VALLEY FORGE, PA (2/13/17)—On January 15, 2017, the Rev. Carmella Jones was commissioned by the American Baptist International Ministries (IM) Board of Directors to serve in Hungary. The service for Jones, a resident of Columbia, Maryland, took place at the University Baptist Church in College Park, Maryland. It was attended by about 200, including IM staff members, clergy, colleagues, friends and family members.
Jones is preparing to relocate to Hungary in March 2017 and will serve as a school chaplain through IM partner Hungarian Baptist Aid. As a chaplain, she will co-teach English, serve in the after-school program as a listening presence and offer pastoral care to students, families and the local community. Jones’s experience in theological and nursing education uniquely equips her to teach and support spiritual and physical well-being.
“The Spirit of God was clearly with us for Rev. Carmella Jones’s commissioning service,” commented the Rev. John Burns, pastor of University Baptist Church, Jones’s home congregation. “There was great joy, abundant love and sincere consecration. Although Carmella has long been prepared for the ministry to which God has called her, she is now assured of the support of her family, friends and Christian brothers and sisters as well as deeply aware that God is with her.”
Jones, a registered nurse and ordained ABCUSA pastor, is experienced in Faith Community Nursing, a specialty that promotes health and healing of mind, body and spirit through prevention and wellness education. As an integrator of faith and health, Carmella will seek to provide care in the context of peoples’ values, beliefs and faith practices when providing personal health counseling.
She is grateful for the support of her Mission Partnership Team (MPT) members, who were installed at the commissioning. A global servant’s MPT is a close group of family and friends who come alongside the servant to provide spiritual, relational, financial and administrative support.
“They are an incredible team and very committed,” stated Jones. “The team name, ‘PIT Crew’ says it all: Partners Invested Together. They have helped me develop and organize my network, envision strategies and goals, as well as carry out many of the administrative tasks related to communications.”
The Rev. Charles Jones, area director for Europe, the Middle East and Liberia, said, “It was a joyful privilege to participate in Carmella’s commissioning, celebrating God’s call and provision for her to serve in Hungary. We recognize the historic nature of this commissioning, as this is probably the first commissioning in which the receiving international partners have participated!”
Two representatives from Hungarian Baptist Aid, Vice President Dr. Bela Szilagyi and President Rev. Sandor Szenczy, attended the commissioning and presented Carmella with a Hungarian Baptist Aid pin, which represents their ministry in Hungary. She was also presented with a prayer shawl from University Baptist Church in an expression of gratitude for the ministry she had started there.
To learn more about the Rev. Carmella Jones, you may visit her profile page.
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American Baptist International Ministries works cross-culturally to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim, through both word and deed, God’s reign of justice, peace and abundant life for all creation.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.