Missions

Countries of Focus

Fast Facts

General:

Philippines—work established in 1946; 349 organized churches; 50 not-yet-organized churches; 30,919 members. Nazarene work in Micronesia is comprised of:

Chuuk—work established in 2000; 1 organized church; 48 members;

Guam—work established in 1971; 1 organized church; 95 members;

Pohnpei—work established in 2000; 2 organized churches; 76 members; and

Saipan—work established in 2000; 1 organized church; 24 members.

Regional:

Located on ASIA-PACIFIC Region and on the Philippines–Micronesia Field.
Cultural:
Christianity is the major religion in all of the areas. The largest segment of each country’s population is 0 to 24 years.

Special:

English is common in all of these world areas. It is the official language in Micronesia, the Philippines, and Saipan. Other official languages are “Unspecified Filipino” (Philippines—based on Tagalog) and Chamorro (Saipan).

Mission and Ministry

Mission Challenges:

• In the Philippines, one in five people live in extreme poverty. As COVID-19 cases have risen, the illness and the quarantine have taken their toll on many who have “no work/no pay” jobs, and there is fear for survival.
• The islands of the Federated States of Micronesia are COVID-19-free, and Guam and Saipan have just a few cases. Micronesia struggles with an economy that is largely built on tourism, and many are in crisis with no work and few prospects.
• Most of the churches in the Philippines–Micronesia Field conduct services using technology such as Zoom and Facebook Live. However, not all members have access to such technology. The pandemic has affected churches financially, and many feel disconnected because they cannot meet in person for worship and fellowship.

Ministry Approaches:

• In communities where most homes do not have Internet, pastors have hand-delivered letters with Bibles, youth and children’s lessons, and encouragement. Local churches shared compassionately in distributing basic food necessities to church members and to those in need within their communities. Many of our churches have reached out to front liners in their areas with meals and supplies.
• The Philippines–Micronesia Field Nazarene Missions International (NMI) has made adult missions education available and accessible, and these were joyfully shared online by the source missionaries themselves. Clusters were organized to facilitate awareness in the churches of the Areas of Impact of NMI in the Field. NMI prayer groups have been actively involved in nightly prayers using the SHELL Model. In English, SHELL stands for: Scientists, Health Workers, Everyone’s Needs, Leaders in the Government and the Church, and the Less Fortunate.