Carey, Delecia Seay

Delecia Seay Carey is a Global Missionary of The United Methodist Church, serving as administrator of Bridge of Hope Vocational Training Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Bridge of Hope Vocational Training Center supports underprivileged and poor young people in Cambodia. Its work resonates with Global Ministries’ work to alleviate suffering among the most vulnerable.

Delecia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Millsaps College, a master’s in English from Tulane University, a master’s in educational administration from Louisiana State University, and a doctorate in English from Michigan State University. She served as head of school of Trinity Episcopal Day School and as English department head and instructor at Episcopal School of Acadiana.

She is a lay member of Asbury United Methodist Church, Lafayette, part of the Louisiana Annual Conference.

“When I met my future husband,” Delecia said, “his father was an active volunteer missionary, planning and leading annual medical mission trips. Before we married, Tom went on a trip to Jamaica with his dad, and he felt confident that he wanted to serve in the mission field eventually.

“As we finished our education, built our careers and grew our family, we always held the idea of mission work in our hearts. After teaching English for a few years, I became headmaster of an Episcopal school and earned a degree in school administration. That was not something I had ever intended to do, but now I realize that it was one of the ways God was preparing and equipping me to serve in mission.”

In 2010, Delecia and Tom made some big decisions about downsizing their lives. Tom sold his medical practice, and the couple moved from Mississippi to Louisiana.

“Our intention,” she said, “was to become debt free, help our children reach independence, and put ourselves in position to become full-time missionaries. God blessed us through these endeavors, and as soon as our youngest son graduated from college, doors started to open. I’m sure God could have used us earlier in our lives, but I’m also sure he was using our life experiences to prepare us for what lay ahead. 

At the beginning of 2024, they started the process of applying to become missionaries and selling their house to be free to serve should they be accepted. 

“Almost immediately,” Delecia said, “we learned about an opportunity in Cambodia that exactly fit my school administration qualifications, and our home sold on the first day we listed it. It seems clear to us that God’s hand is behind this process, and we are excited to embark on the next season of our lives.”

Delecia grew up in the Southern Baptist Church, a denomination that emphasizes mission service. She learned about, prayed for and contributed to missionaries.

“One key component of growing up as I did,” she recalled, “was the strong emphasis on learning memory verses. A verse that has shaped my adult life was Jesus’ instructions in Luke 12:48 (KJV): ‘For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.’ God has blessed me in material and spiritual ways. I am confident that in this upcoming season in our lives, I will be responding to Jesus’ instructions to honor those blessings through serving in his name.”

Delecia’s 86-year-old mother is excited about her daughter and son-in-law’s missionary service. “She is the most devout Christian I know,” Delecia said, “and she believes that if God calls us to serve, the only answer is, ‘Here I am, Lord, send me.’ Our three adult children have always known that their dad and I felt called to serve as missionaries. They have given us their blessings.”

Delecia believes God calls us to serve one another. “Mission is the most effective way we can illustrate God’s love and majesty and grace,” she said. “I’d like to think that when I am serving others, I will be an example of Christ’s love for them. But even if that’s not how I am perceived, I know I will be serving God, and that is enough. 

“Christ doesn’t necessarily call us to convert others. He calls us to serve others in his name. Mission is important in the world today because it is a real, concrete and definite way that we can fulfill the mandate: ‘To whom much is given, much will be required.’”