Forest Owens, M.A. Email & Phone Number

For the last six years I've worked in for the Church of the Nazarene in East Africa and Southeast Asia. My current position in Nairobi, Kenya, involves working in training and development of missionaries, particularly people from Africa who want to begin in cross-cultural ministries. I've worked on our mobilization team, a five-person team from four different countries who set up training events for new candidates. At these events candidates learn the basics of working and living in a cross-cultural context. We also conduct the initial interviews with those candidates. During my time on this team we have held events in Kenya, Zambia, and Cote d’Ivoire.In addition to my work with mobilization, I have worked in training for our established missionaries and local leaders. This includes sessions in cross-cultural communication, since our global context requires great care and intentionality. I’ve also worked with leaders in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda to learn how to manage conflicts in their local congregations and districts. This is all in addition to working with local leaders in Nairobi to address concerns at the local level and enable local leaders to take the lead on those issues.Before my time in Kenya, I lived in Manila, Philippines, where I worked in communications for the Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific. In that time I managed a large team from four different countries who were responsible for creating content such as promotional videos, websites, news stories, and podcasts. I worked in cooperation with our Regional Leadership Country to develop and implement strategies for the Nazarene Church throughout Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Australia/Oceania. I established a team of communications coordinators throughout the Region to give us a grassroots presence throughout Asia and Australia. While I had a team of specialists to work on these various communications projects, I took a personal hand in the conceptualizing and production of video projects, especially the interview process. In addition I developed a regional podcast.I’ve also worked for other organizations in the Church of the Nazarene, particularly in the fields of communications, missions, and local church leadership. I am an Ordained Elder in Good Standing with the Church of the Nazarene as of 2023. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 2001, and my Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management from Southern Methodist University in 2016.