General Superintendent Nina G. Gunter recently conducted 14 district assemblies on the Africa Region. “One of the most glorious experiences God has permitted me to enjoy is to be a part of the Africa October district assembly itinerary as a stand-in for Dr. Jesse Middendorf as he recovers from surgery,” Dr. Gunter reports regarding her first overseas assignment as General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene. “The music was spirited and the pastors’ reports focused on reaching people for Christ.”

During the 14 assemblies from October 1-23, Dr. Gunter ordained 32 men and women as elders. She also preached in a nationwide rally with 8,000 in attendance in Swaziland where hundreds responded to the altar call. While there, Dr. Gunter was asked to pray with a wife of the king who attended the rally and with whose father she had served on the General Nazarene Missions International (NMI) Council.

Dr. Gunter comments, “It was a privilege to preach in our Bible colleges in Malawi and in Johannesburg where students responded in seeking God at the altar and to give a leadership seminar to the ministry leaders of the region.”

On a personal note Dr. Gunter said, “The first woman I ordained in Africa was in the Swaziland North District where Louise Chapman, who mightily impacted my life and ministry, began her missionary service. This was noted in the service and was a moving time for the district and for me.”

Asked about the well-being of the holiness message in Africa, she said, “African Nazarenes are committed to the message of Wesleyan-Holiness. It was the theme of the services and reports. One of the pastors had walked, ridden a bus, and hitchhiked for three days to get to the assembly to be ordained. When this pastor was asked how he knows that his people are responding to the message of holiness, he replied: ‘When problems come, they don’t respond with vengeance. Instead they begin to pray and work together to find solutions.’”

Accompanying General Superintendent Gunter was her husband, D. Moody Gunter, who offered counsel to district superintendents from his own personal experience in that role.

The Gunters also witnessed the dedication of a five-story building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that will house a church, field and district offices, compassionate and literature ministries, and the Creative Learning Institute, which equips 900 people in educational ministries each quarter.

According to Dr. Gunter, “The vision of the leaders in Africa is to be missional in starting churches, developing leaders, and establishing churches. Put simply, they are working to reach the unreached.”

Dr. Gunter is Jurisdictional General Superintendent for the Asia-Pacific region. She completed this Africa tour on behalf of General Superintendent Jesse C. Middendorf, who has jurisdictional responsibility for Africa but was recuperating from surgery. Dr. Middendorf is currently in the process of returning to his schedule of responsibilities.