For December, free shipping is available on coffee mugs with the United Brethren logo. They make good Christmas gifts for Sunday school teachers, board members, and others. Fill with candy for a real treat.
Cost: $6 each, or 4 for $20.
You can order from the United Brethren National Office.
To order, call toll-free 1-888-622-3019. Ask for Jane Seely. Or email Jane.
Todd Fetters (right), Bishop, US National Conference
The 2017 US National Conference will meet next summer, July 12-15, in Lancaster, Pa., where our denomination began 250 years ago. We have reserved the afternoons for special activities surrounding our 250th anniversary. For that reason, we want to limit the business session to Thursday morning, 8 am to noon. Center stage will be important proposals from the Task Force on Human Sexuality (which are still being finalized).
We invite United Brethren members and churches to submit proposals they would like the National Conference to consider in 2017. Proposals normally involve revisions to the United Brethren Discipline, but may include other issues. However, in light of the anniversary, we will limit what gets passed along. The bishop, in collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, will decide the urgency of the proposals; some can no doubt wait until 2019. But we do want to open the door to your ideas.
The Executive Leadership Team set the following schedule regarding proposals for the 2017 US National Conference.
In submitting proposals for revising the Discipline, here are a few guidelines:
As a reference, here is a proposal from a previous conference.
Chapter 14, Churches in Crisis
Intent: Place closing a church in the hands of the local board, instead of the local conference.Current wording:
3. Closing the Church
The final decision will be made by the local conference. When that decision is made, the following actions will occur:New wording:
3. Closing the Church
The final decision will be made by the local board. When that decision is made, the following actions will occur:
For non-Discipline proposals, include a description of what you want to see done (perhaps in the form of a motion, if appropriate), along with rationale.
Send all proposals to my administrative assistant, Cathy Reich:
Email: cathy@ub.org
Surface mail: 302 Lake Street, Huntington, IN 46750.
The current Discipline can be found at ub.org/discipline. You can read it online or download a PDF copy. If you attend one of the regional meetings, and certainly if you attend National Conference, I recommend that you print out a copy for yourself.
I look forward to seeing you next summer in Lancaster.
Trust God More!
For this “Giving Tuesday,” Global Ministries invites you to help us provide salary support to the hospital staff at the Mattru United Brethren Hospital in Sierra Leone, West Africa. We are short on funds to pay all salaries before the end of 2016.
If you would like to help, click on this link to make a donation online, or send your gift marked “Sierra Leone – Mattru Hospital” to:
Global Ministries
302 Lake Street
Huntington IN 46750
In the future, a new solar project, with a number of associated small business projects, will eliminate the need for salary support for the hospital.
Details have been set for the 2017 UB Youth Workers Summit.
Date: April 24-28, 2017
Hotel: Hilton Gardens Inn
Address: 2560 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32118
This is an annual event of encouragement and training for persons in youth ministry. It is available for the lead youth ministry workers (fulltime, part-time, or volunteer) in every United Brethren church. About 25 youth persons usually attend.
The Summit is a great time of networking with other youth leaders and being encouraged by others who are in the trenches of youth ministry. They enjoy the beach, the golf course, and incredibly beautiful weather, along with the chance to slow down and step away from the constant demands of youth ministry.
Looking ahead: The 2018 Youth Summit will be held April 23-26, 2018, in Daytona Beach, Fla.
William Wheeler has been named senior pastor of Mt. Pleasant UB church in Angola, Ind. He had been filling the pulpit since the retirement of the previous pastor, Devon Strine. Wheeler is a 1987 graduate of the former Fort Wayne Bible College, and in 1991 received the Master of Christian Ministry from Huntington University.
Matt McKeown from First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla., leads a time of worship.
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
Fifteen ministry couples are gathered in Daytona Beach for fellowship, relaxation, and mutual stimulation. Yesterday, we dealt with the question of our heart’s condition, spiritual disciplines, and cultivating friendship while ministering to others. Today we’re wrestling with numerous cultural shifts and how our principles and values may need to be expressed in new ways so that the mission of God, to make and multiply disciples, remains at the forefront of our ministries.
A Pastoral Resource Day will be held November 6-7, 2016, at Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center in Chambersburg, Pa. This event is sponsored by the United Brethren Association, the United Brethren denomination, and Rhodes Grove Camp. This year’s theme is “UB Connected.”
The event begins at 3 pm on Sunday, November 6. Bishop Todd Fetters will speak at 6:30 on “Gospel: Spiritually Alive.”
At 9 am on Monday, Mike Dittman, director of National Ministries, will speak on “Unity: Relationally Connected.” Then Jeff Bleijerveld, director of Global Ministries, will speak at 10:15 on “Mission: Missionally Engaged.”
A Pastors & Wives Summit is underway in Daytona Beach, Fla., with 32 people attending. They include 13 senior pastor and spouses from churches of 300+ attendance. They are joined by three couples from the National Office: Bishop Todd and Lisa Fetters, Global Ministries director Jeff and Charlene Bleijerveld, and National Ministries director Mike and Pam Dittman. The event began Monday night and will conclude on Thursday.
The Executive Leadership Team, during its October 17-18 meeting, approved the Pastoral Compensation guidelines for 2017. Many United Brethren churches use this formula to set salaries and budgets for the coming year.
The 2017 minimum fulltime salary (called Standard Base Salary) for senior pastors was set at $38,756, which is a 1% increase over 2016. This is a minimum. Churches are encouraged to go beyond the minimum. This year, the guidelines also provide figures for 1.5% and 2% increases.
The Standard Base Salary is only the starting point. Other factors—such as experience, education, church attendance, and staff size—add to the base salary.
Benefits such as parsonage, utilities, SECA, insurance, and pension round out the total compensation package.
To be a fulltime pastor, the compensation package must meet all of these criteria in full. If a church cannot meet these guidelines, a pastor may pursue supplemental employment to achieve the compensation level.
Questions have been coming to the National Office about overtime pay for church employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), though designed for businesses, also applies to churches and other ministries.
The Fall 2016 edition of The Deacon’s Bench, a newsletter from Brotherhood Mutual, does a thorough job of explaining how the FLSA applies to churches, especially regarding overtime pay. You can download that issue here.
The newsletter covers these areas:
The newsletter explains a “ministerial exception” which “is intended to apply to pastors, ministers, or other employees who are ordained or who function in a similar religious capacity.” Five criteria are given for classifying someone as a minister.
The newsletter also discusses church record-keeping, and how the FLSA applies to educators.
We encourage you to download the newsletter
