For Immediate Release
(Madison, WI) --- Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner has been named national director of Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF). She will begin her new duties in July 2016.
Kathy has served NCF as editor of the Journal of Christian Nursing (JCN) for the past 11 years. “Kathy brings over 35 years of experience and expertise to her new role: nurse, administrator, researcher, editor, and volunteer campus staff,” said Paul Tokunaga, InterVarsity vice president and director of Strategic Ministries. “She is highly regarded in both the Christian and secular nursing worlds. But foremost, Kathy is passionate about seeing nursing students come to a saving faith in Jesus and then be salt and light in healthcare.”
Kathy first connected with InterVarsity while a master’s student when she was invited to an NCF Bible study. Later, she was invited to be a Bible study leader and prayer minister at a national NCF conference. And she began volunteering to support NCF faculty advisors and nurse groups in the NCF Central Plains region. She also has served as a volunteer staff member for students and faculty at Wichita State University and Newman University schools of nursing.
Kathy was appointed JCN editor in 2004. The following year she helped NCF negotiate a partnership with publishing giant Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. “That was a miraculous work of God that widened NCF and InterVarsity’s influence,” Kathy said. “We now publish JCN in print, online, mobile, and iPad formats, and it put our biblically based continuing education for nurses online with one of the world’s largest continuing education providers.”
“Kathy succeeds Jane Hall, who retires from her role in June 2016,” said Paul Tokunaga. “Jane has done an excellent job leading NCF the past six years.”
Kathy received her PhD in nursing from the University of Kansas. She lives in Wichita with her husband, Richard, a physician. They have three grown children, and attend First Baptist Church of Wichita.
Currently, there are 87 NCF groups in schools of nursing across the U.S. In addition, nurses are involved in 24 NCF nurse chapters, and there are over 1,500 members of NCF’s professional and ministry organization. Jane Hall is excited about the future of NCF. “I am thankful for Kathy’s appointment," she said. "NCF will continue to see nursing students and faculty transformed by Christ and have a biblical, Christian influence in nursing."
For more information contact:
Gordon Govier
608-443-3688
