Elder Board
The office of Elders is spiritual in nature. Together with the Minister, the Elders shall have the oversight of the spiritual interests of the Church.
The Elder Board continues to meet every first Monday of the month by Zoom conference calls. This is the roster of our 2020 elder board:
Joel Aguilar is a leader at our Tuesday Night Bible Study, involved in Worship Team on piano, our Elder Board Secretary, and actively involved in our youth leader search committee. Joel has been married to Annette for eight years, and their anniversary is on May 18th. Mariana is their only daughter of three. He has been a Christian for 27 years. As a theologian by trade, he has worked in community development, theological education, and leadership development for almost twenty years. He is currently an independent consultant for theological higher education. Joel feels very burdened by the sense of community in our church. He wants to see our church grow and mature in this expression of the Spirit of Christ.
Salvador Baldizón has been a member of the board of elders in the past and currently is Coordinator of the Elders’ Discretionary Fund. He is an MC (presents announcements) and ushers when needed at our services. Salvador says he has been a “Christian, all my life. First, as a Catholic and now, an Evangelical Christian.” Married for 42 years with two sons and three grandchildren, all living in the US. He has MD, MPH and MS degrees. For a day job he keeps busy in the areas of food, nutrition, and is a Health and Livelihoods Program Advisor for Project Concern International. His desire is seeing how the church can meet needs within the congregation but also among the poor in Guatemala.
Jose Luis Guzmán grew up in a Catholic home and went to a strict, all-boys Catholic school. While pursuing La Educación para la Salud (EPS), he met his wife. He started going to the Bible study that her mission leader hosted. It was during one of those meetings that he accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior in Acatenango, Chimaltenango, in 1980. Nancy and Jose Luis married in 1981. Both started attending Iglesia Evangélica Filadelfia Central. There, Jose Luis was the president of the elder board, and president of the construction committee. In 2003, he and Nancy started attending Union Church. His greatest desire for Union Church is to see that everyone knows Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
Jorge Hastedt has been a farm manager for his family property since 1976. He has pursued various agricultural degrees. As a Christian from an early age, he was baptized Lutheran. Jorge has been married for 43 years and he and his wife have one daughter. His burden is carrying out an agricultural business in the difficult Guatemalan cultural, governmental, and physical environment.
John Kent is an Elder Board member and adult Sunday school teacher when needed. He works for the U.S. Embassy and is a builder by trade. He has been a Christian since his early teens. While raised in the Assembly of God denomination he has been a Baptist since early adulthood. Married to Angela for 29 years, they have 2 adult children, Jordan and Justin. He has served as a deacon, adult Sunday school teacher, AWANA instructor, and Upward sports leader. My wife is the smart one! John's "burden" is seen in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Gregory Malczewski Since 2005 Gail and I have been missionaries to the K-12 students of missionaries at the Christian Academy of Guatemala. He is currently Union Church's Elder Board Chairman, has taught adult Sunday school, is a greeter every second Sunday with his wife, Gail. Elders share announcements as part of the morning service and Greg is usually there one Sunday each month. He is on the Transition Team helping to find Union Church's next pastor and will be working with the Youth Leader Search Team when we return to our church building. He has been a Christian for 44 years. Married to Gail for 41 years with three adult children and five grandsons. He comes with a business and a seminary degree. His home church is a Bible Church in northern Illinois. There, he worked as their Awana Director for 20 years ministering to our community's youth. He taught Sunday School and served as chairman of their Elder Board for many years. His day job was in auto finance and then computer programming.
Edgar Nanne is 67 years old, married for 43 years, has 3 boys, and 2 of them are married. He was born in a christian family, studied agriculture, and has worked in the flavor industry. All of this while practicing sports almost every day. At the Union Church he has been an elder for several years, served as usher at communion services, served on the Board of Finance and Administration (F&A), and in the Church council for a number of years.
Eduardo Rodríguez is an elder who has been our Christian Education chairman, interim youth leader, and 8:15 AM announcer for church services. He has taught adult Sunday but cannot do so while working with the youth, youth leader search team, and serving as a children church teacher.
The Elder Board continues to meet every first Monday of the month by Zoom conference calls. This is the roster of our 2020 elder board:
Joel Aguilar is a leader at our Tuesday Night Bible Study, involved in Worship Team on piano, our Elder Board Secretary, and actively involved in our youth leader search committee. Joel has been married to Annette for eight years, and their anniversary is on May 18th. Mariana is their only daughter of three. He has been a Christian for 27 years. As a theologian by trade, he has worked in community development, theological education, and leadership development for almost twenty years. He is currently an independent consultant for theological higher education. Joel feels very burdened by the sense of community in our church. He wants to see our church grow and mature in this expression of the Spirit of Christ.
Salvador Baldizón has been a member of the board of elders in the past and currently is Coordinator of the Elders’ Discretionary Fund. He is an MC (presents announcements) and ushers when needed at our services. Salvador says he has been a “Christian, all my life. First, as a Catholic and now, an Evangelical Christian.” Married for 42 years with two sons and three grandchildren, all living in the US. He has MD, MPH and MS degrees. For a day job he keeps busy in the areas of food, nutrition, and is a Health and Livelihoods Program Advisor for Project Concern International. His desire is seeing how the church can meet needs within the congregation but also among the poor in Guatemala.
Jose Luis Guzmán grew up in a Catholic home and went to a strict, all-boys Catholic school. While pursuing La Educación para la Salud (EPS), he met his wife. He started going to the Bible study that her mission leader hosted. It was during one of those meetings that he accepted the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior in Acatenango, Chimaltenango, in 1980. Nancy and Jose Luis married in 1981. Both started attending Iglesia Evangélica Filadelfia Central. There, Jose Luis was the president of the elder board, and president of the construction committee. In 2003, he and Nancy started attending Union Church. His greatest desire for Union Church is to see that everyone knows Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
Jorge Hastedt has been a farm manager for his family property since 1976. He has pursued various agricultural degrees. As a Christian from an early age, he was baptized Lutheran. Jorge has been married for 43 years and he and his wife have one daughter. His burden is carrying out an agricultural business in the difficult Guatemalan cultural, governmental, and physical environment.
John Kent is an Elder Board member and adult Sunday school teacher when needed. He works for the U.S. Embassy and is a builder by trade. He has been a Christian since his early teens. While raised in the Assembly of God denomination he has been a Baptist since early adulthood. Married to Angela for 29 years, they have 2 adult children, Jordan and Justin. He has served as a deacon, adult Sunday school teacher, AWANA instructor, and Upward sports leader. My wife is the smart one! John's "burden" is seen in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Gregory Malczewski Since 2005 Gail and I have been missionaries to the K-12 students of missionaries at the Christian Academy of Guatemala. He is currently Union Church's Elder Board Chairman, has taught adult Sunday school, is a greeter every second Sunday with his wife, Gail. Elders share announcements as part of the morning service and Greg is usually there one Sunday each month. He is on the Transition Team helping to find Union Church's next pastor and will be working with the Youth Leader Search Team when we return to our church building. He has been a Christian for 44 years. Married to Gail for 41 years with three adult children and five grandsons. He comes with a business and a seminary degree. His home church is a Bible Church in northern Illinois. There, he worked as their Awana Director for 20 years ministering to our community's youth. He taught Sunday School and served as chairman of their Elder Board for many years. His day job was in auto finance and then computer programming.
Edgar Nanne is 67 years old, married for 43 years, has 3 boys, and 2 of them are married. He was born in a christian family, studied agriculture, and has worked in the flavor industry. All of this while practicing sports almost every day. At the Union Church he has been an elder for several years, served as usher at communion services, served on the Board of Finance and Administration (F&A), and in the Church council for a number of years.
Eduardo Rodríguez is an elder who has been our Christian Education chairman, interim youth leader, and 8:15 AM announcer for church services. He has taught adult Sunday but cannot do so while working with the youth, youth leader search team, and serving as a children church teacher.