The Next Season for ECO’s Global Engagement

I am incredibly thankful for the work of Rev. Dr. Jen Haddox who has served as our part time Director of Global Engagement for the past seven years. Jen has done an amazing job of helping us form and live into our identity as we seek to partner with the Lord and others in seeing the Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. She has done this while also completing her Doctorate of Missiology, being a wife, mother, and foster parent. In addition, two years ago she also took on a part-time co-pastor role of First Presbyterian Church of Waynesburg (PA)  with her husband, Mike. In light of all of her roles, Jen has sensed that her season at ECO has come to a completion. You can hear from her own words below and then keep reading to learn about ECO’s next steps.

From Jen…

It has been a remarkable privilege to serve you! I am most grateful for the relationships I have been trusted to shepherd. Relationships with mission leaders in our churches and our partner organizations have created a fabric of collaborative connection that has helped us establish meaningful church engagement in global mission and denominational relationships with Pars, The Synod of the Nile in Egypt, and the Independent Presbyterian Church in Brazil (IPIB).  Praise God!

I came to the realization in the past few months that balancing all of my roles has left me stretched and depleted. My prayerful discernment led me to recognize that God is inviting me to a season of greater presence in my family and local church. I’m not leaving ECO or my vocational identity as a mission mobilizer! But I am going to slow down my travel and meeting schedule, and be more present at home and in our church ministry, with the opportunity for a more regular sabbath. 

I’ll miss so much about serving with the ECO staff team and connecting with all of you more frequently. I look forward to continuing the journey of building flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Blessings,

Jen

From Dana…

If you were at the Synod Business Meeting in Greenville, one of the topics I shared in my talk is our future focus for Global Engagement. I mentioned three areas of focus:

• Helping to cultivate a passion for what God is doing in the world that will result in the development of the next generation of mission workers.
• Building partnerships with denominations and networks in other countries that could lead to planting in and among those people groups in the United States.
• Having Flourish Institute of Theology both be shaped by the global church and potentially be a resource for the global church.

Over the last couple of years, Jen has advocated, and I agree, that eventually the position of Director of Global Engagement should be a full time. Jen knew she wasn’t in a position to move full time in this role herself but wanted to see the job eventually move in this direction. Given the above three priorities, it will be advantageous for us to make this position full time. Currently, we are not in a financial position to do so, but would like to get there in the near future. In the meantime, I will be working with our current partners and the great group of volunteers that Jen has cultivated over the years to keep things moving forward. I look forward to experiencing how God will move in the midst of our global emphasis in the coming years. Pray with me for next steps and join me in gratefulness for Jen’s leadership and her heart for God’s people across the world. 

In Christ,

Dana

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