The Board of Directors of the Finnish Lutheran Mission has elected Rev. Daniel Nummela to be the new Executive Director as of January 1, 2021. The hand-over period starts on September 1, 2020. Mr Nummela has previously worked as a Regional Coordinator for the Finnish Lutheran Mission.
Daniel Nummela graduated from the University of Helsinki in 2008 with a master’s degree in Theology with an emphasis on Ecumenism, and was ordained as a Lutheran Pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. In addition, he is qualified as a teacher. Since 2017, Nummela has been pursuing a PhD in Dogmatics at the University of Helsinki.
Upon graduation, Daniel Nummela worked in youth ministry, coordinating confirmation camps and other events for the Finnish Lutheran Mission. Between 2009 and 2020 he served as a missionary of the Finnish Lutheran Mission in Japan, where he and his wife Mari Nummela served the West Japan Lutheran congregations in Awaji and HAT-Kobe. As the leading pastor of these congregations, he led a church building project in Awaji. During this time Daniel also worked as a representative of the Finnish Lutheran Mission in Japan. In this capacity he represented the Finnish Lutheran Mission in a negotiating committee comprised of members of the Finnish Lutheran Mission and the Kobe Lutheran Theological Seminary. At the same time, he also held a teaching position at the Kobe Lutheran Bible College.
Daniel appreciates the wide support he has received from his colleagues during the election process. ”I believe that the support I have received gives me a strong foundation for my new role as the Executive Director. This role is in line with my calling and I find the challenges I face inspiring. My hope is that I will be known as a person with clear biblical theology and great co-operation skills.”
The Executive Director of Finnish Lutheran Mission has primary responsibility for the vision and mission of the Finnish Lutheran Mission, for its strategy and administration, as well as for both domestic ministry and overseas missions. His responsibilities also include maintaining the Mission’s theological position, finances, and external relations. He has oversight over four departments: Communications, directed by Sanna Myllärinen; Overseas Missions, directed by Teijo Peltola; Domestic Missions, directed by Jukka Repo, and Administration, directed by Samuli Virtanen.
Current Executive Director Mika Tuovinen emphasizes the importance of good leadership at the Finnish Lutheran Mission. “Daniel Nummela is well known by many people at the Finnish Lutheran Mission. He has many years of experience as a missionary, a healthy theological outlook, and is well acquainted with the revival movement that gave birth to the Finnish Lutheran Mission. This is a great starting point for facing the challenges the future will bring. I wish Daniel many blessings in his new role and responsibilities,” Tuovinen says.
The Finnish Lutheran Mission (FLM) is a mission and revival movement established in 1967. It works in Finland through its 17 regional organizations and in Sweden through one regional organization in co-operation with local Lutheran churches. In global missions FLM has 57 missionaries working in Ethiopia, Japan, the Middle East, Papua New Guinea, Germany, Russia, Estonia, in ministries among Jewish populations, in Bible translation and in co-operation with SAT-7.
The work they are involved in includes family, children’s and youth ministry, Bible teaching, media and literature work, ministry among immigrants, and in relief aid and development work in cooperation with international partners. FLM’s publishing company Uusi Tie publishes the Christian Magazine Uusi Tie (The New Way).
The vision for the Finnish Lutheran Mission is: Love your Bible – Gospel for all.
Further Information:
Mika Tuovinen, Executive Director, tel. +358 44 5505 899
Board Regina Leppänen, Director of the FLM, tel. +358 44 270 0400
Daniel Nummela, Regional Coordinator, tel. +358 44 4477 812