Missionary Profile: Jonathan Phillips

The following missionary profile was published in Engage magazine.

Since August 2009, Jonathan Phillips has been serving as a missionary in Romania, where he develops discipleship ministries and conducts lay ministry training on the Romania District. He also teaches theological education courses for European Nazarene College.


In 2001, while a sophomore at Eastern Nazarene College (ENC), Jonathan spent a semester abroad in Sighisoara, Romania, with the Romanian Studies Program. That experience laid the foundation for him to return with Nazarenes in Volunteer Service (now Mission Corps) for a year after graduating from ENC in 2003 to work with the Sighisoara Church of the Nazarene and Veritas.

Engage: How did you first recognize God’s call to be involved in missions?

Jonathan: I grew up in the church and always enjoyed missions services. There was something refreshing about hearing the stories of what God was doing around the world. Although I felt a call to ministry as a teenager, I didn’t feel a specific call to cross-cultural ministry until spending a semester abroad in Romania in 2001.

Engage: What is your favorite aspect of what you do in your present assignment?

Jonathan: One of my favorite aspects of discipleship ministry is simply getting to know people for who they are. That means spending unhurried time with them and learning about them and where they’re coming from. As I visit the different Nazarene ministries and churches in Romania, I get to interact with a wide range of individuals – coming from different socio-economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Spending time with them helps me know how to best minister to each one amid the immense diversity.

Engage: What are some of the challenges that you face in carrying out your work?

Jonathan: Learning to say “no.” I’m the kind of person that would love to be involved in every ministry opportunity that comes my way, so I have to force myself to be realistic about my commitments. I’ve come to learn (from experience) that when I stretch myself too thin, I’m not effective in anything I’m doing. I’ve come to realize that seasons of ministry change, and often a present “no” becomes a future “yes,” as God prepares the ground for more fruitful ministry.

Another related challenge is what I call the urgent over important – when whole days that were supposed to be spent in ministry are spent instead resolving practical issues like repairing a leaky pipe or renewing a visa. This is best summed up by a Romanian saying: “We live in Romania, and this takes up all of our time.”

Engage: Please share a story of a significant event or moment that has happened in your current assignment.

Jonathan: Last year I began leading a discipleship group for men in the village of Tigmandru. The three men who attended regularly were relatively new Christians with minimal biblical knowledge and church connection. Over the course of the year, as we studied the Old Testament together, they not only added to their biblical knowledge, but also became more active in living and sharing their faith, and in their church involvement. It has been so encouraging to see them respond to God’s call upon their lives. I actually wrote an article for Engage about this ministry.

Engage: How do you maintain a close relationship with God and your family in the midst of the demands of missionary service?

Jonathan: The basis of a close relationship with God is spending time each day with Him through reading the Bible and in prayer. Another discipline which has helped me over the past few years is to have a friend who serves as my accountability partner. We check up on each other, even though we now live in different countries, making sure that we’re staying close in our relationship with God. One other way I am spiritually fed is by downloading and listening to sermon podcasts from a friend who pastors in the U.S.

I’m able to maintain close relationships with my family through the ease of the technology we have available to us today. Through email, MagicJack, and Skype, my family is just a few clicks away. My parents and I have an established time each week when we talk. It’s like I’m across town from them rather than halfway around the world.

Engage: What are the rewards of what you do?

Jonathan: By far, the most rewarding aspect of ministry in Romania is seeing Romanians grow deeper in their relationship with God and living in obedient service to Him. It’s especially rewarding to see Romanians who have grown up in nominally Christian homes begin to connect their faith to how they live their lives.

Engage: What are some aspects of the culture where you live that you have come to love or embrace?

Jonathan: I enjoy learning about Romania’s rich history, including the ethnic diversity found here in Transylvania.

Engage: What do you like to do for fun?

Jonathan: I enjoy reading and playing board games. Another interest has been researching my family genealogy and learning about our past.

Engage: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

Jonathan: I don’t like to travel. I think there’s a perception that missionaries love traveling, but I don’t. In fact, I find it to be exhausting. I enjoy reaching the destination and investing in the lives of the people in that place.

Engage: What advice would you have for others exploring a possible call to missions, or embarking on their first missionary assignment?

Jonathan: First of all, make sure your life is God-focused. Spend time with Him reading the Bible, in prayer, and practicing other spiritual disciplines. This will help you discern His leading as you explore your call to ministry.

Second, don’t underestimate the value of the period of preparation before you begin your first missionary assignment. The years spent in school and receiving training to become a professional in your field of study are an investment which will pay off as you’re able to minister more effectively with that training.

Finally, read as much as you can about what it means to live and minister in culture different from your own so you are prepared for adapting to another culture.