My earlier experiences in ministry were not positive. It was okay, and we saw some good things happen, but I struggled a bit. I don’t know why.

My first church, in 1964, was a part-time church near Willshire, Ohio, when I was a student pastor. I was elected to this job in 2005. During those 40 years, I cannot recall a time when I ever called a superintendent or bishop because I had a problem in the church. There were probably times when I should have, and I was too dumb to know I should.When we pastored the UB church in Sacramento, Calif., it took me a number of years before things started to happen, and that’s about the time I left to spend four years at the national office.

When I spent 13 years with Scripture Press. That’s where I got the other side of my ministerial training. I had the Bible and theology and all that stuff, but I didn’t have a clue how to lead. I kept causing problems. There was friction.

Scripture Press invested in men and trained me in leading. They put me in a position where I had to lead to be successful. Without that 13 years, I don’t think I would have been successful at Mainstreet. And without those 12 years at Mainstreet, I wouldn’t have known which end of the tool to pick up as bishop.

In addition, at Scripture Press I had the chance to see churches of other denominations. I was in a wide span of theological perspectives, and saw there was a whole other world beyond the United Brethren church. I saw what was working for churches in other groups.

If I had gone straight from the national office to Mainstreet or any other church, I don’t think I would have been all that successful. So I thank God for those years at Scripture Press and what they taught me about leadership.

Ron: The majority of our churches have very fine people–good hearts, good intentions. But somewhere we lost the zeal and vision to do anything ourselves, to reach lost people and plant new churches, and have that be a regular part of who we are in our churches. Part of me says that if reproduction isn’t taking place, the body is unhealthy. So we have lots of good people, but basically they are unhealthy. So I believed my task was to be a Johnny One-Note to get our churches focused on outreach again.

I think that, for the most part, it has been fairly well received, at least emotionally. But then comes the volitional step–doing something about it. And I think that’s where we are. Churches will tell you they want to grow and change, but when you tell them what that involves, “No, we don’t want to do that.”

Pat: We have emphasized that we’re here to serve you, not to keep the denomination going. Wherever we went, our influence and reception was based more on relationship than on position. In the past, when the bishop visited a church, that was a big deal. But not anymore. There is a deep respect for this office, but not an obvious respect. For us, it wasn’t about our office but about honestly trying to help churches.

Attitudinally, we know we both have come across kind of loud and straightforward.  We don’t mean to be loud, but that is how we come across.  At the same time, we have sought to show honest caring for people while challenging them in a straightforward manner with the truth of the Scriptures.

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Randy and Toni Fennig, UB missionaries in Sierra Leone, divide their time between:

  • teaching and mentoring at Evangelical College of Theology in Jui.
  • Developing an agricultural cooperative in partnership with the Sierra Leone National Conference in Bumpe.

In the photo above, Randy works with students at the college to prepare a garden plot that will be used to demonstrate the advantages of using a very simple drip-line system that employs a five-gallon bucket as its source.

philippinechurch1000.jpgThat’s the way Pastor Freddie Lolong describes his church of 57. The congregation meets in an area of approximately 200 square feet in Sucat/Paranaque in Manila. People sit on the stairway, in adjacent rooms, and on one another’s laps. He even has a tiny guitar that he uses to lead music, since a full-sized guitar would not fit into the crowded room.

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Huntington University and Global Ministries are partnering to send a team of academic consultants and language conversationalist to provide teacher training to nearly 200 Chinese English teachers and 300 students in aouthern China July 9 — August 2, 2009. This is the third year the invitation has been extended by the Zhuhai Department of Education.

You can follow the team’s activities on their blog, Zhuhai English Camp 2009.

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L-r: Bridger Fetters, Jenaya Bonner, and Jessica Hollopeter.

In recent months we approved a number of new staff members for service around the world.

Bridger Fetters is a member of College Park UB in Huntington, Ind. He has participated in a number of short-term projects in China and Macau, and partly grew up in Macau when his parents, Luke and Audrey Fetters, served there. Bridger will focus his efforts on evangelism and discipleship, and will also work with the English Language Institute as a means to develop relationships with students and adults.

Jenaya Bonner, a member of Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., has been to China and Macau twice as a short-termer. In Macau, she will focus on evangelism and discipleship, and will also work with the English Language Institute as a means to develop relationships with students and adults.

Jessica Hollopeter will serve as a mission journalist. She will live in Greenwood, Ind., and share her time between OMS and Global Ministries. She will be an employee of Global Ministries serving with a partner agency. Jessica, the daughter of Jason and Donna Hollopeter, is a member of Corunna UB church in Corunna, Ind.

galenmaritta500.jpgGalen and Maritta Fiedler (above) are “tentmakers” in southern Germany, where Galen teaches at a local Christian school that is passionate about reaching their community for Christ. Among the varied efforts to reach people for Christ, the Fiedlers also use English as a means to build relationships and establish rapport. They will host volunteers and students who come to help them with short-term ministries.

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Ryan and Laura Fennell (right) have been approved as endorsed staff with New Tribes Mission. They are members of the Morningstar UB Church in Kokomo, Ind. Both have been trained at the New Tribes Bible Institute and have earned degrees from other universities. They will go to Missouri this fall for pre-field training. Their long-term goal is to serve in Papua New Guinea on the New Tribes base in the city of Goroka. The base, known as Lapilo, is the headquarters for New Tribes in the country and is the location of the main staff children’s school, Numinohi Christian Academy.

Jeff and April Dice will live in Central America for 3-4 months each year. During these times they will serve as our Central American liaisons, overseeing volunteer ministries, developing national leaders, and assisting in the development of micro-business opportunities. Jeff, a former UB missionary in Macau, is associate pastor of Brown Corners UB church in Clare, Mich.

About 30 people representing Huntington University are conducting teacher training in the city of Zhuhai, China. Half went last week, and the others will leave this weekend.

The China Team has a blog which already has a number of entries (plus many photos) about what they’re doing.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries, leaves for China tomorrow morning (July 17) to take part in the second stage of the teacher training program. His college-age son, Jason, is going with him.

Donna Hollopeter originally planned to go with the first group, but a diagnosis of bronchitis killed that idea. However, she’s feeling much better. She left today for Detroit, where she will catch a plane for China tomorrow.

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The photo above shows what we anticipate may be the last of five shipments of to Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone. These supplies and furnishings were sent in our effort to rehabilitate the hospital following the devastation that occurred during the Civil War. Included with this shipment is a full-sized x-ray machine.

That’s a lot of equipment to fit in a container, don’t you think?

We are currently soliciting funds to pay the $15,000 it will cost to ship and clear this container. Previous shipments included:

  • Over 100 hospital beds and mattresses.
  • A complete operating suite.
  • Literally tons of vital equipment, medications and materials.

During this same period of time, we have been able to assist the national conference by:

  • Digging a well.
  • Purchasing a new generator for electricity.
  • Sending four teams of physicians.