Jim Ritchie officially began his new role as director of Global Missions 1 April 2024 following the retirement of former director Verne Ward.

“There are so many things I’m looking forward to, including working with the amazing people God has brought together for such a time as this and seeing God at work in and through his church all over the world,” Ritchie said. “It’s so important to support and equip those who have gone out on mission and help them thrive in their calling.

“I want to help people discover a call to missions and both prepare and release them into this calling. It’s crucial that we continue working with our local churches, districts, fields and regions in connecting the mission of the church to the people of the church in every way possible.”

Jim and his wife, Maggie, met on a summer missions team in their home country of Scotland.

“We felt a clear call to missions and ministry through that time on the summer missions team, so we left our jobs, enrolled in Bible college, and gave our lives to the mission of God,” he said. “That was 42 years ago, and we have been involved in missions one way or another ever since. Praying for, giving to, and going out and supporting missions has been our life.”

Most recently, Jim served as Eurasia regional director since October 2020. He previously served in dual leadership roles as British Isles North District superintendent since 2016 and as senior pastor of the Trinity Church of the Nazarene, Perth, Scotland, since 2012.

“Since our call, we have always been supportive of missions, and as I became a pastor and a DS I constantly shared my passion for missions that shaped my ministry.”

In his various roles, Jim said he encouraged churches and the district to be missional locally and participate in missions globally by both receiving missionaries and sending missionaries out.

“I have always felt that missions and the local church are inseparable, so I will passionately champion this great God-given connection that is so amazing in the Church of the Nazarene, reminding people that the church has a mission and the mission has a church,” Jim said.

Jim and Maggie are currently applying for a visa to move to the United States.

“Please pray that God would help Maggie and me to lead this new season of Global Missions well and help us to build on all that he has done through Verne and Natalie and their team,” he said.

Additional prayer is requested for the search for a new Eurasia regional director.