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As of October 25, people had contributed over $55,000 to the three hurricane relief funds we created in September.
In addition, some people have contributed directly to these places. The figures above reflect only the money channelled through the United Brethren Headquarters and Global Ministries.
Doug Birdsall was installed as International Chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization during the organization’s global forum in Pattaya, Thailand, in October.
Doug is the brother of Brent Birdsall, pastor of College Park UB church (Huntington, Ind.) and of Brian Birdsall, a UB endorsed missionary serving in Ukraine. A sister, Connie, attends a Missionary Church congregation in Berne, Ind.
The forum brought together 1500 church leaders from around the world to focus on the task of global evangelism.
The Lausanne Movement is an outgrowth of a 1974 International Congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, convened by Billy Graham. At that historic meeting, several thousand participants from 150 countries signed the Lausanne Covenant “to be more intentional about world evangelization.” Lausanne’s vision is to energize churches, mission agencies, networks and individuals “to respond with vigor and courage to the cause of world evangelization.” The unifying theme of the Lausanne Covenant and the Lausanne Movement is, “The Whole Church Taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.”
Since 1980, Doug Birdsall has served as a missionary in Japan with Asian Access/LIFE Ministries, an organization that focuses on evangelism and church multiplication. He is currently President of Asian Access. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell, and Harvard University. He and his wife, Jeanie, have three children, Stacia, Judd and Jessamin, who were all born and reared in Japan.
Doug returned to Gordon-Conwell in 1999 to help establish the Wilson Center for World Missions, and is seconded to the seminary for 20 percent of his time by Asian Access/Life Ministries
David and Melissa Kline are still trying to obtain work permits so they can teach in the Macau English Language Program. In the meantime, they are finding other ways to serve the Macau people, while Jana and Jennifer Blandin carry the bulk of the teaching responsibilities.
Huntington College has announced a total fall enrollment of 975 students. This is just slightly lower than the 980 announced in 2003. They include:
The College enrolled 235 new students, including 204 freshmen and 31 transfer students.
During Homecoming at the beginning of October, Huntington College presented awards to two alumni.
Jana sends these notes from Macau.
The Laurel Mission Board of Directors met at the Mission for two days in October. Central Conference Superintendent Tom Brodbeck reports that they found two major answers to prayer.
“First, we have been praying about the need for a multi-purpose facility in the community that would replace our former Hodgeboom facility (which was destroyed by the mining operation). It appears highly probable that the local school system will have a building to give for that purpose. If all goes as planned, the Laurel Mission and the nearby Red Bird Mission will jointly oversee this venture. A new board of directors has been formed in the community to help make this happen.
“Second, we have also been praying about the need for additional staff to assist in the work, but have been unable to move ahead on this due to a lack of suitable housing in the area. Thanks to a generous donation from a long-time friend of the mission, we now have an 850 square foot house on site (almost finished). You will be seeing our invitation for resumes circulated soon.”
Tom also noted the death of Rev. Robert Smith, the father of Rev. Ken Smith, the pastor of our Cedar Chapel church at the mission. “Rev. Robert Smith was known in the region as the ‘Singing Preacher.’ In addition to his day job as a coal miner, he traveled the region as an evangelist. He had been ill for some time, and just one day prior to his death the family had finalized arrangements for hospice care. Part of his legacy is that each of his three sons followed him into the ministry.”
Five UBs are currently serving short-term in Jamaica: Bishop Emeritus Wilber and Mossie Sites (from Pennsylvania) and Angela Oesterle (Michigan) at Jamaica Bible College, and Kent and Carol Maxwell (Indiana) at Jamaica Theological Seminary.
Significant progress is occurring on the buildings and other preparations for opening the orphanage for Here’s Hope Ministries in Belize. Much work is being done through Bob Eberly, from Greencastle, Pa., and other supporters.
The 2004 VBS project was the Living Water Christian School in Big Laurel, Kentucky. We are pleased that $11,000 was received.
The disastrous hurricanes in September prompted us to create relief funds for Haiti, Jamaica, and Florida. Some people and churches contributed directly. Here is a summary of the money channeled through the United Brethren offices as of early October:
Work crews will go to Jamaica in early 2005 and possibly to Haiti. Haiti, struck by two hurricanes, suffered grave damage. Several UB churches were destroyed, some UB people were killed, and other UBs lost their homes and possessions. Charley wiped out the entire village where one of our churches was located, and the whole population must relocate.
In Jamaica, several of our churches lost parts of their roofs, as did several parsonages. Seven buildings at Jamaica Bible College suffered roof damage.
