Sierra Rutile Chief Operating Officer, Andy Taylor (center) at the Moriba Town school.

Sierra Rutile Limited, a prominent mining company in Sierra Leone, donated 30 desks and bench sets to the United Brethren primary school in Moriba Town. Thanking Sierra Rutile for their donation was UBC Conference Education Secretary Albert Combey.

The school at Moriba Town is one of 44 primary schools sponsored by United Brethren churches in Sierra Leone. The conference also operates five secondary (high) schools.

Billy Simbo, former bishop of Sierra Leone Conference, now back in the States, sent this note on November 3 about his wife, Mamei:

“The diagnosis is that Mamei has poisoning in her blood which made her system shut down. She has pneumonia. All of this was confirmed from the fluid they drew out of her right lung yesterday. Also, they have her on dyalisis because her kidneys are not functioning so well today. At least now they know what the problem is and they are treating her accordingly. She will remain of the respirator for now and they will also keep her sedated. Thank you for praying with us and for us.”

Participants in the Central Asia trip (l-r): Annette Sites, Abbey and Sam Rocke, Anna and Pete Edgar, Laura Leichty, Letha Chambers, Bob Bruce, and Global Ministries director, Jeff Bleijerveld (all from Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Participants in the Central Asia trip (l-r): Annette Sites, Abbey and Sam Rocke, Anna and Pete Edgar, Laura Leichty, Letha Chambers, Bob Bruce, and Global Ministries director, Jeff Bleijerveld (all from Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

A multi-tasking team of nine left Monday, November 7, for Central Asia. We will return on November 19. During out time in Central Asia, we will offer a leadership development event, conduct programs for children in our leprosy and AIDS ministry, and teach English in a local high school.

Pray for the team as we have multiple flights and an overnight train ride before they reach their destination. But primarily, pray for Christ’s love to be demonstrated across all cultural, linguistic, and spiritual barriers.

All but one of the team members are from Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. The exception is Annette Sites, from Jerusalem Chapel in Churchville, Va.

Front row (l-r): Audrey, Jillian, Bronwen, Lauren. Second row (seated): Barbara and Paul. Third row: Jordan, Lisa, Todd, Brooks, Barbara, Melissa. Back row: Bridger, Quinn, Luke, Piers.

Nick Kight, Class of 2012 Student at Huntington University

It all began in Shakespeare class. Paul “Papa” Fetters and Barbara Mull did not fall in love immediately. Yet Paul and Barbara would eventually begin a relationship that would leave behind a legacy of future Fetters family members — most of whom would one day enroll at Huntington University.

Paul heard about Huntington College from Zion United Brethren in Christ Church in Willshire, Ohio. Walter Winkler, Paul’s Sunday school teacher, frequently took his students to Huntington’s campus for college events, conventions and Christian Life Emphasis Week.

Paul never intended to enroll in college. However, during his junior year of high school, he became a follower of Jesus Christ and felt the call to Christian ministry.

“I reckoned if I wanted to be a United Brethren pastor, I should go to a United Brethren college,” Paul said.

Paul worked his way through college at Schacht’s Rubber Company in Huntington, and spent his spare time volunteering with Gospel Volunteers and Clericus, campus organizations dedicated to preparing people for ministry and missions.

Following 16 years of pastoral ministry, Bishop George Weaver of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and then-Huntington College President E. DeWitt Baker requested Paul return to direct the new Graduate School of Christian Ministries. Under his care, the program took new directions coupled with the fulfillment of requirements for accreditation. Soon, that five-year stay extended to a 25-year appointment.
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