Donald Dean Owens (born September 12, 1926) is an American general superintendent emeritus in the Church of the Nazarene, and also a retired ordained minister, missionary, professor, and seminary and college president.
[20] While still a high school student, Owens indicated that he was converted to Christ in Joplin, Missouri, in August 1944, a month prior to his eighteenth birthday.
Bill, Owens enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program at the Church of the Nazarene's Bethany-Peniel College (BPC) in Bethany, Oklahoma, in 1947.
[2] While studying at BPC, Owens met his future wife, Adeline Lois Preuss (born March 3, 1930, in Augusta, Kansas), where they were both members of the Class of 1951.
[41][42] Consequently, faculty and students of BPC, including Adeline who was a member of the college's missionary band, raised about US$6,200 for the work of the Church of the Nazarene in Korea, which had recommenced in October 1948.
[44] Don and Adeline Owens were the pioneer foreign missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene in the Republic of Korea, but were initially under the authority of Chung Nam Soo.
[35] Later in August 1954, Chung left abruptly for the USA for an urgent eye operation,[49] appointing Park Ki Suh (sometimes rendered Kee-Suh Park) as acting chairman of the corporate board, causing some leadership difficulties, "making it difficult for Owens to assume any leadership role", as the Korean pastors were "outwardly cooperative, but still independent-minded.".
[49] In fact, the Nazarene Department of Foreign Missions indicated that it would allow the election of an unordained pastor should the district assembly desire.
Additionally, in mid-July 1955 Owens organized a three-day workshop to instruct the pastors in the basics of Nazarene polity, held in conjunction with evening services that produced "times of spiritual blessing.
[56] after the district assembly he referred the matter to Rehfeldt, writing in November 1955: "Personally, we have no desire to be superintendent here, and recommend to the department ... that Brother Park be appointed to this position.
"[57] While awaiting a decision from headquarters, Owens consulted Park on administrative matters and established with him a solid working relationship.
[60] After developing a three-year curriculum,[50] in September 1954, Owens opened the Bible Training School in Seoul in a rehabilitated fire-gutted former missionary two-story house,[49] with 23 students,[61] 8 of whom were already pastors.
[64] The Owenses returned to the United States in late 1959 for their first furlough, which involved almost twelve months of conducting deputation services throughout the nation.
[65] The Owenses returned to the United States for their second year-long furlough in 1965, and decided to accept the offer to become a professor at Bethany Nazarene College,[66] where he could also earn a Master of Arts degree.
Under the leadership of Owens there was reconciliation, and a spiritual renewal that created "a healing wave that not only restored peace and confidence but set the church off on a new sweep of revival and expansion.
In August and again in December 1977, Owens and Jerald Johnson were part of a small team that visited the Philippines in order to find a site for the Seminary.
Owens and Johnson chose the present location, the former Children's Garden Orphanage on Ortigas Avenue, Kaytikling, Taytay, Rizal.
[69] In December 1979 Owens was appointed as one of the five members of the REAP (Resource for Evangelism And Projects) team that was established to "train and indoctrinate new groups who expressed a desire to unite with the Church of the Nazarene.
"[70] Beginning in February 1980, the REAP team provided up to three weeks of intensive training in Nazarene doctrine, organization, and administration in both South India and Nigeria.
Additionally, Owens was tasked with the responsibility of establishing in Manila the denomination's second graduate-level seminary on a site that had already been purchased in Taytay, Rizal.
[73] However, due to the demands of establishing the new seminary, in 1982 Owens requested that he be relieved of some of his responsibilities, resulting in the January 1983 appointment of Rev.
[75][76] During his term as Regional Director, Owens was part of a group that was permitted to visit the former Nazarene mission field centered on Daming in Hebei in the People's Republic of China in November 1982.
[82] While continuing to serve as Regional Director, Owens became the founding president of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary in Taytay, Rizal.
[46][83] When both Filipino and General church leaders (including World Mission director L. Guy Nees) in 1981 urged the sale of the Kaytikling property and the relocation of the Seminary to the campus of Luzon Nazarene Bible College in La Trinidad, Benguet near the northern city of Baguio, Owens, influenced by the missiology of Donald McGavran firmly resisted this idea, arguing: "We should not move away from the masses" believing the seminary should maintain an urban orientation.
[84] Owens also advocated that the Seminary should not be an extension of NTS, and that it should develop a resident and increasingly Asian and Pacific faculty, which could apply the church's theology to the contexts of the students.
[86] The faculty was installed and the chapel dedicated on January 15, 1984, by General Superintendent Dr. Eugene L. Stowe and World Mission director Dr. L. Guy Nees.
In September 1984 Owens was succeeded by Dr. E. Lebron Fairbanks, previously academic dean of European Nazarene Bible College located in Büsingen, Germany,[90] whom had been elected by the Board of General Superintendents in April 1984.
[91] Following the decision of founding President R. Curtis Smith to retire after 19 years,[92] on July 18, 1985, the Board of Trustees elected Owens as the 2nd president of MidAmerica Nazarene College (now University) in Olathe, Kansas,[2][93] following the decision of first choice Paul G. Cunningham, the pastor of College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas, to decline election to remain in the pastorate.
[103] During the dedication of the Church of the Nazarene's new Global Ministry Center (GMC) on Sunday, February 22, 2009, in Lenexa, Kansas, Centennial Heritage Awards were presented to Don and Adeline Owens, along with other General Superintendents emereti and their spouses.