(260) 356-2312

UB.orgUBGlobal.orgUBChurches.org

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
Assignments
Camps
Church News
Communications
COVID-19
Denominational News
Events
Guest Posts
Huntington University
Ministers
Misc
Missions
National Conference
Obituaries
Staff Openings
UBHistory
Uncategorized

15 Oct

October 15, 2020 |

L-r: Coach Kevin Marshall, Calvary member Jeff Frazier, Athletic Director Gabe Rodriguez, and Pastor Ted Doolittle.

Ted Doolittle, senior pastor, Calvary Community Church

One of the “Be the Church” projects of Calvary Community Church (Saginaw, Mich.) was collecting water for the Bridgeport Public Schools. While most students are doing virtual school online in our school district, we learned that there are a total of 445 in-person students in the school district.

Drinking fountains are closed due to Covid-19, so our Leadership Team challenged the church to bring in water bottles so that schools could make every Wednesday in October “Water Wednesday” courtesy of Calvary. We set a goal of 1,780 bottles, but we surpassed that goal in two weeks by receiving 2,148! The schools were delighted when we delivered them.

While we have not been doing indoor worship yet, the church is not closed! The motto is: “While we can’t GO to church, we will continue to BE the church!” In addition to the water project, the church has continued to distribute more than ninety boxes of food each month to needy families in our community through our bi-monthly Outreach Ministry. More projects are planned.

02 Oct

October 2, 2020 |

Mount Pleasant United Brethren Church (Chambersburg, Pa.) is seeking a part-time Director of Children’s Ministries (15-20 hours/week). The successful candidate will possess:

  • a vibrant relationship with God which demonstrates itself in his/her lifestyle, relationships and conversations.
  • a passion for both enabling children to begin and grow a relationship with Jesus, and equipping parents to be the primary spiritual influence in their child’s life.
  • skill and experience in both team building and the administrative tasks of ministry.

Interested candidates should submit the following to Pastor Jim Bolich:

  • Cover letter
  • Resume
  • Written testimony and call to ministry
  • Links to social media profiles

Download the complete job description here.

(Posted October 2, 2020)

30 Sep

September 30, 2020 |

A record 25 people, including four men from Jamaica, attended the September 28-29 UB History course. The course, which is a requirement for ministerial licensing, was taught via Zoom. Bob Bruce, formerly a fulltime staffer at Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), led the course. Cathy Reich, administrative assistant to the bishop, tended to the technical and administrative aspects of the event.

The Covid crisis has led to some unexpected discoveries. One is that face-to-face meetings are not always necessary. Various denominational groups, including the Executive Leadership Team and the UB Global board, have been holding meetings online. In the process, money is saved on travel, food and lodging, and members don’t spend many hours traveling back and forth.

The UB History Course is another example. The in-person course scheduled last spring was hastily converted to a Zoom course, and it went surprisingly well. So when another session was scheduled for September, it was designed from the start as a Zoom class.

Of the 25 students, all but two were taking the course for licensing. They included one person from Canada, four from Jamaica, and 20 from the United States. The latter included persons participating from Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. There were 7 women and 18 men.

The format also allowed for guests to pop in and talk about an aspect of the denomination. They included Bishop Todd Fetters, Frank Y (acting director of UB Global), Jim Bolich (director of Ministerial Licensing), Steve Dennie (Communications director), Dr. Sherilyn Emberton (president of Huntington University), and Dr. Anthony Blair (president of Evangelical Seminary).

30 Sep

September 30, 2020 |

It may be the Year of Covid, but Huntington University has set a new enrollment record: 1,402 students, up from 1,393 the previous year. That includes students at the two Indiana campuses (Huntington and Fort Wayne) and at the campus in Peoria, Ariz. Enrollment hit 1300 back in 2016.

For the 8th consecutive year, the number of ethnic minorities from the United States has increased. They now make up 16% of the Huntington University population.

Also, for the fifth consecutive year, the number of states represented has increased. HU students now come from 34 different states.

Says HU President Sherilyn Emberton, “Our entire campus community, at all three geographic locations, worked diligently through the pandemic recess to offer the residential educational experience for our students in the fall of 2020.”

25 Aug

August 25, 2020 |

Easter Offering Update

We are so thankful for many churches and individuals that, in spite of not having in-person church, gave generously towards the generator fund for the Easter offering. The generator will contribute to the longevity of the hospital solar grid and increase income from community sales that go to pay hospital salaries. Thank you!

Posted by UB Global on Monday, August 24, 2020

The Easter Offering raised $17,100, which will go toward buying and installing a generator at Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone. Here is more from David Kline, associate director of UB Global. This will greatly increase the efficiency and lifespan of the solar power grid.

Since installing this grid, the level of care has changed at the hospital. They now have the ability to depend on oxygen machines that sustain life. Care is much easier when lights are on while preforming medical procedures. And in the sweltering African heat, air conditioning in the operating room provides a cleaner, more controlled environment for both the patient and surgeon.

Above is a thank-you message from David Kline, associate director of UB Global.

25 Aug

August 25, 2020 |

Ruth A. Merillat, 99, passed away Wednesday, August 19, in East Jordan, Mich. She and her husband, Orville Merillat, who died in 1999, were members of Trenton Hills UB church in Adrian, Mich. In 1946, they founded what became Merillat Industries, the nation’s largest maker of kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

After retiring from active leadership in the company, they devoted themselves to philanthropy through the Merillat Christian Family Foundation. Among other things, they gave tens of millions of dollars to Huntington University, to United Brethren church building projects, to UB missions and camps, and to other UB-related causes. In 1988, the National Association of Evangelicals recognized them jointly as NAE Laypersons of the Year.

A private funeral service is being held on Tuesday, August 25. It will be streamed live at 2:00 pm via the Lenawee Christian School Facebook page and Youtube channel.

20 Aug

August 20, 2020 |

Huntington University is preparing to reopen the campus for the fall semester. All campus activities were suspended in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But they’ve been working hard to prepare for a resumption of campus life, which is so important to the HU experience. Students are returning to campus, and classes will start August 31. The plan is to hold in-person classes until Thanksgiving, and then go online for the rest of the semester and January Term. Many other colleges are following the same plan.

In March 2020, Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, President of Huntington University, appointed a Covid-19 Task Force to examine HU’s response to the pandemic. Work groups have been studying the various aspects of college life, with the goal of maintaining a quality academic experience while practicing the highest level of healthy best practices. Many campus protocols and procedures have been put in place. You can read them here.

The University is diligently trying to cover all of the bases…and there are many.

The Centers for Disease Control has recommended using outdoor venues. With that in mind, Huntington University has raised six tents located throughout the campus to provide additional classroom space and social gathering space. These tents will provide safer venues for students, faculty, and staff to still enjoy the HU experience.

The United Brethren church made the tents possible. President Sherilyn Emberton partnered with the UB National Office and denominational churches, and UB people came through to fund the tents. The response was overwhelming.

Although classes don’t start until August 31, a number of student leaders, athletes, and others are already on campus. They began returning August 13. All of the fall sports (soccer, cross country, tennis, golf, and volleyball) are proceeding as scheduled, with competition set to begin in early September. The rest of the students will arrive next week.

In addition to creating more outdoor spaces, the college has posted clear signage in buildings throughout the campus to provide direction for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Operational guidelines and protocols were developed, and physical preparations were completed. Those include dividers in lab spaces, personal protective equipment supplied to students and employees, classroom capacities limited, and furniture rearranged to ensure distancing.

Keeping Covid-19 out will require a lot of vigilance, but a small school like Huntington has a fighting chance of making it happen. Let’s pray toward that end.

06 Aug

August 6, 2020 |

Pastor Mark Ralph (right) has been appointed Interim Senior Pastor at Findlay First UB church (Findlay, Ohio). He will assists the congregation in preparing for their next senior pastor, who will be appointed within the coming six months.

03 Aug

August 3, 2020 |

Mrs. Wardena Waldfogel passed away Saturday, August 1, 2020. She was 95 years old. She was the wife of Bishop Emeritus Raymond Waldfogel, with whom she served 50-some years in United Brethren ministry. They were married in 1945 and had five children.The family is using Myers Funeral Home in Huntington, Ind., but no public services are scheduled at this time.

Dr. Raymond and Wardena Waldfogel began their pastoral experience in 1950 in the former North Ohio Conference (northern Indiana and northwest Ohio), starting in 1950. He was fulltime conference superintendent for six years, and in 1969 was elected to the first of three terms as bishop, serving 1969-1981. They then returned to pastoral ministry. Bishop Waldfogel passed away in 2011.

30 Jul

July 30, 2020 |

Prince Street Church of the United Brethren in Christ in Shippensburg, Pa., is an intergenerational congregation in a state university town on the I-81 corridor in south-central Pennsylvania. We are looking for a senior pastor who will encourage and support the congregation in producing healthy, growing, reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ.

Our next senior pastor will lead with a servant’s heart, build relationships within the congregation and community, and enable people to work together to solve problems. Effective preaching/communication skills and the ability to help people relate faith to everyday life are essential. Experience in developing collaborative vision will be a benefit. It is also expected that this individual will maintain professional ministerial credentials with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.

Prince Street Church is a congregation of approximately 200 people. Our youth ministry and updated facilities position us to reach younger families. Our people are willing and ready workers who are committed to outreach locally, regionally, and globally. We are financially stable and have the facilities necessary to engage our rapidly growing region.

If this sounds like something for which God has been preparing you, please send a copy of your resume, a cover letter, and a current photo to bishop@ub.org.