Passion to Prepare Others
I was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to pioneer missionaries, Dr. Paul and Mary Orjala. I was the first in a family of three children. I spent my elementary school years at Union School in Port-au-Prince, then began Junior High in Kansas City, Missouri when my father brought the family back to the USA since he was invited to start and teach in the Master of Arts in Missions program at Nazarene Theological Seminary. Following High School, I attended the University of Missouri, Kansas City, European Nazarene Bible College, Busingen, Germany, and graduated from Mid-America Nazarene University with a major in Biblical Literature. I continued my education at Nazarene Theological Seminary, earning an M.Div. and an MA in Missions.
Following graduation from NTS, I was invited to teach at European Nazarene Bible College as a short-term missionary. It was there I met my future husband, Carlos Serrão, who grew up in Lisbon, Portugal. We were married 3 years later and began married life as Resident Counselors (Dorm Parents) at Trevecca Nazarene University. Two years later, we moved to Kansas City where Carlos attended NTS and completed his M.Div. in 3 years. We then moved to Southern California to pursue Ph.D. programs at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California.
We found both a home and jobs at Highland Avenue Community Church of the Nazarene in Rancho Cucamonga, California (Alta Loma). While completing my Ph.D. in Religion (New Testament), I was also working full-time as the Education Pastor at HACC. Carlos was the Outreach and Worship Director. I completed my doctorate with my dissertation in the area of the backgrounds to the New Testament in 1996 and was privileged to be ordained on the Anaheim district as an elder in 1999. I began teaching online for Nazarene Bible College in 1998.
We moved to Mount Vernon, Ohio in August of 1999 for me to teach in the Religion Division at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. In August 2003, I was appointed Dean of the new School of Theology and Philosophy. Because of my additional work as a dean and Professor of Biblical Literature, I had to drop my online teaching with NBC. I am excited to be able to return to teaching online with NBC and look forward to the fellowship with NBC staff and students.
I am a full-time professor of New Testament and Missions at MVNU in the traditional program and enjoy teaching online in the Master of Ministry program from time to time. Carlos is the Director of Web Development and Communications here at MVNU which he has been doing since 1999.
Over the years I have enjoyed a number of hobbies. One of my major interests is writing. I wrote the New Beacon Bible Commentary on James and chapters on the General Epistles and Revelation for the Discovering the New Testament and Discovering the Bible texts. I wrote lessons for and edited the recent addition to the Modular Course of Study, Foundations of Women’s Ordination. I am a strong advocate for women in leadership and chaired the Nazarene Women Clergy Council for 8 years. I also write regularly for the Illustrated Bible Life Sunday School materials and contribute articles and answers for Holiness Today. My other major interest is traveling and hosting academic trips to Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. My, at home, hobbies include gardening, reading and walking.
My passion is preparing people for ministry! I have done that on the local church level; regionally, especially for women clergy, and in higher education in Europe, the Ukraine, and the United States. I’ve also done ministry education in various delivery methods: in seat, video-conferencing and online. The need for well-prepared ministers is great, and we need to continue to find ways to make preparation available for the people God is calling!
Dr. Jeanne Serrao has been teaching for NBC since 1998.
Published: 12/14/2020
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