Our alumni are a crucial part of our EuNC community. No matter when or where you studied at EuNC, it has made an impact on you. Maybe EuNC has shaped you and your further ministry journey in significant ways. We would like to hear more about your path with EuNC and your connection to us today. Therefore we would appreciate your time to fill our Alumni Survey. It will help us to stay connected with you in the future in even more meaningful ways. Thank you!

This way to our Alumni Survey.

Olav Schmidt was a student with EuNC in the 90s and graduated with a BA in Religion and Missions. In the past two decades he has been involved with the Methodist Church and was elected as Mission Secretary in the church in Germany in 2023. We asked him about his memories with EuNC as well as the connection between theological education and missions.

Photo Credit: Klaus-Ulrich Ruof, EmK-Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Congratulations on your election as Mission Secretary in the Methodist church in Germany. What does mission mean to you?
Thank you! Mission is participation. As the church we are participating in the mission of God - that’s the common ground since the concept of Missio Dei was introduced. We are channels of divine grace and hope, called to carry streams of living water to the utmost parts of the world. Yet we often differentiate between those who preach and those who hear, those who share and those who receive. Recent missionary movements focus on reaching the unreached, or supporting churches and ministries of the global South. But the Great Commission does not stop there. The Great Commission aims at having all Christians participate in mission, wherever they are. During what is often called the “Ephesian Pentecost” in Acts 19, the gentiles are equipped in the same way as the Jews are at Pentecost. Those 12 men are representing the gentile church, being empowered to reach the world. I am convinced that the 24 elders of Revelation (chapter 4, 5 and 11) are those 12 along with the 12 Jewish apostles. In other words the Great Commission is not just about reaching those who have not yet heard, but rather to equip and empower them to participate in the Missio Dei.

You graduated from EuNC in 1997 with a BA in Religions and Missions. What influence did your studies have on your further faith and ministry journey?
(Gosh, was that really 27 years ago?) Studying at ENBC / EuNC has equipped me well for both pastoral ministry within my own cultural context as well as serving in a cross-cultural setting. It opened new horizons and up to today is helpful when taking new steps in ministry.

What are your favorite memories of your time at EuNC?
Almost everything. The bold discussions in and outside the classrooms, the broad cultural spectrum of lecturers and students, the quietness of the library, the chapel worship and leadership conferences (just to name a few) - and not to forget the pranks.

In what ways do you see local theological education connect with the mission of the church?
It is essential for theological discourse around the globe. Local experience, the implications of the good news in everyday life are worth to be shared as it contributes to our own journey of faith and ministry. It helps to form a lingua franca of mission, helping the global church to tap into the potential of the church on the ground.

That was me! God brought me home through His relentless grace, as I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and take over my life (at over 40 years old!). The prayers of my family, especially my mother and grandmother, and by people whom I will never know , were crucial for this development.

in the Alpine 1984

As I started to realize what had happened, I was still wondering who He was and what He wanted from me. I came to the faith as a worldly person, breaking all the laws along the way, but since I did go to church with my mother sometimes, just to please her, the seed was sown.

Although I had a loving wife and a son and a job I liked, I knew He had something else for me in the future. Then I heard the call to prepare myself to work for His kingdom, I didn’t know exactly in what capacity, but to do that I had to know more about Him. That is when the Holy Spirit led me to EuNC (formerly: ENBC), at that time in Büsingen. I knew nothing about the The Church of the Nazarene, but He did.
Now that He had shown me the place, I started wondering how He was going to solve all the other challenges, that such a move would bring with it. But I trusted Him and my wife never asked me a question. One of the first challenges we faced, was that we didn’t even have a car! It didn’t take long though until a friend of the family bought us a brand new Citroen 2CV! Then we were wondering about the finances, since we wanted to live off campus, in Switzerland. Again, before we knew it, my wife found a job she really liked. Of course, by that time He had already found an apartment for us near the border, a short drive away from ENBC.

Those were some of the physical challenges that He took care of, but our enemy was telling me; you are too old at 40! And God answered, “you are never too old if I call you, so do not wait, because you are just getting older, and by the way, Moses was twice your age when I called him!” Then, I had at least one big piece of “baggage” from my old life, smoking, but He said: “come as you are and trust Me.” The more I realized the power of our Lord, I gave that up to Him and when I did, He took it away from that moment on! I am still not perfect, but who is, besides Jesus. We just have to keep trying to do better every day, so that when Jesus returns, He will find us faithful.
With my Diploma in Bible and Theology, I was able to work for twenty-one years as a deacon in the Swiss Reformed Church.

If you are reading this and find yourself in my story somewhere pray, contact EuNC because you will meet not only wonderful brothers and sisters in the faith, but also super teachers and staff. Your life will be changed forever, no matter where He is leads you. Trust in the call Jesus is sending to you. And to Him be the glory, Amen.

Alumnus Ron Neely graduated from EuNC in 1984.

Being part of an EuNC programme has helped me to understand scripture better and spiritual practices, and at the same time has deepened my faith in God. Through EuNC I grew in theological understanding, ethical discernment and problem-solving skills, preparing me for the ministry roles in church leadership, training, preaching, and counseling. Additionally, my studies at EuNC equipped me with valuable skills and perspectives beneficial not only to my spiritual journey but also to my professional life as a finance manager. I learned to see the importance of sharing Christ’s message beyond the church walls, becoming a conduit of God’s work in my professional endeavors.

I am grateful for the opportunity to study at EuNC and encourage others facing life decisions, whether in ministry, career, or family matters to consider the college’s transformative impact on spiritual and personal growth. With God’s guidance and help studying at EuNC will be a great experience.

Sonila Bejtja was a student at the EuNC Albania-Kosova Learning Centre and graduated in 2018 with the Diploma in Christian Ministry. She currently serves as the District Treasurer for the Albania-Kosova District of the Church of the Nazarene and in her local church where she leads the women's ministry.

Rev. Priscila Guevara graduated from EuNC in 2018, when she received her Diploma in Christian Ministry. In March 2024, she started her role as the new Cluster Chair for Cluster C, "God's Mission, Church, Vocation" on the EuNC Curriculum Committee. 

What made you decide to study at EuNC? 
When I was 15 years old, I felt God calling me to be a missionary, but back then the only image I had about being a missionary was to go leave my country to “do missions.” Years passed and I was not clear about how that call was to take place in my life.
Five years after that, while I was doing an internship in the Cono Sur’s Region, in Argentina, I was reassured that God’s call for my life was still alive. Although I did not know how, where, or how I would fulfill that call, I decided to take some steps to be better prepared for the ministry ahead.
EuNC was an obvious and natural choice since both my parents had studied there (and were constantly telling me to study there). Therefore, I asked their help to apply to EuNC, and here I am now, as a former student.

What is one highlight from your time at EuNC?
When I applied to EuNC, I followed my parents’ advice, and went to Büsingen to have the experience to live in the campus. There, I had the experience of studying, living, and having fellowship with people from other countries and cultures. Although I stayed there only two months, it gave me the opportunity to know how it was to study full time at the college.
When I came back to Portugal, I joined the rest of the group of students, which were having classes in person. At that time, I had the experience of studying part time, at home, while ministering in my local church as well as keeping my job. Some years passed and the number of students from other countries and continents grew, and so it was time to have online classes.
Although these three experiences were so different, they created in me the sense of EuNC as home and family.

How did EuNC impact your future career and/or ministry path? 
While studying at EuNC, I discovered more profoundly my passions and spiritual gifts and I got better acquainted to a great variety of ministries, that otherwise I would not be even interested in trying. But the greatest impact that EuNC had in me was to realize I really wanted to share what I was learning with others, which led me to pursue a MA in Theology. Consequently, I started teaching in the EuNC Portugal Learning Centre and teaching is still one of the things I most appreciate in my job.
It is really a blessing to be a teacher in the same school in which I received my formation. I feel it is giving to others what I have received in the first place. Now, as part of the Committee Curriculum, I have the opportunity and responsibility to contribute even more to EuNC, developing and improving its curriculum.

This way to sign up for the Prayer Partner Meeting.