On behalf of the BIC U.S. family, we want to express our deepest gratitude for John Hawbaker’s 10 years of serving as an administrator in BIC U.S. World Missions, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. This May 31, John — who also led as a bishop, pastor, and director for Roxbury Holiness Camp, which is owned by several BIC U.S. conferences — will be retiring after 50 years serving the BIC U.S.
John’s many years of leadership in the Church, his skills with people, and his adaptability were invaluable in cross-cultural environments and helping lead World Missions.
“John brought a sense of steadiness and poise during various transitions and challenges,” said Jonathan Lloyd, director of World Missions. “John’s ability to relate to a broad range of missionaries and supporters was a huge asset to the organization and helped move the mission forward in ways that few are equipped to do.”
A member of the World Missions leadership team, John has been a regional administrator, providing pastoral and administrative leadership to missionaries in Europe, the Middle East, and Quebec. From 2008-2015, he served as director of the Missionary Development Program, a program providing training to individuals interested in deploying as missionaries. While in this position, John was instrumental in establishing a team of lay individuals within each BIC U.S. regional conference, called Global Impact Teams, who promoted missions.
From 2008-2010, John — serving as spiritual and strategy coordinator — and his wife, JoLene, traveled to London four times a year to oversee the World Missions team in London. Throughout his career in World Missions, he has furthered the reach of BIC U.S.’ cross-cultural ministry through national speaking engagements and leading learning trips to Spain and London.
John said, “It has been the privilege of my life to have 10 years serving BIC U.S. World Missions.”
Leading BIC U.S. regional conferences and congregations helped equip John to shepherd the World Missions global team: John served as a bishop for seven years, first Susquehanna Conference and then both Susquehanna and Allegheny Conferences. As a pastor, he led Manor Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for 26 years and Zion BIC Church, Abilene, Kansas, for six years. As director of Roxbury Holiness Camp, he served 35 years.
While he enjoyed all of his ministry positions, he said World Missions provided him a unique vantage point.
“Not long after I was working for World Missions, I’d tell my friends that leaving pastoral ministry and coming into this job I stepped into a larger room — I had broader contacts, meeting people from overseas, getting opportunities to travel internationally,” said John.
“While I loved the room I had as a pastor, all at once in World Missions I was in a much bigger room, and I loved it.”
Thank you, John, for your years of faithful service extending the Kingdom of God.
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