This June 2018, BIC U.S. World Missions was privileged to welcome John Reitz as regional administrator for Europe and the Middle East, following John Hawbaker’s retirement earlier this year. In the regional administrator role for Europe and the Middle East, John Reitz provides support and supervision for BIC U.S. global workers serving in those specific contexts.
“With experiences in BIC U.S. World Missions leadership, service overseas, counseling, and church planting, John has incredible gifts and grounded perspectives to guide and support our global teams,” said Jonathan Lloyd, director of BIC U.S. World Missions.
For 10 years, John has served on the Board for World Missions and Commission for World Missions.
John also served with CURE International. As hospital staff chaplain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — one of the most diverse countries in the world — he provided counsel to 500 staff hailing from 35 different countries. There, John also provided crisis debrief counseling to Christian health workers serving in Afghanistan.
“Ministering to people who were ministering to other people was exactly what I was doing in the Middle East,” said John. “I’ve been paying attention to the chapters God has written in my life, and asking, ‘What does it look like for the next chapter?’
“‘So, this regional administrator role is like God saying, ‘Here’s the next chapter.’”
As a BIC U.S. church planter and pastor for 39 years, John has advocated for the local church to have both a local and global mindset. Therefore, he was intentional about incorporating a missions DNA into The Bridge, a church he planted in 2000. In its earliest stages, The Bridge helped open a SPICE hostel in Nepal, partnering with the global BIC church in providing Christian discipleship and education to children living in poverty.
In the Brethren in Christ U.S., John has been a pastor at four different BIC congregations: The Bridge, Hummelstown and Harrisburg, Pa.; Dillsburg Brethren in Christ, Dillsburg, Pa.; Grantham Church, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; and Skyline View BIC Church, Harrisburg, Pa. For 10 years, John led on the BIC U.S. General Conference Board and also served for 14 years on the board for the Atlantic Conference.
John holds a doctor of ministry from Palmer Seminary, where he specialized in marriage and family counseling. Throughout his career, he has practiced as a therapist. He currently uses his counseling gifts as pastor of counseling at The Bridge, running Shelter Cove Counseling as part of the outreach of the church.
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