As a missionary in Sofia, Bulgaria, Katie Haun and her husband, Joshua, plant churches on a mission field with unexpected challenges. In an effort to better meet the needs of their ministry building faith communities from the ground up, Haun began her online degree in Christian ministry (CMO) at Trevecca Nazarene University. The CMO program offers a pathway to ordination and scholarships for students like her serving through the Southeast Field of the Church of the Nazarene.
“When we moved to Bulgaria, I felt this strong call to deepen my understanding of ministry. I knew I needed more training to serve effectively in this unique context,” Haun said. “My first bachelor’s degree is in elementary education and it’s really been beneficial to have the Christian ministry aspect come alongside that.”
The church they’ve planted in their home in Sofia now welcomes 30 to 35 people regularly, and more than half of them are children. Haun leads the children’s ministry, knowing that while the kids might not always catch the lessons taught in English, she’s laying a foundation for understanding the Bible and giving parents an opportunity to listen and learn in the service.
“I love telling Bible stories that we all grew up with, Daniel in the lion’s den or Noah’s ark, and watching these kids hear them for the first time. Their eyes light up. They’re amazed,” Haun said. “Meanwhile, their parents are asking questions in church, reading the Bible for themselves and growing in faith in ways they never had the chance to before.”
Her daily ministry in Bulgaria deeply shaped her academic journey, and what she learned in her classes was applicable to the mission field. The CMO program covers theology, pastoral care, ethics and other crucial aspects of ministry.
“Everything I was doing in real life connected directly to the coursework. There were certain assignments that I was like, ‘I already do this every day,’” Haun said. “The program really went hand in hand with my everyday life as a missionary, church planter, children’s pastor and leader.”
Despite being halfway around the world, she remained connected to her cohort and throughout the program. They all became very invested in each other’s lives and well-being.
“We journeyed through most of the program together. It was funny, I always turned in assignments early and if I didn’t, people would message me to ask if I was okay,” Haun laughed. “I always had to clarify, ‘I’m not an overachiever, I’m just in a time zone eight hours ahead!’”
Some of the classes that impacted her most explored calling and spiritual formation in practical ways–giving her confidence to live out her faith and mission in Bulgaria.
“The Spiritual Formation class was so valuable for me with three kids. Living abroad and working and church planting, there’s not always time to sit and have hour-long devotionals,” Haun said. “It reminded me that spiritual disciplines look different in different seasons and that’s okay.”
She was also pushed to identify and embrace her calling early on in the program, and she was able to weave that realization into her various assignments and applications. She noted Dr. Matt Hastings, who teaches in the program, encouraged her to pray about her calling, figure out how it fit into the opportunities in front of her and step confidently into ministry.
“I wasn’t expecting that in the first class, but it shaped how I approached the rest of the program. I had to jump right into it, face it head on and not be timid,” Haun said.
That clarity has proven vital in Bulgaria, where Haun and her husband are reaching people unfamiliar with Protestant Christianity.
“Everyone here will say they’re Christian because they were baptized as babies,” Haun said. “But they don’t always have a personal relationship with Christ or experience reading Scripture. It’s not hostility, they just don’t know.”
Haun has had to figure out how to make faith accessible to those with limited experience with Christianity and English. She had relied on her husband–who received his religion degree in 2010 at Trevecca–to provide the answers locals may be looking for, but her new degree has allowed her to step up and share the gospel with confidence.
“I needed to know how to express these ideas, and not in some highfalutin theology language that’s difficult to understand, because it has to be translated and because it is received better when it’s presented in a down-to-earth way,” Haun said. “I just knew I needed that education piece, that knowledge so I could communicate what I believed clearly with all people.”
For now, the Hauns have no set timeline to leave Bulgaria. “We’re here as long as the Lord wants us here, and we’re working to raise up national leaders to one day shepherd the church independently.”
Rebekah Warren, Senior Copywriter – Office of Marketing and Communications
Trevecca Nazarene University www.trevecca.edu
