John M. Nielson | |
---|---|
3rd President President of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary | |
In office November 1, 1989 –July 1, 2001 | |
Preceded by | E. LeBron Fairbanks |
Succeeded by | Hitoshi "Paul" Fukue |
Personal details | |
Born | John Mann Nielson June 30,1943 Waterville,Vermont,U.S. |
Died | April 28,2023 79) | (aged
Spouse | Janice Marie Williams Nielson |
Children | John W. Nielson Janelle Beiler |
Residence(s) | Mount Vernon,Ohio,U.S. |
Alma mater | Eastern Nazarene College Nazarene Theological Seminary |
Profession | Educator Minister Administrator |
John M. Nielson (born June 30,1943,in Waterville,Vermont) was a retired American ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene,who served as the third president of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Manila,the Philippines from 1989 until 2001,as well as 15 years in pastoral ministry in the USA,Germany,and Denmark. As an educator,Nielson has taught in Nazarene universities,colleges and seminaries in the USA,the Philippines,Australia,and Samoa,including serving as Associate Professor of Religion at Mount Vernon Nazarene University for 11 years. Previously,Nielson served as a global missionary for the Church of the Nazarene for 17 years. [1] Nielson has written 3 books,a children's musical,and a had several poems and songs published.
John Mann Nielson (born June 30,1943,in Waterville,Vermont) [2] was the oldest of the four children of Rev. John Bechtold Nielson (born February 26,1918,in Darby,Pennsylvania;died June 29,1997,in Waterville,Vermont), [3] an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene,and his wife Marguerite Helene Mann Nielson (born May 11,1916,in Waterville,Vermont;died February 16,2009,in Salisbury,Maryland),later an elementary school teacher,who were married on June 25,1942. Their other children are Rev. Dr. Merritt Joseph Nielson (born June 25,1945,in Cambridge,Vermont), [4] an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene,and former pastor and missionary,who has been Director of Curriculum at Nazarene Publishing House since February 2003; [5] [6] [7] [8] Mrs. Patricia Lynn Nielson "Patty" Parker (born July 23,1948),wife of Rev. Ronald G. Parker,Lead Pastor of the Cross Pointe Church of the Nazarene in Salisbury,Maryland,since November 1991; [9] and Rev. Dr. William "Bill" Brooks Nielson (born November 26,1949,in the Roger W. Mann Hospital,Jeffersonville,Cambridge,Vermont), [10] an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene,and Lead Pastor of the Heights First Church of the Nazarene in Albuquerque,New Mexico,since 1997. [11]
Soon after the first anniversary of their wedding and the birth of their oldest child,John M. Nielson,in June 1943 John B. Nielson resigned the pastorate of the Church of the Nazarene in Johnson,Vermont,to become pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Yarmouth,Maine. Subsequently the Nielson family lived in Ottawa,Kansas;West Somerville,Massachusetts;and Pawtucket,Rhode Island,where John B. Nielson was the pastor of the local Church of the Nazarene.
After graduation from Shea High School in Pawtucket,Rhode Island,in May 1961,Nielson enrolled later that year in a Bachelor of Arts program at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy,Massachusetts,choosing to major in Religion.
After graduating from ENC in 1965,Nielson enrolled in ENC's Master of Arts program,majoring again in Religion. While still a student at Eastern Nazarene College,Nielson accepted a student pastorate at the Church of the Nazarene at Wells River,Vermont,that concluded in 1966.
From 1966 to 1967,Nielson was the pastor of the American Congregation of the Church of the Nazarene in Frankfurt,West Germany. while he was pastor of the American congregation in Frankfurt,he was also music director of the German congregation. They produced at least one recording of the choir under his leadership. In 1967 Nielson graduated again from ENC with a Master of Arts in Religion degree.
On June 30,1967,Nielson married Janice Marie Williams,who had graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from ENC in May. They were married in Bethlehem,Pennsylvania.
While studying for a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary,Nielson was a student pastor at the Church of the Nazarene at Carrollton,Missouri,from 1967 to 1969. After completing the B.D. cum laude in 1969,Nielson accepted the pastorate of the Church of the Nazarene in Warminster,Pennsylvania,later that year,and served until 1972. In 1972 Nielson began a three-year pastorate of the Immanuel Church of the Nazarene in Syracuse,New York.
Nielson moved to Denmark in 1975,and was appointed pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Rødovre,Denmark,that concluded in 1980. During that time he was also Literature Coordinator for the field and produced a Nazarene Hymnal in Danish as well as Sunday School and other literature.
Nielson was Director of Ministerial Development at the international headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene (then located in Kansas City,Missouri) from 1980 to 1981. In that capacity,Nielson supervised the Course of Study to prepare ministers for licensing and ordination,as well as the continuing education program for ministers in the denomination. Nielson was responsible for organizing the Palcon II Conferences for Nazarene ministers in the USA and Canada in this period,and for developing resources for Multiple Staff Org.
In 1982 Nielson was appointed Vice President of Church and Public Relations for his alma mater ,Eastern Nazarene College,and also served as the Executive Director of the ENC Alumni Association from 1982 to 1989.
From 2001,Nielson was Missionary-in-residence at Eastern Nazarene College for a year.
In November 1989,Nielson,then Vice-President of Eastern Nazarene College,and formerly a missionary for the Church of the Nazarene to Denmark,was elected third President of APNTS. He and his wife Janice settled in Manila in February,1990. [12] Nielson resigned in July 2001,making him the longest-serving president of APNTS.
During Nielson's presidency,APNTS received initial accreditation by the Association for Theological Education in South East Asia (ATESEA) in 1991;endowments increased to over US$200,000;the Seminary's journal,The Mediator,commenced publication in 1996;and the Board of Trustees was re-organized to include ten elected members from within the Asia-Pacific region;and enrollment increased from 80 to 120. More than 70 percent of APNTS graduates were enrolled during Nielsons' tenure. [13]
During his presidency of APNTS,Nielson was also appointed Education Co-ordinator of the Asia-Pacific Region of the Church of the Nazarene,serving for five years from 1991. In that capacity,Nielson was a guest lecturer at some of the region's educational institutions,including Nazarene Theological College in Brisbane,Australia;and Samoa Nazarene Theological College,near Apia,Samoa.
In 2002 Nielson accepted an invitation to serve as Academic Dean and Lecturer at European Nazarene College in Busingen,Germany,which was founded by his father John B. Nielson.
In 2004,Nielson was appointed Associate Professor in Religion at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon,Ohio. He retired in May 2015.
In 1989 Nielson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree his alma mater ,Eastern Nazarene College. [14] Previously ENC had awarded him an Alumni Achievement Award.
Nielson has received Preaching Awards from Eastern Nazarene College and Nazarene Theological Seminary.
In April 2003 Nielson was declared President Emeritus of Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary by action of the APNTS Board of Trustees.
On April 4,2003,a special ceremony was held to dedicate the five-story multipurpose Nielson Center for Education and Evangelism located at the heart of APNTS's ten-acre campus. Housing classrooms,faculty offices,a chapel,the library,the Regional Communications Center,and the Philippine Field offices,the Nielson Center was named in honor of Nielson and his wife,Janice. [15]
On August 25,2015,Nielson received the Faculty of the Year award from Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU).
On June 30,1967,in Bethlehem,Pennsylvania,Nielson married Janice Marie Williams Nielson (born May 19,1945,in Wilmington,Delaware),a graduate of Eastern Nazarene College (1967),the second daughter of Hazel Smallwood Williams (born May 16,1915,in Maryland;died November 30,2014),and Rev. Chester Milton Williams (born September 11,1909,in Washington D.C.;died November 7,2001,in New Holland,Pennsylvania),a graduate of George Washington University,and an ordained pastor in the Church of the Nazarene and an accomplished musician, [16] who was later taught music at Eastern Nazarene College They have two children:
After his retirement from teaching at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in May 2015,Nielson and his wife,Janice,continued to live in Mount Vernon,Ohio.
The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa,Kansas. With its members commonly referred to as Nazarenes,it is the largest denomination in the world aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement and is a member of the World Methodist Council.
J. Kenneth Grider was a Nazarene Christian theologian and former seminary professor primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement.
The Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) is a private,Christian college in Quincy,Massachusetts. Established as a holiness college in Quincy,Massachusetts,in 1900,the college moved to Rhode Island for several years. With its expansion to a four-year curriculum,it relocated to Wollaston Park in 1919. It has expanded to additional sites in Quincy and,since the late 20th century,to satellite sites across the state. Its academic programs are primarily undergraduate,with some professional graduate education offered.
Mildred Olive Bangs Wynkoop was an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene,who served as an educator,missionary,theologian,and the author of several books. Donald Dayton indicates that "Probably most influential for a new generation of Holiness scholars has been the work of Nazarene theologian Mildred Bangs Wynkoop,especially her book A Theology of Love:The Dynamic of Wesleyanism." The Wynkoop Center for Women in Ministry located in Kansas City,Missouri,is named in her honour. The Timothy L. Smith and Mildred Bangs Wynkoop Book Award of the Wesleyan Theological Society also jointly honours her "outstanding scholarly contributions."
Dan Boone is a Nazarene minister,author,and university president.
Hugh C. Benner (1899–1975) was a minister and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene. He started the history department at the Eastern Nazarene College in 1921,and Benner Hall and Benner Library on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University are named after him. Dr. Benner was born near Marion,Ohio. Dr. Benner was ordained in 1923 by Nazarene General Superintendent Roy T. Williams. After serving the Church as a college professor and later as a pastor at Santa Monica,California;Spokane,Washington;and Kansas City First Church,Dr. Benner was elected the first president of the Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1944. He was elected general superintendent in 1952 and served in this position until retirement in 1968. He was general superintendent emeritus until his death in 1975 in Leawood,Kansas.
Donald Dean Owens is an American general superintendent emeritus in the Church of the Nazarene,and also a retired ordained minister,missionary,professor,and seminary and college president. Owens is the founding president of the forerunner of Korea Nazarene University,and Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Taytay,Rizal,Philippines (1983–1984),and served as the pioneer missionary for the Church of the Nazarene in the Republic of Korea (1954–1966),and as a missionary for four years in the Philippines (1981–1985),where he was the first Regional Director of both the Asia Region (1981–1985) and the South Pacific Region (1981–1983) of the Church of the Nazarene. Owens was the 2nd President of MidAmerica Nazarene College in Olathe,Kansas,for 4 years from 1985. In June 1989 Owens was elected the 28th General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene,and after being re-elected in 1993,served until his retirement in June 1997.
William J. Prince was a minister,college president,and emeritus general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.
Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) is a graduate-level theological institution located near Metro Manila in the Philippines. APNTS is a seminary in the Wesleyan theological tradition and affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene through its Division of World Mission. Its mission is to prepare "men and women for Christ-like leadership and excellence in ministries." Its institutional vision is:"Bridging cultures for Christ,APNTS equips each new generation of leaders to disseminate the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Asia,the Pacific,and the world.
Floyd William Nease (1893–1930) was an American minister and the president of the Eastern Nazarene College until his death in 1930. He is the grandfather of Floyd William Nease II,as well as Linda Nease Scott.
Ralph Earle Jr. was an American biblical scholar.
Olive May Winchester (1879–1947) was an American ordained minister and a pioneer biblical scholar and theologian in the Church of the Nazarene,who was in 1912 the first woman ordained by any trinitarian Christian denomination in the United Kingdom,the first woman admitted into and graduated from the Bachelor of Divinity course at the University of Glasgow,and the first woman to complete a Doctor of Theology degree from the divinity school of Drew University.
The history of the Church of the Nazarene has been divided into seven overlapping periods by the staff of the Nazarene archives in Lenexa,Kansas:(1) Parent Denominations (1887–1907);(2) Consolidation (1896–1915);(3) Search for Solid Foundations (1911–1928);(4) Persistence Amid Adversity (1928–1945);(5) Mid-Century Crusade for Souls (1945–1960);(6) Toward the Post-War Evangelical Mainstream (1960–1980);and (7) Internationalization (1976-2003).
The Pentecostal Collegiate Institute was a short-lived co-educational collegiate institute operated initially by the Association of Pentecostal Churches of America at Saratoga Springs,New York from September 1900 to May 1902,and from then by Lyman C. Pettit until its closure in February 1903. It is considered an antecedent institution of the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and also Eastern Nazarene College.
Floyd Timothy Cunningham is an American historian and ordained minister,who has been a global missionary in the Philippines for the Church of the Nazarene since 1983,who served as the fifth president of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary from July 1,2008,until April 3,2013. Cunningham serves currently as Distinguished Professor of the History of Christianity at APNTS,and is the author of Holiness Abroad:Nazarene Missions in Asia,the editor and co-author of Our Watchword &Song:The Centennial History of the Church of the Nazarene,and the author of dozens of articles in academic journals and magazines. Cunningham is a Life member of the Philippine National Historical Society,a member of the American Society of Church History,the Wesleyan Theological Society,and the American Historical Association since 1980.
E. LeBron Fairbanks is a leadership consultant,an adjunct professor at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary,and a retired American ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene who is President emeritus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University,President emeritus of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary,and who served the Church of the Nazarene as the Education Commissioner from March 2008 to September 2011. Additionally,Fairbanks was an editor in the Church Schools Department of the Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City,Missouri;Academic Dean of European Nazarene Bible College in Busingen,Germany (1978–1982);Associate Professor of Christian Education and Lay Ministry Development,and Coordinator of the Master of Ministry program at Bethany Nazarene College (1982–1984);the 2nd President of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) in Taytay,Rizal,the Philippines from September 1984 to July 1989;and the 5th President of Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) in Mount Vernon,Ohio,for over 17 years from July 1989 until his retirement on January 31,2007. Fairbanks founded and has served as the director of BoardServe LLC,"a consulting service for governing boards and their leaders",since 2011.
David Busic is an ordained minister and 40th general superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene,the denomination's highest elected office. He was elected on June 25,2013,at the 28th General Assembly and Conventions in Indianapolis,Indiana.
Carla D. Sunberg is an American ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene,administrator,academic,author,speaker and former missionary and registered nurse,who is the 2nd woman elected as a General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene,and was the first woman and the 10th person elected as president of Nazarene Theological Seminary. At the time of her election on January 3,2014,Sunberg was co-District Superintendent of the East Ohio District of the Church of the Nazarene,having served in this role since November 1,2011. Dr Sunberg was elected the 43rd General Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene on the 11th ballot by the delegates of the 29th General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene on June 27,2017. Sunberg is the only daughter of Jerald Johnson,the 24th General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene.
Aubrey Franklin Hess was a progressive American theologian and educator. Born on a mountaintop farm in Virginia,Hess without formal theological training was ordained in the Methodist Protestant church in 1896 and immediately served two small congregations in West Virginia. Later,after completing his formal theological and university education,Hess served as president of the Methodist Protestant institutions of West Lafayette College,Ohio and Adrian College,Michigan.