NEWS
Category : News :
Introducing the New Foursquare Missions Leadership Team
February 27, 2008
By Marie Walton
This past January, at the executive council summit, Foursquare President Jack Hayford announced that Mike Larkin, vice president-director of global operations and missions, tendered his resignation. Larkin has served as Foursquare Missions International (FMI) director since 1999. In April of 2007 the Lord began to stir Larkin toward a new direction, and after months of processing this new course the decision to step down was made.
Larkin described his departure: "For the first time [I] felt a strong sense, prodding from the Lord, that my time as the director of missions had come to an end. I told the Lord that I would wait for His timing. My trust in the Lord and my partnering trust in Pastor Jack for a healthy transition was [sic] without question."
The new FMI director was confirmed by the board of directors at the executive council summit as well, and beginning June 1, 2008 Jonathan Hall will assume leadership of Foursquare Missions.
New Director
Jonathan Hall, a missionary kid who grew up in Brazil, spent his undergraduate years studying missions through YWAM. Upon completion of his studies he and his wife, Beth, returned to South America to serve Foursquare Brazil. For the past 24 years Jonathan and Beth, with the support of their three daughters—Stephanie, Michelle and Natalie—have faithfully served the Foursquare work there.
Hall has served in various roles during the last two and half decades. He was appointed as a missionary and then a regional coordinator by Foursquare Missions, and four years ago was also named the director of missions for Foursquare Brazil. He is excited to now be entrusted with the responsibility of being the next director of Foursquare Missions.
"I am especially privileged and excited to be invited to be a part of [Foursquare Missions]," Hall said. "As we move forward, I can only hope and pray to contribute in any way the Lord would allow to the health and effectiveness of this relational and organic network."
His earnest desire is to increase the Foursquare movement's global impact for the effectiveness of the kingdom. Forefront on the goals of Foursquare Missions is the aim to multiply disciples, leaders and churches. This will be accomplished as FMI strives to encourage the missionary force and serve the national leaders, boards and regional councils. In addition to a new director, there is a new leadership team in place to effectively meet these goals.
The New Team
Five members, including Jonathan Hall comprise the new team of leaders in Foursquare Missions, and each leader has specific foci.
Kurt Fuller, operations coordinator, handles administrative functions, office management and financial processes. Fuller has both a bachelor's and master's degree in pastoral studies and has served as a Foursquare Missions staff member for nine years. His primary responsibilities for FMI are funding and policies.
"My hope is that everything I do will ultimately lead to more people coming to know Christ," Fuller said. "If I can have policies clearly stated and funds quickly transferred, it will free missionaries to focus on reaching people with the gospel."
George Cline, U.S. missions coordinator, is no stranger to Foursquare Missions. He has pastored for more than 40 years and for the last twelve served as a member of the missions committee for the Foursquare Church. Cline's area of responsibility is to liaise between the local church and FMI.
Cline explained, "The local church is the center of missions. They have the resources, the people and the call to do the work. We can help open pathways for the local church to give and go. As we, FMI, partner with the church we will empower them to become mobile and release their full potential to reach the world."
Cline's primary objective is to connect the U.S. church to the field by assisting them in understanding the opportunities afforded them for involvement in missions. He will be in consistent communication with district supervisors, district missions representatives and pastors in order to see this purpose realized.
Tom Hinton serves as the global connect and response coordinator. Prior to holding this position Hinton planted three churches, spent time serving as a missionary in South America and also led a global relief effort as the international project coordinator for another denomination.
Hinton has three points of focus: the Foursquare Global Connect website (which will launch in June of 2008), global project oversight and compassion ministries (a field that among other things includes disaster relief efforts, medical teams and HIV/AIDS awareness consulting and training).
Hinton described his role this way: "I will help missionaries with their projects worldwide, connect the local church [to these projects through the Foursquare Global Connect site], and lead relief efforts and compassion ministries."
Completing this gifted team of leaders is Johnell Loop who serves as the FMI education and training coordinator. Johnell comes to this role with a wealth of experience as an educator.
Johnell and her husband, Gary, served as Foursquare missionaries in Hong Kong and the Philippines for 15 years. Johnell has been involved in teaching and administration of Bible Institutes for more than 30 years, both in the U.S. and abroad. She helped bring Foursquare institutes together by compiling and editing the manual for operating Bible institutes.
"I believe that Jesus is coming soon. We need to train and send missionaries as quickly as possible," Loop said. "Having served as a Foursquare missionary I have seen firsthand how the gospel can change a nation."
Her vision for FMI education and training is to implement an expanded curriculum and open multiple training sties to facilitate the training of Foursquare missionaries across the United States. Loop will help to partner with local churches to train church-sent missionaries. This training will include formal classes, hands-on training, field-based mentoring and in-service intensives for missionaries, as well as training for pastors that will send missionaries.
God has called Christ followers to lead those who have yet to believe to Jesus Christ. Above all else, this is the aim of the Foursquare Church. Together this newly formed team hopes to spur the Foursquare movement forward toward the goal spoken of by Foursquare founder, Aimee Semple McPherson, "To get the gospel around the world in the shortest possible time, that every man, woman and child may hear before Jesus comes."
Ms. Walton is a freelance writer from Los Angeles.
