Veritas Celebrates 30 Years of Service to the Community

Veritas Founder Dorothy Tarrant

By Jonathan Phillips

When Professor Dorothy Tarrant moved to Sighișoara, Romania, in the summer of 1995, she did not intend to establish a social service agency. She was concerned about providing her American study-abroad students from Eastern Nazarene College with a cultural immersion experience that included learning the Romanian language and culture while living with Romanian host families.

“More importantly,” Tarrant reflected, “students learned how to put their Christian faith in practice by serving some of the most disadvantaged people in Sighișoara.”

Students began working with abandoned children in the municipal hospital, with poor kids begging on the street, and with the socially-isolated elderly. As Romanians joined the ministry team, Tarrant saw the need to legally establish an organization in order to pay salaries, purchase property, and apply for grants – leading to the creation of the Veritas Sighișoara Foundation in 2001.

On Thursday afternoon, June 18, nearly 200 friends, donors, volunteers, staff members, and beneficiaries of Veritas gathered to celebrate 30 years of dedicated service to the community.

Speaking to the crowd gathered, Veritas board president Mihai Șerengheu explained, “Behind the number 30 are the hundreds of employees, hundreds of volunteers, thousands of volunteer hours, thousands of people and lives that have been changed. It’s more than a number.”

Reunion of past & present Veritas staff members 

Over the years, Veritas has offered a wide range of services to the community – from social services combatting domestic violence, to educational services like English camp for high schoolers, to cultural events such as craft fairs and concerts, to a Gospel choir and café which served as connection points for members of the community.

Executive director Petra Popa reported that Veritas currently offers accredited social services in the areas of children and teenagers, senior adults, persons with special needs, and a soup kitchen. Veritas benefits from partnerships with the Sighișoara city hall, with the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation, as well as with individual and corporate donors and volunteers. Additionally, Veritas is a Nazarene Compassionate Ministries partner organization and a participant in the NCM Child Sponsorship program. Nazarene volunteers and teams have been instrumental in the development of Veritas through the years.

Sighișoara mayor Iulian Sîrbu,
Veritas Executive Director Petra Popa, &
Veritas Board President Mihai Șerengheu

Sighișoara mayor Iulian Sîrbu, present at the celebration, thanked Veritas for “three decades in which you have stood by children, the elderly, families in need, and all those who have needed support at some point. Your work is often unassuming, but it makes a real difference in people’s lives.”

The day’s festivities included tributes from various individuals connected to Veritas, a performance by the Gospel Choir, and a refreshment break for socializing and sharing memories. Interspersed throughout the celebration were artistic moments from each of the current Veritas programs in which children, persons with special needs, and senior adults recited poems and sang songs.

Performance by the Children

Gospel Choir

Senior adults

Reflecting on the past 30 years, Dorothy Tarrant remarked: “For me, it was a great privilege to be used by God to establish an organization that has had such an impact on so many lives.”

For more about Veritas, visit https://veritas.ro/en/ & https://www.facebook.com/VeritasSighisoara/.

Donations can be made at https://give.ncm.org/donate/134477

ENC Professor Emerita Dorothy Tarrant and Romanian Studies Program alumnus (now Romania District Superintendent) Jonathan Phillips, holding the sign that used to hang outside ENC’s Education Center (and first internet café in Sighisoara) in the early days of Veritas.

This article was also published at eurasiaregion.org, Nazarene News & NCM blog. 

Obituary for Jonathan Emerson Twining

Originally published at https://www.winfieldandsons.com/obituaries/jonathan-twining/

Jonathan Emerson Twining, 63, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2026, surrounded by his loving family after an extended illness. Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Emerson and Rita (Howells) Twining. He was the devoted husband of 37 years to Julia (Elsen) Twining.

Besides his wife, Jonathan is survived by his beloved son, Jonathan J. Twining; and many cherished aunts, uncles and cousins. He also leaves behind countless friends, colleagues, former students, and members of the many church communities he faithfully served throughout his life.

Jon dedicated his career to higher education as a college professor, sharing his passion for caring for God's creation with his students. He touched the lives of many young people over the years, inspiring them through his knowledge, compassion, and unwavering commitment to teaching them about caring for the environment. One of his favorite outdoor classrooms were vernal pools. He also took his students to Hawaii and Costa Rica, introducing them to the diverse ecosystems of each area. He was also involved in frog bioacoustics research in Costa Rica, with his close friend and colleague, Professor John Cossel, PhD. His influence extended far beyond the classroom, leaving a lasting legacy in the hearts and minds of those he mentored.

Jon made yearly mission trips to Sighisoara, Romania, between 1997-2003, with his wife Julie. The focus of these trips was to educate the local youth and residents about how to care for their environment and the importance of environmental stewardship. He took ENC students with him on several of these trip where they helped with the education. He touched the lives of many during these trips, while making lasting friendships.

A gifted musician, Jon found great joy in worship through music. He played guitar and sang with the worship teams of several churches over the years, using his talents to glorify God and encourage others in their faith.

Jon was also an enthusiastic nature photographer, his favorite subjects were sunrise/sunset at the beach and lakes.

During the last few years, Jon was actively involved in Virtual Eco missions. He helped to support the Upendo Conservation Area, focused on restoration and preservation of a protected area and the Snake Community Action Network (SCAN), focused on snakebite prevention, both located in Kenya.

Jon will be remembered for his deep faith in Jesus, kind spirit, dedication to his family, and the positive impact he made on so many lives. He will be greatly missed by his wife, son, extended family, friends, colleagues, and students.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Tufts Medical Center for the exceptional care and compassion Jon received throughout the past 18 months.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 1p at Hope Church, 1114 Scituate Avenue, Cranston, RI.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to https://givebutter.com/jonathan-emerson-twining-memorial-fund-lpdj37 in Jon’s memory, to help support and continue the Virtual Eco Missions work in Kenya.

The Church of the Nazarene in Romania

A Brief History

Following the fall of communism in Romania in December 1989, members of the Church of the Nazarene in many parts of the world were prayerfully looking for opportunities to respond to the needs of Romanian Christians who had faced persecution just a few years earlier. In the autumn of 1991, leaders of the Romanian Evangelical Alliance participated in a Nazarene Compassionate Ministries conference in Germany. They were impressed with how the Church of the Nazarene balances the holiness message and compassionate ministries. As a result of this meeting, the Evangelical Alliance invited the Church of the Nazarene to join them in carrying out new initiatives in Romania.

In 1992, Nazarene missionaries Jon and Margaret Scott arrived to begin the work of the Church of the Nazarene in Romania. In that same year, the Evangelical Christian Organization for Aid and Development “Nazarineanul” (abbreviated as OCEAD Nazarineanul) was established with the help of the Evangelical Alliance. Throughout the 1990s, hundreds of Nazarenes – missionaries, volunteers, mission teams, and groups of university students – came to Romania to work alongside members from many Evangelical churches in Romania in a wide variety of ministries. In Bucharest, compassionate ministries focused on the isolated elderly at the geriatric hospital and the abandoned children in the orphanages. Nazarenes from the USA, UK, Germany, and the Netherlands began to send shipments of material aid that were distributed to individuals and institutions in different parts of the country still recovering from communism.

Alongside compassionate ministries, OCEAD Nazarineanul offered regular educational courses in theology, computers, and business through partnerships with universities in the USA, Germany, and Romania. These compassionate and educational ministries, alongside evangelistic and church-planting efforts, gave the Nazarene team many opportunities to share the Gospel in practical ways. This resulted in new believers being discipled, growing in their faith, and being equipped for ministry. The first Nazarene congregation in Romania was established in Bucharest in 1993 with Jon Scott as pastor.

Nazarene missionaries in Bucharest faced a challenge shared with missionaries from other denominations – providing quality English-language education for their own children. In 1993, Margaret Scott joined with other missionary families to establish a homeschooling co-op. What began in a single classroom hosted in the Nazarene ministry center has since grown into Bucharest Christian Academy, an accredited international Christian school in Bucharest for children in preschool through grade 12.

Beginning in January 1992, Eastern Nazarene College (ENC), located near Boston USA, sent several short-term groups of students to Romania. In the fall of 1993, the college established a program under the direction of Professor Dorothy Tarrant that gave students the opportunity to study in Romania for an entire semester while also volunteering in the compassionate ministries in Bucharest. In the summer of 1995, ENC’s program moved to Sighisoara where the Church of the Nazarene was preparing to launch a new ministry.

In Sighisoara, ENC students began compassionate ministries focused on poor street children, abandoned children at the orphanage, and the isolated elderly. The actions of the ENC students and the collaboration with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries led to the establishment of the Veritas Sighisoara Foundation in 2001, with Dorothy Tarrant as its first director. Professional Romanian staff – Christians from Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches – continued the work begun by ENC students. In the following years, Veritas began offering accredited social services for children, teenagers, special needs adults, and the elderly, along with a campaign against domestic violence. Additionally, through its educational services, community activities, and café in the historic citadel, Veritas expanded its presence and influence in the town as an ecumenical Christian organization. Since 2006, Veritas has been recognized as a Nazarene Child Development Center and maintains a partnership with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries.

As Veritas was forming, so was the Sighisoara Church of the Nazarene. The American students met each week for a Bible study that they invited their Romanian friends to attend. Young people were attracted to the church through the various youth activities like coffee house and ecology club. In time, the parents of several teenagers also began to attend the church services. Many of the elderly ministered to by the weekday Elderly Club also joined the church. Soon, an inter-generational congregation was being formed. Nazarene missionary Roberta Bustin served as pastor until Relu Cristurean became the church’s first Romanian pastor in 2012.

In the spring of 2002, a new Nazarene ministry began in Tigmandru, a village near Sighisoara with a mixed Romanian, Hungarian, and Roma population, many of whom were living in poverty. Roberta Bustin worked closely with Magda Cini, a member of the Sighisoara church who was originally from Tigmandru. In addition to establishing a local congregation, they sought to improve the quality of life in the village by intentionally ministering to the whole person. A child development center was established to care for the holistic needs of children. The church has offered instruction to the adults in the village on topics including literacy, health, nutrition, parenting, and other practical skills. The desire to provide vocational training in sewing and carpentry workshops resulted in the establishment of Ateliere Nazarineanului (Nazarene Workshops) in 2012. In 2013, Magda Cini officially became the church’s pastor.

In the fall of 2002, a group of Romanian church members from the Bucharest Central Church of the Nazarene planted a new church in a different section of the capital city. From the very beginning, the Blessing Church of the Nazarene has been led by Romanians. Cristian Boseff has pastored the church since 2005. After a few years, the remaining members of the Central Church joined the Blessing Church to form a single reunited church in Bucharest, spanning multiple generations. Over the years, the Blessing Church has prioritized worship, prayer, and Bible study while continuing to emphasize compassionate ministries in an urban context.

In 2013, under the leadership of Monica Boseff, a member of the Blessing Church of the Nazarene in Bucharest, the Open Door Foundation opened a ministry for survivors of human trafficking that includes a residential shelter, counseling, and judicial assistance. From the beginning, the Blessing Church has provided the spiritual component of the holistic care for these survivors. Church members intentionally integrate the survivors into the life of the church by developing caring relationships and inviting them to begin new lives in Christ. Open Door Foundation maintains a partnership with the Church of the Nazarene in Romania as well as with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries international.

On several occasions over the years, Nazarenes have led adult Bible studies, children’s and youth activities, compassionate ministries and other initiatives in several towns and villages in different parts of the country. Our long-term goal is to plant new churches that will holistically impact their communities.

In 2022, after completing the necessary studies and other requirements, the largest group of Romanian ministers was ordained, marking significant progress in the development of the Church of the Nazarene in Romania from missionary leadership to Romanian leadership.

The Church of the Nazarene in Romania Today

Today, there are active congregations of the Church of the Nazarene in Bucharest, Sighisoara, and Tigmandru that make up the Romania District. In addition to the activities of these local churches, Nazarene activity in Romania also includes translating and publishing literature as well as partnering with European Nazarene College to offer theological education courses in the Romanian language. A key component of our work remains offering compassionate ministries, which includes long-term programs such as Child Development Centers, short-term emergency initiatives such as responding to the 2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis, and ongoing partnerships with the Veritas Sighișoara and Open Door Foundations.

The Church of the Nazarene occupies a unique place among the churches in Romania. Although we are not one of this nation’s predominant historic churches, we share much in common with our Christian brothers and sisters from these traditions – the ancient Christian creeds and councils with the Orthodox Church, a common history of Western Christianity with Catholic and Protestant churches, and the marks of the Protestant Reformation with the Reformed and Lutheran churches. Additionally, we share many practices and beliefs with other Evangelical and Neo-Protestant churches, such as our forms of worship, an emphasis on evangelism and discipleship, and a saving, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Along with the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, we emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Due to this shared foundation of the Christian faith that we hold in common, we value establishing partnerships with Christians from various churches.

With these shared traits identified, it is also important to note how we are distinct from the established churches in Romania and how our theological heritage has shaped our identity as a denomination. The Church of the Nazarene is part of the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. John Wesley was a priest in the Anglican Church who lived in the 18th century. He followed Arminian theology, taught holiness (Christian perfection), and emphasized compassion to the poor. From a theological perspective, we are closest to the churches and organizations of the Wesleyan tradition, such as the United Methodist Church and the Salvation Army. We also share key aspects of our theology with the Orthodox Church that they do not hold in common with Protestant churches from Reformed or Calvinistic theological traditions.

The Church of the Nazarene in Romania is closely interconnected with the international Church of the Nazarene. We share doctrines, form of government, and leadership with Nazarenes around the world. The Romania District of the Church of the Nazarene is part of the Central Europe Field in the Eurasia Region.

About the name “Nazarene”

Nazareth was the small town in Galilee where Jesus lived. When Philip was first told about Jesus, he asked, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46) Jesus and the early Christians were often associated with Nazareth as a mark of derision. Pilate ordered that a sign for Jesus' cross should say "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (John 19:19). In Acts 24:5, the apostle Paul was accused of being “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Given this, our denominational leaders decided to choose this name to identify themselves with ministering to the marginalized. Therefore, we are called to follow the example of Jesus the Nazarene in serving the poor and marginalized of the world.

In order to avoid any confusion, it is important to note that the Church of the Nazarene and OCEAD Nazareneanul are not related to the Nazarene Religious Association, founded in 1990, based in Arad, Romania (with roots that go back to an Anabaptist movement founded in Switzerland by Samuel Fröhlich and promoted in Hungary and Transylvania by Lajos Hencsey in the 19th century), nor to the Nazirite oath described in the Old Testament.

The Impact of the Church of the Nazarene in Romania

After more than 30 years, it is hard to calculate the impact of the Church of the Nazarene in Romania. Through the ministry of the local churches, whole families – often spanning multiple generations – have been transformed. Children have been instructed through kids’ clubs and Sunday schools. Teenagers have discovered their identity in Christ in youth groups and summer camps. Adults have been prepared for Christian ministry. Through compassionate ministries, Nazarenes have brought the love of Christ to abandoned children in the orphanages and to the elderly in the geriatric hospital. Clubs for the Elderly and Special Needs adults have provided a renewed sense of value and dignity as beloved people created in God’s image. Marginalized children have received hot meals at a Child Development Center, women and children have found shelter from domestic violence and human trafficking, Ukrainians were offered refuge in Romania as they fled the war in their country, and unskilled laborers have learned job skills. Christians from other churches – Evangelical and Orthodox alike – have grown deeper in their faith as a result of the ministry and devotion to biblical study of Nazarenes. Through educational courses in English, computers, business, and theology, Nazarenes have equipped Romanians for their future, many of whom are now living and serving in different countries around the world. Students from countries around the world have received a primary and secondary Christian education at a school begun by a Nazarene missionary. The lives of American college students who came to study and serve in Romania were often transformed by their experiences in ways that shaped their career choices.

The Church of the Nazarene in Romania may be small in size, but God has used us for advancing His Kingdom in countless ways. We look forward to continuing this legacy into the future.

A Conversation with Dorothy Tarrant and Lora Wooster

Dorothy Tarrant and Lora Wooster reflect on the lasting impact of the Romanian Studies Program, established by Eastern Nazarene College.

This video was recorded for alumni and friends of the program gathered at ENC's Legacy Celebration in October 2024.

ENC's Romanian Studies Program - Archive Videos

Celebrating the legacy of Eastern Nazarene College in Romania. Here are promo videos made in the 1990s (transferred from VHS tape) about the Romanian Studies Program.

Jan Hockensmith Laun – Veritas Friend for 27 Years

Republished from Veritas View, December 2023

We mourn the death of Jan Hockensmith Laun, who passed away on October 8, 2023 after suffering from cancer for a short time. Her last visit to Sighisoara was in May of this year. 

Jan was a professor of Social Work at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois. She first came to Romania in 1996 with a group of university professors to learn about the Romanian Studies Program (RSP). She quickly became a fan of RSP and was very active in encouraging Olivet students to spend a semester in Romania.

Each year in May Jan also accompanied a group of students for a three-week Romanian experience. Without a doubt Jan brought more American students to Sighisoara than any other person. Working alongside our Romanian staff, these students contributed so much to Veritas for many years through their fresh ideas, energy, compassion, and financial support. 

Jan loved Romania, Sighisoara, Veritas .... and even after retiring, she still came almost every year, offering devotions, activities for elderly and special needs clubs, and helping out wherever needed. Jan was very generous. She always traveled to Romania with two huge suitcases full of gifts for staff and materials for programs. 

Nine years ago, Jan married George Laun, a widower, and a very practical man. He gladly came with Jan to Romania and helped Ghita with all sorts of projects and repairs at Veritas. George was in total agreement with Jan's generosity, and her financial support for the Veritas Foundation. When Jan died, George suggested that her friends make donations to Veritas. Faith, kindness, faithfulness, generosity, and perseverance are traits that Jan has modeled for us. Let us thank God for her, and others who have been an example to us. May God give us the grace to finish the race well, as she did.

We want to organize “Jan’s Camp,” a summer camp for 100 children that will include art, music, sports and cooking. The cost for the camp will be $4,500. Your donations will help make this camp possible. All donations are tax deductible. Online donations can be made at https://give.ncm.org/donate/134477. 

Janice Hockensmith Laun (1947-2023)

Reposted from https://www.clancygernon.com/obituaries/Janice-Laun 

Janice Hockensmith Laun, 76, of Bourbonnais, passed away on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at home, on hospice care, and surrounded by family and friends. She passed from this life to eternal life after a 3-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born on May 23, 1947, to Duane and Mavis (Miller) Hockensmith of Terre Haute, Indiana. She grew up in Union City and lived there until she attended Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. She continued to live in Bourbonnais until her death. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Greg Hockensmith. Her sister Jane (Jeff) Hockensmith-Reich survives. Jan’s beloved dog, Katie, survives. Jan married George Laun in 2014 and he survives. She is also survived by his children Paula (Brent) Johnson, Wendy (Jeremy) Goodrum, and David (April) Laun; 6 step-grandchildren, and 2 step-great grandchildren.

Jan graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1974 and began her career as a social worker at the Kankakee County Training Center for the Disabled in Kankakee, where she worked from 1974 -1977. She received a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Illinois in 1982. An additional degree of Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling was earned in 1996 from The University of Illinois. She worked as the Director of Medical Social Work at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee for 16 years and then was employed as Associate Professor of Social Work at Olivet Nazarene University until her retirement in 2013. In her tenure as a professor, Jan was instrumental in the securing of accreditation for the Social Work program at the university from the Council on Social Work Education.

Jan received many awards during her life, and a few are listed here: NASW Calumet District Social Worker of the year 2000; Harbor House Amethyst Award in Recognition of Ending Domestic Violence 2005; Social Work Professor of the year 2009 (awarded by social work students); and the NASW Illinois East Central District, Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.

One of Jan’s major interests was in missions. From 1996 – 2013, she had taken over 230 university students to Sighisoara, Romania, in connection with Romanian Studies, a course she developed at Olivet Nazarene University. She remained committed to missions and continued to travel yearly to Romania after retirement. As an active member of the Missions Council at College Church of the Nazarene, she participated in multiple Work and Witness mission trips to Mexico, Greece, and England as well as volunteering for multiple areas of need in the Kankakee community and in her church. She was a member of College Church of the Nazarene for 41 years.

Jan was a loyal friend to many people. In fact, many people would say that she was the friend that they could always count on. Jan loved to cook and entertain people in her home and on her back deck. One of her favorite activities was shopping, even if she didn’t buy anything. She had excellent taste in decorating her home and in choosing clothes to wear. People often called her “a classy lady.” She will be greatly missed by many, many people.

There will be a visitation at College Church of the Nazarene, 200 University Avenue, in Bourbonnais from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Friday, October 13, 2023. The funeral service will begin at 6:00 PM. Burial will be on Saturday, October 14, 2023, in Union City, Indiana. Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home of Bourbonnais is in charge of services.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to College Church of the Nazarene University Avenue for delivery to Veritas of Romania.

Video: 30 Years of Nazarene Ministry in Romania

ENC's 2022 Lifetime Service Award

Eastern Nazarene College has announced that Dorothy Tarrant, professor emerita and honorary alumna, will be the recipient of this year's Lifetime Service Award. She and other award recipients will be honored at ENC's 2022 reENCcounter Homecoming Celebration Dinner on Friday, October 14.

October 1, 2022 Update:

Lifetime Service Awards are awarded to alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago and have evidenced a lifelong commitment to God and Alma Mater through service to Christ and the Kingdom while embodying the ENC Ideal.

Dorothy Tarrant has always had a passion for serving, using her capacity to teach language. Whether it be her first job out of college working at the European Nazarene Bible College as an office manager or her 30 years as faculty at Eastern Nazarene College teaching modern languages.

In her years at ENC, she wore many hats, serving as an advisor to international students, helping form what would become the Brickley Center at ENC, providing counseling to students, and teaching ESL students. In 1993, she traveled to Romania to start the Romanian Studies Program.

This was initially a pilot program to give students and faculty the experience of teaching abroad in impoverished areas. Due to her love for teaching and her passion for education, she ended up staying in Romania for the next 23 years.

During her time in Romania, she also started the Veritas Sighisoara, an ecumenical Christian organization providing educational and social services to bring about positive change in the lives of people in Sighisoara. Because of her years of dedicated volunteer service, she was honored by the Queen of England in January 2022, receiving the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a British honor of chivalry rewarding contributions to the arts, sciences, charitable work, and public service outside of civil service.

Video of ENC's Alumni Awards Celebration, October 14, 2022:

Veritas Board President Announces Retirement

Sheri Hartzler (with her husband Jay) came to Veritas for the first time in 2013 to spend one year. Nine years later, after living in Sighisoara nine months of most of these years, they are retiring and returning home to Virginia in June. Now in their early 70s, Sheri and Jay say they have been privileged to live and work in the Sighisoara and Tigmandru communities during the first years of their retirement. 

At Veritas Sheri was involved in a myriad of activities: writing newsletters, emails and Facebook posts; managing the Veritas website; organizing clothing donations and distribution; organizing schedules for visiting work teams; working closely with Petra and the Leadership Team in making decisions for the Foundation and serving as President of the Veritas board for the past three years. 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24) Petra Popa says this verse came to mind as she thought about Sheri's time at Veritas over the years. 

She commented, “Sheri was a great example of serving others in many different ways: teaching, carrying boxes, singing, encouraging people, preparing special devotional and celebration times, organizing cabinets, rooms, and even buildings, offering professional advice, being the engine for any action, and coming up with more than one solution for any problem. For all of these, I am so grateful. I feel privileged to have a friend like Sheri and a coworker in building God’s kingdom.” 

Sheri recalled, “I've received more than I've given during my time here in Romania and will always treasure the friendships and memories I have made.”

With Sheri's retirement, Jonathan Phillips has been elected as the new Veritas Board Chair. Jonathan has been involved in Romanian culture since his early days as a student in the Romanian Studies Program in 2001. He is a district superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene in Romania, fluent in Romanian and enthusiastic about serving the community in his new position.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 edition of the "Veritas View" newsletter, available at this link.

Dorothy Tarrant honored by British Government

Dorothy Tarrant, founder of Veritas, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for her work developing the Veritas Foundation and the Romanian Studies Program. The MBE is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community which has had a long-term, significant impact.

In 1993 Lynn Powers, an experienced social worker, came to Romania to help supervise students in the Romanian Studies Program (RSP) who were caring for toddlers in Bucharest’s Orphanage Number 1. During her time here Lynn was moved to begin the lengthy procedures for adopting a little boy from the orphanage. She named him Joshua. Now a grown man, Josh wanted to recognize Dorothy’s work because of the huge influence it had on his life. In 2018 he asked others to join him in writing letters of recommendation and he sent these to the British government.

Four years later, Dorothy received a letter saying she was selected to receive this honor. At some point Dorothy will be invited to one of the royal palaces to receive her MBE Medal from either Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles or another member of the royal family. 

Congratulations, Dorothy! We are grateful for the vision and the work that went into creating RSP and the Veritas Foundation. Hundreds of students have been impacted by the Romanian Studies Program, and Veritas continues the work that Dorothy began. Her actions created a legacy that inspired others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. Thank you!

This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 edition of the "Veritas View" newsletter, available at this link.

There and back again with “Prof” Ed Mann

On his legacy of service learning in Romania
Memorial Service | Jan 2022

By Andrea (Scott) Popa

In January 1992 — 30 years ago this month and just 24 months after the revolution and political uprising against dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu — a clean-shaven college math professor by the name of Dr. Edward Mann took 7 college students, including me at age 19 and Melissa Greer (now Mann), on what would be an epic service learning trip to Nicorești and Sasca Mică, Romania.

This was not your typical study abroad experience to visit museums and cultural attractions, and dine on epicurean delights in world cities. This journey was much more like a great Tolkien adventure, an impossible quest to unknown worlds.

The idea for this trip was student-proposed, but we needed a faculty lead for the trip to be approved for academic credit. When asked if he would be interested in teaching the travel course, Prof Mann responded with an immediate, “Yes” - even before checking in at home!

So it was that, under the auspices of the Cambridge-based Free Romania Foundation, and approved for Cultural Anthropology credit through Eastern Nazarene College, we spent three weeks engaged in humanitarian service at two homes for “irrecuperable” children in rural villages.

The work in the children’s home — known as the “spital” (or hospital) — was difficult. Conditions were wretched, cold and dirty, with few supplies and minimally-trained personnel. The children were under-fed, under-stimulated, and suffered from a variety of serious physical disabilities and mental conditions that we were in no way equipped to handle. We struggled with the fact that our three-week stint was unlikely to produce necessary long-term changes to the system of care.

“Prof” as we called him was the perfect guide for our band of wayward pilgrims. With no prior experience in Eastern Europe, and no real knowledge of what we were walking into, he journeyed along with us.

Instead of trying to curate, interpret or sanitize the experience we were having, he recognized that this time in this place would be a catalyst for learning and growth, and that we would walk through moments of honesty like few others we would encounter in our college studies or our lives.

Prof held open the portal for us, allowing us to grapple with frustrations and feelings of inadequacy, and look our doubt squarely in the eyes. He created and held space for our own self-reflection.

He was a consummate educator. His eyes danced when we hit on moments of cosmic connection and clarity. With a raised eyebrow, cocked head, pointed finger and knowing look he would respond, “I understand” often followed by his own story or witty analogy.

Prof looked the part of a wise not-so-very old wizard. On one weekend trip to a local market, we all purchased those rabbit skin hats with the side flaps that were ubiquitous in Easten Europe in the early 90’s. Mine was white. Another was black. Prof’s, fittingly, was a large salt-and-pepper gray hat that, along with his tall stature and his Romania-grown beard, cemented his look as our own Gandalf the Grey.

On another Sunday during our trip, we traveled to an Orthodox monastery in the neighboring village of Buciumeni. The domed church ceiling was covered in colored icons depicting the life of Christ and the saints. The air was thick with the incense, waxed candles, and the must and smoke smell that permeated all things in rural Romania. We stayed into the afternoon, sharing a meal that included pork piftie (aspic), mamaliga (polenta), bread and wine.

On the monastery grounds, villagers in wool coats and rabbit-skinned hats had lined up their cars for a New Year's blessing. After the service, the priest blessed each car, along with each person and animal in sight - using basil sprigs to douse each object with holy water as he made the sign of the cross.

As someone who has now made my spiritual home in the Orthodox Church for the past 20+ years, I recognize this blessing of the waters as something that happens during Epiphany — the “winter pascha” — in early January each year.

The Feast of Epiphany, celebrates that lightbulb or “aha” moment when God is revealed to us in everyday things. In his humanity, Jesus did not become the Christ when he was baptized by John in the waters of the River Jordan but was revealed to us in his divine nature. So too, there is nothing magical that takes place for water to become holy, but it is our eyes that are opened to see God in all things around us as we participate in and acknowledge the sacred in the current space and the present moment.

While Prof mentored our growth, he also allowed himself to be changed by his time in Romania. In the years following he carried with him some of that epiphany spark. He read extensively from Romanian philosophers and theologians - including Father Dumitru Stăniloae, and appreciated the mystery, hospitality, and grace espoused by the Eastern church.

…


Our epic three-week trip to Nicorești and Sasca Mică was the start of several future ventures and Prof Mann’s legacy of service continued in the years that followed.

Our group was the first Nazarene-affiliated group to travel to post-Communist Romania.

In the spring of 1992, Prof returned to Romania along with my father Jon Scott preparing for the Church of the Nazarene to open in Romania that August. Over the coming decade, over 800 volunteers would travel to Romania with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to work in humanitarian and educational service in Bucharest, Sighisoara and other cities. Among the volunteers were Prof Mann’s brother Merritt and his nephew Doug Mann, who served there as a Nazarene missionary from 1998-2003.

In Fall 1993, in part due to Prof’s advocacy, Eastern Nazarene College ran a pilot semester which became the Romanian Studies Program. Under the leadership of ENC Professor Dorothy Tarrant, the RSP continued for 25 years, involving over 500 students from more than 21 different colleges. Prof Mann himself - in his beard and rabbit hat - led subsequent student trips in January 1993 and January 1995.

Back home in the shire in Quincy, MA, Prof and Carol championed the study program and service trips to Romania, encouraging reluctant travelers to take the leap and mentoring Romania program returnees, helping us process and debrief from what we had seen and experienced.

…

As we gather today to celebrate the life and legacy of Prof Ed Mann, I would challenge you to say “yes” when an opportunity for great adventure comes your way. And I would urge you to open yourself to “aha” moments where the sacred is revealed to us — in the person before you, in your current situation, and in the present moment.

It is these moments of epiphany that would make Prof’s eyes sparkle as he remarked, “I understand,” followed, of course, by a tale of his own.

Edward Mann (1933-2021)

Published at https://keohane.com/services/edward-f-mann

MEMORIAL SERVICE: 

Sunday, January 16, 2022 1 PM
Marsh Chapel at Boston University
735 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA

Edward Floyd Mann of Weymouth, Massachusetts passed away peacefully due to natural causes on June 18, 2021.

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Edward Stebbins Mann and Cora Herrshaft Mann on September 29, 1933. Edward graduated from North Quincy High School and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Nazarene College and a Master’s degree from Boston College; both in Mathematics. He married Carol May Hobson from Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1961 and remained her devoted husband for 57 years until her death in 2018.

January 1992: First ENC Group to Romania

Edward began his career teaching Mathematics at Hanover High School and then worked in academic computing at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Carnegie-Mellon University. Inspired by the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he devoted the next 29 years of his career to the cause of Christian higher education. He served as a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science and in a variety of administrative positions at Mid-America Nazarene College in Olathe, Kansas; Mt. Vernon Nazarene College in Mt. Vernon, Ohio; and Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts. “Prof Mann” was passionate about social-justice and learning through direct service. While at Eastern Nazarene College, he helped establish their study abroad program, in which students volunteered in Romania orphanages and nursing homes while completing their course work. His door was open to all students and colleagues. His tremendous empathy guaranteed a response of “I understand” and heartfelt spiritual advice.

Romanian Studies Program Students: January 1995 

Ed had a beautiful baritone voice. In college, he sang in several gospel quartets, including with his three brothers. He regularly sang in church and community choirs well into his 80s performing in works by Bach, Mendelssohn, and Handel. In his retirement, he was a devoted grandfather to his five grandchildren; eager to pass on his love of nature, Boston sports teams, and British humor. He also remained academically active, working for the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.

He is survived by his son David Mann and his wife Ruthanne Smith-Mann of Weymouth, Massachusetts; his daughter Laurie Strenge-Mann and her husband David Karl Strenge of Marshfield, Massachusetts; his brothers, Merritt Mann of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Richard Mann of Quincy, Massachusetts, and Robert Mann of Mansfield, Texas; his step-brothers and sister Gordon Angell of New London, Connecticut, Gary Angell of Sonoma, California, and Kathy Angell of Quincy, Massachusetts; and his grandchildren, Margaret Mann, Isaac Mann, Garrit Strenge, Annelore Strenge, and Katharina Strenge and Beate Luethje of Korschenbroich, Germany who joined the family as an exchange student in 1981.

A memorial service in honor will be held on Sunday, January 16 at 1pm at Marsh Chapel on the campus of Boston University.

The address is: 735 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA.

2018 Romanian Studies Program Reunion

More detailed directions are here: https://www.bu.edu/chapel/about/directions/

Important notes associated with COVID:
Please understand that there is possibility that this service could be canceled by Boston University! The COVID numbers in Massachusetts are rising and this service will be subject to the rules of the university, which could change at any time. We will send out an update if there are any changes.
Per policy at Marsh Chapel and Boston University: MASKS AND FULL VACCINATIONS ARE REQUIRED.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Eastern Nazarene College George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund. To give by check, please make your check out to Eastern Nazarene College with George Floyd Memorial Scholarship in the memo line and send to 23 E Elm Avenue, Quincy, MA 02170.

The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the nurses, aides and staff of Pope Nursing Home in Weymouth, Massachusetts, who loved and cared for our father as their own “Poppa”. We are eternally grateful for the grace and dignity you bestowed upon our father, and for your heroism during the COVID crisis.

“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” – John 13:17

Video: Romanian Studies Program

This video was created by Joseph Walls, a film production major from Huntington University (Indiana) who spent his January term 2018 with the Romanian Studies Program. The video focuses on the experiences of his classmate Rebekah Rose, a social work major who spent her time working with children at the Veritas kindergarten and at the Tigmandru Church of the Nazarene's after-school program.

For more information about the Romanian Studies Program, visit RomanianStudiesProgram.org.



RSP - Bekah's Story from Casey Bloom on Vimeo.

A Time to Celebrate!

By Petra Popa, Executive Director of Veritas Sighisoara

On Friday, September 14, sixty friends of Veritas (including past and present staff) gathered in a private garden in the citadel in Sighisoara, to surprise Dorothy Tarrant with a 25-year anniversary celebration. Dorothy came to Romania in 1993 to establish the Romanian Studies Program (RSP). The program began in Bucharest and in 1995 moved to Sighisoara.

The RSP (initially a program of Eastern Nazarene College) has provided more than 500 American students with the opportunity to spend a semester, summer or January term in Romania. They live with a Romanian family, study the language and culture, and serve disadvantaged people in the community. Professor Tarrant's strategy was to find local Romanian Christians willing to work alongside her students, caring for abandoned infants in the town hospital, providing a safe place to learn and play for children found begging on the streets, and visiting isolated elderly.

Groups of students came and went. Some of their Romanian translators went to university and earned degrees in social work, psychology, education, etc. Programs continued to develop and grow for children, teens and elderly and were soon being run by Romanians, with student assistance. Dorothy began to sense the need of a non-profit organization in order to be able to pay salaries and taxes, buy property, write grants and solicit funds.

In 2001 Veritas was legally registered as a Romanian NGO, with Dorothy as the Executive Director and President of a local Board of Directors. The name Veritas, a Latin word meaning truth, was chosen to identify the NGO as a group of people seeking to live as disciples of Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Dorothy wearing the
traditional Romanian
 blouse given to her
by Veritas staff

Dorothy says of the past 25 years: "When I agreed to accompany the first group of students to Romania in 1993, I had no idea that God's plan would be for me to live such a significant part of my life in Romania. It has been a privilege to see Veritas mature into the organization it is today, bringing help and hope to so many."

I, Petra, have been the Executive Director for the past eight years, and we now have 18 staff employed at Veritas. Two hundred forty clients attend our programs each week and 120 meals are served at noon Monday through Thursday and 50 on Friday.

What will the next 25 years look like? Times are changing, and the needs within the Sighisoara community are changing, too. Veritas staff are tackling these questions as they look to the future of Veritas.

Adapted from the Veritas e-Newsletter, October 2, 2018

RSP Students

Originally published in Veritas View newsletter, Fall 2017

Two students from America are in Sighisoara for the Romanian Studies Program (RSP) this semester. They arrived in mid-September and will leave mid-December. Carly Catalanello from Cedarville University, Ohio is working with the special needs program at Veritas. Janelle Roby, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, Ohio is working with the It Takes Courage programs. Both girls are leading story and craft time with the youngest children at a Kids’ Club which meets twice weekly in the village of Tigmandru. They are pictured here with Casey Bloom (on right), on-site coordinator for RSP.

Meet Casey Bloom

Casey serves as a missionary with the Church of the Nazarene in Sighisoara, Romania. Growing up in the Nazarene church, Casey was exposed to the missions mindset at an early age. She graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Social Work, and then went on to receive her Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011. Casey worked for 2.5 years as a School Social Worker in a rural area near her hometown. Then, after serving as a teen camp counselor for two summers in a row, Casey knew God was calling her to missions.

In March 2015, Casey came to Romania for the first time. She spent 4.5 months serving the Romanian and Roma people in Sighisoara. The majority of the time, Casey worked with the Kids’ Club program at Veritas, a local non-governmental organization that serves the community of Sighisoara through social and educational programs. Casey spent six weeks back in the States at the end of the summer, and returned to Sighisoara in September 2015.

Since September, Casey has continued to work in the Kids’ Club, taking on more of a leadership role as two new social workers joined the program in the fall. Casey also co-leads an educational program for teens called It Takes Courage, which focuses on building strong character. Additionally, Casey supervises social work students who come to Sighisoara through the Romanian Studies Program to do a social work practicum. Casey attends the local Nazarene church, and hopes to help establish a children’s ministry in the near future.

In March 2016, Casey, along with Dorothy Tarrant, spent a little over one month serving the refugees in Croatia and Serbia. Along with serving tea and soup in a refugee camp, Casey built relationships with a number of the refugees. She spent a lot of time playing with the children as well. Serving the refugees is something that Casey has a passion for, and hopes to be able to do again in the not-so-distant future.

Please keep Casey and her work in Romania in your prayers.

To stay connected, check out Casey’s blog: www.herlifeinbloom.com

Reposted from Nazarene Missionary Profiles.

Romanian Studies Program

Originally published in Veritas View newsletter, Spring 2017

Four American university students spent this past semester in Sighișoara. Along with assisting in Veritas programs: kids, special needs, and elderly clubs, one student helped at Crown Ministries, a foster care agency in Sighișoara, and two others assisted in the kids’ and teen programs at the Tigmandru Nazarene Center. The students were Lara Hoaglan (Olivet Nazarene Univ., Ill.), Madison McRill (Asbury College, Ky.), Ashley Shingleton and Amber Friscia (Malone University, Ohio). Casey Bloom, now in her second year in Sighișoara, is the RSP On-Site Coordinator.

In May, Elizabeth Patterson Roe (faculty at Malone University) brought a group of five students for a three-week May term and in September another group of RSP students will be coming to Veritas for a semester. We are grateful for the students’ energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn the language and culture and assist in the Veritas programs in a variety of ways.

District Assembly Highlights

The annual Romania District Assembly was held Saturday, November 19, 2011, in at the Țigmandru Church of the Nazarene. If you think a district assembly is just about listening to reports and voting for church officers, then you really should have attended this district assembly. Yes, we had our share of official business, but the entire assembly was a celebration of what God has done this past year and what He is leading us to do as a district in the coming year. It was indeed a very special day for all involved.

One of the most important changes at district assembly was installing Rev. Tamara Hudson, Nazarene missionary serving Romania, as the new district superintendent. Jay Sunberg, who serves as field strategy coordinator of the Central Europe field has also been filling the role of Romania district superintendent for the past 3 years. Tamara, her husband Michael, and their 3 daughters live in Bucharest. (Photo: Jay Sunberg, left, prays for Tamara, center, and Michael, right)

Another highlight of the assembly was that Antonie Holleman, dean of European Nazarene College, presented Cristi Boseff and Dan Cristea (pictured right), both district licensed ministers in Romania, with the Certificate of Spiritual Formation. This marks that these two men have reached the final level of their studies in theological education in preparation for ordination in the Church of the Nazarene.

Before the assembly began, Antonie met with all EuNC students in Romania to explain changes taking place at EuNC – most notably the absence of campus students in Buesingen (read more here). With all EuNC learning now happening in learning centers throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union, the administration can take more time to develop consistent quality education for students in these learning centers.

One very special moment during the assembly was a surprise tribute to Dorothy Tarrant, complete with a special slide show and a cake. Tarrant has served full-time in Romania since 1994 as a Nazarene tentmaker missionary, teaching semester-abroad American students in the Romanian Studies Program and as the founding director of Veritas, the NCM partner organization in Sighisoara. Tarrant, ENC professor emerita, plans in the near future to take the next step of her retirement by returning to Scotland to be close to family.


As we enter a new church year, please pray with us for the development of the Church of the Nazarene in Romania: following:

• For the local churches in Bucharest, Sighisoara, and Tigmandru.
• For planting new churches in the near future.
• For development of discipleship ministries and lay training
• For ongoing development of theological education through EuNC in Romania
• For Veritas, the NCM center in Sighisoara.

Dorothy Tarrant Honored for Community Service

On Monday evening, September 27, Dorothy Tarrant was honored by family, friends, city officials, and clients and staff of Veritas, the non-profit organization which she founded. The occasion marked 15 years of Tarrant’s social service activity in the community of Sighișoara, Romania, and the handing over of Veritas to its first Romanian director. The celebration even included a presentation by the vice-mayor of Sighișoara, awarding Tarrant with honorary citizenship.

Before coming to Sighișoara in 1995, Tarrant had served as German language professor and head of the campus counseling center of Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. In 1993, she had been asked by ENC to develop a new study-abroad program in Romania. After three semesters in Bucharest, Tarrant relocated the Romanian Studies Program to Sighișoara.

Under Tarrant’s leadership, students quickly began to meet community needs – ministering to abandoned babies in the local orphanage, children from impoverished families, and isolated elderly shut-ins. Tarrant founded the organization Veritas (meaning “Truth” in Latin) as the legal structure to hire Romanians who had first served as translators for students, but who were soon assuming leadership roles themselves.

During a time of academic restructuring, ENC removed its sponsorship of the Romanian Studies Program in 2001. Tarrant chose to resign from ENC and remain in Sighișoara as a volunteer – continuing the work she had begun with Veritas and the Romanian Studies Program.

Today, with 25 Romanian staff members, Veritas offers accredited social services for children, teens, elderly, disabled persons, and domestic violence prevention, as well as educational programs, community activities, and a coffee shop. Veritas is a participant in the Nazarene Child Sponsorship program. The Romanian Studies Program has continued to attract students (over 400 to date) from several American colleges and universities who combine academics with service learning and cultural immersion.

The evening of festivities, under the banner “Together for the Community,” included choral selections, Romanian folk music, and traditional dances performed by those in Veritas ministry groups – the Gospel Choir, special needs program, senior adult club, and youth group. Several members of the community shared about how their lives have been improved as a result of Veritas. Approximately 250 were in attendance to honor Tarrant.

The evening also marked the public recognition of Petra Popa as the new executive director of Veritas. Popa came to work for Veritas in 2003 as the director of the domestic violence prevention program. For the past four years, she has also served as coordinator of social services. Thus, under Tarrant’s direction, a study-abroad program for American students has given birth to an ever-expanding organization under Romanian leadership.

For more information about Veritas and the Romanian Studies Program, please visit: www.veritas.ro and www.RomanianStudiesProgram.org.


Photos:

Dorothy Tarrant (left) and Petra Popa (right) share their vision for Veritas.

The Veritas Gospel Choir sings praises to God to open the evening

A man from the Veritas Special Needs Program sings a Romanian folk song from his wheelchair.

Women from one of Veritas's senior adult programs sing a song they wrote about the fellowship they have together at their Elderly Club.
The refrain of the song says, "Thank You, God, that our eyes aren't sad anymore."

Some of the teenagers from the Veritas youth program perform a traditional Roma (Gypsy) dance.

Photos used courtesy of Paul Benham.