Norte District. He also served as Regional Education Coordinator in South America, the former MAC region (Mexico and Central America, now Mesoamerica), and the Caribbean Region. Sarmiento was the rector of the Bolivia Nazarene Seminary, the Cono Sur Nazarene Seminary in Argentina, and El Seminario Teológico Sudamericano in Quito, Ecuador, and taught at several seminaries on these regions. Before being Regional Director in South America, Dr. Sarmiento also served as Regional Director for MAC, based in Guatemala City. The Sarmientos served as missionaries in Bolivia, Ecuador, and the Caribbean Regional Office, beginning in 1986. Dr. Sarmiento also served as Regional Youth Coordinator for South America and the Caribbean Region, and as Jesus Film Coordinator for the Caribbean Region.
Dr. Sarmiento received a Bachelor of Arts degree from MidAmerica Nazarene University in 1980 and a Master of Divinity at Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1984. MidAmerica Nazarene University conferred a Doctor of Divinity degree upon him in 2001. He earned a Doctor of Education in leadership and professional practice at Trevecca Nazarene University in 2019.
He was a member of the International Board of Education for several terms, and served on the steering committee of the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene in Global English. For three quadrennia, he served on the Commission of the International Church. Sarmiento presided over the translating of the Manual into Spanish. He also served as a committee member considering Article of Faith IV, on the Scriptures. Sarmiento was the president of the Spanish Literature Committee for over 30 years.
Sarmiento was the associate editor of the ten volume Spanish edition of the Beacon Bible Commentary, and other Spanish-language ministerial texts. He served as editor of the Conquista Juvenil (Spanish youth periodical), El Sendero de la Verdad (adult Spanish Sunday School periodical), and the Spanish Preacher’s Magazine. He has also published numerous articles and book chapters, and authored several books: Visitas Con Lucas; Training of Altar Workers; Devotionals in Luke; To Be Like Him, Devotionals in Philippians; and The Perspective of the Eagle, Devotionals in the Gospel of John (4 vols.) Dr. Sarmiento’s teaching and preaching are widely known, and he is a sought-after speaker for pastor’s retreats and events throughout Latin America.
Christian and Margit have three children, Monica, Christina, and Steven, and five grandchildren, Elijah, Charly, Jonah, Gracyn, and Abigail.
