Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky intends to appoint Rev. Derek Nakano to serve on the Pacific Northwest (PNW) cabinet as SeaTac Missional District Superintendent, effective July 1, 2019. In this role, he will serve as the “chief missional strategist” for the district, working with pastors and lay leadership to find new ways to strengthen and extend United Methodist ministries in the Seattle and Tacoma Metro areas.
“Rev. Nakano is well known and respected by his colleagues. He brings the best of professionalism to his ministry, coupled with a warm, respectful and approachable manner,” wrote Bishop Stanovsky to Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church where Nakano currently serves. In her letter, she also thanked the church for its work supporting and preparing Derek for the superintendency, sharing that those efforts, and his gifts “will now bless people across the greater Seattle-Tacoma area.”
Derek Nakano received his undergraduate Sociology degree from UC Berkeley and MDiv from Pacific School of Religion.
Baptized at the Berkeley Methodist United Church, Derek has served Japanese American Churches in California-Nevada, California-Pacific (Cal-Pac) and PNW Annual Conferences and has offered leadership and support for camping ministries in the Japanese American Caucus Junior High Camp and Asian American Summer Camp. Derek began serving the PNW Annual Conference in 2011, in his appointment to Blaine Memorial and transferred his Conference membership in 2012.
In Cal-Pac, Derek provided conference leadership as the Provisional Registrar of the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) from 2006-2008 and was Chair of BOM from 2008-2012. Upon transferring to the PNW Annual Conference, he served as a member of PNW BOM from 2012-2016, mentored candidates for ministry in the Seattle District, and is presently the Chair of the Commission on Ethnic Ministries.
Derek is also providing connectional leadership as a member of the Western Jurisdiction Inter-Ethnic Coordinating Committee and the General Conference Ministry Study Commission.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve God and our Annual Conference in this capacity,” Nakano offered, reflecting on the new role. “I look forward to working together with our Bishop, Cabinet and Conference staff, and our clergy, laity, and churches, toward vital and growing explorations and expressions of faithfulness and service.”
