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11 Jan

January 11, 2017 |

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On January 11, 1988, the first term of the English Language Program began in Macau. They budgeted for 40 students, but 120 students enrolled. “God gave us the best beginning we could have imagined,” said Luke Fetters, one of the founding missionaries.

The team included two American pastoral families who had arrived in Hong Kong in Nov. 1986–Luke and Audrey Fetters, and Phil and Darlene Burkett–plus Carol and Cannie Chan, a United Brethren couple from Hong Kong. They leased space on the second floor of a building to use for ELP classes and church services for what became Living Water Church.

The ELP ran four nights a week, Tuesday through Friday, but each student came just two nights. They started at 6:30 with an hour of teaching. Luke and Phil did nearly all of the teaching; Audrey and Darlene, with small children at home, sometimes substituted. At 7:30, they opened the accordion doors between classrooms and all of the students joined for a ten-minute chapel period, which Carol Chan led in Chinese. The chapel was upbeat, with a very clear Gospel message.

Next came a ten-minute break, during which Luke, Phil, and the Chans tried to engage with students, perhaps asking them something related to the chapel message. After another 30 minutes of teaching, the first session ended. Then they started all over again at 8:30 with a second batch of students. The evening ended at 10:30.

There were six levels. Initially, they offered Level One, plus Level Four classes for students who already knew some English. Each term lasted 12 weeks. It took two years to complete all six levels. Two years for the Gospel message to sink in.

08 Jan

January 8, 2017 |

koroma_ritaRita Wild Koroma, 87, passed away on January 8, 2011, in Oxford, England. She served as a missionary teacher in Sierra Leone 1954-1962.

Rita was the daughter of Rev. Fred Wild, who pastored UB churches in the Midwest for 48 years in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Illinois. She graduated from Huntington University, and later earned a Masters in History from Northwestern University.

Rita arrived in Sierra Leone during the early stages of Centennial High School, working alongside principal E. DeWitt Baker. She taught at the school for ten years, and served one year as interim principal while the Bakers were on furlough. In 1963 she married Adams Koroma, and spent the rest of her days in England.

07 Jan

January 7, 2017 |

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On January 7, 1955, Centennial High School was dedicated in Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone. The name recognized 100 years of United Brethren ministry in Sierra Leone. It was a big day. The 800 guests included various government dignitaries, and the National Secretary of Education gave the keynote address.

Centennial was not only the first UB high school in Sierra Leone, but the first co-educational high school in the country. Spearheading the school was missionary DeWitt Baker, who had arrived in Sierra Leone in 1949 (and in 1965 became president of Huntington University). He ordered materials, hired and supervised workers, and oversaw all other aspects of construction.

They needed hundreds of bags of cement, which they mixed with sand on the beach to make thousands of blocks. Construction stopped in June with the advent of rainy season. When work resumed in September, 100 men arrived seeking work. DeWitt hired 50 of them. He wrote, “I hauled stone and sand, and kept my eye on all that was happening.”

Ultimately, there were 15 buildings, including an administration/library building, boys’ and girls’ dormitories, four classroom buildings, bath houses, a dining hall, a chapel, and five buildings for staff. Water was pumped 800 feet from a stream into a large tank which supplied the various buildings.

The school opened on January 24, 1955. Enrollment quickly rose to about 90. DeWitt was the proud principal…and much more. He taught classes, hired construction workers, supervised teachers, led chapels, wrote paychecks, kept the books, ordered supplies, unloaded building materials, graded papers, cooked meals, typed and mimeographed tests, planted fruit trees, and so much more.

After ten years, the school had grown to nearly 300 students. After 30 years, there were 600 students and a staff of 31. Scores of children had found Christ, and Centennial alumni could be found in cities throughout the country working in colleges, police stations, schools, government posts and sundry other jobs.

06 Jan

January 6, 2017 |

The United Brethren denomination started 250 years ago in Lancaster, Pa. Throughout 2017, we’ll be telling “On This Day” stories from throughout our history. These will appear on the UB Facebook page and here on UBCentral. The first story appeared on January 3: Bishop Clyde W. Meadows was born on that day in 1901. The second will appear on January 7. Altogether, nearly 200 stories are planned.

To make sure you don’t miss any, you can do two things:

  • “Like” the UB Facebook page.
  • Sign up to receive the UB Daily News, which sends you an email each day, around 11 am, compiling all stories published on UBCentral during the previous 24 hours. Sign up here.

06 Jan

January 6, 2017 |

Jeff Bleijerveld (right) Director of Global Ministries

Jeff is part of a 10-person team, mostly medical personnel, which is spending January 2-14 in Sierra Leone. He sent this report on Friday, January 6.

We made a number of important visits on our way to the Mattru Hospital, including the Minister of Health and Chief Medical Officer in Freetown. In Mattru, we also met with the paramount chief and regional health directors.

Michelle and I have been in multiple meetings with hospital and conference leadership. We have also been asked to audit the hospital’s books for 2016 with the help of Matt Milich, an investment banker. Matt’s wife is one of the doctors, so it has been fun to see how God created a project here that’s perfectly suited to his gifts. The audit is going to take a few days and may include a number of recommendations. We also plan to meet the new business manager, Daniel Kamara. He is coming on staff as part of the solar and water projects. He has business accounting and finance education and has had excellent experience serving with the United Methodist Church.

Dr. Ron Baker’s mother, Evelyn, is in hospice and his wife, Jane, was hospitalized with influenza A. Jane is doing much better; his mother remains the same. Ron is recovering from bronchitis and is fine during most of the day, but coughs a lot during the night.

Yesterday a patient named Michael had surgery. He had a acute abdominal pain, infection and swelling and needed immediate surgery. He has come through the surgery well.

We have also connected with Francis and Bobbi Mustafa. They operate a 400 student grade 1-6 school in Francis’ hometown. We’ll send a small team to do a medical clinic there next Thursday.

At the end of the day, yesterday we went for a swim in the Jong River. It has a lovely sand bottom and clear water. It was one of Ron’s favorite things to do growing up. He can still swim across the river and back–even while recovering from bronchitis.

Thanks for your prayers. All are doing well. God is providing many opportunities to meet people, pray for patients, and share the gospel.

05 Jan

January 5, 2017 |

On Monday, January 2, a team left for Sierra Leone. It’s mostly a medical team which will work at Mattru Hospital. They will return January 14.

The travelers include two persons from Global Ministries, director Jeff Bleijerveld and associate director Michelle Harris (right). We are beginning a major and very exciting initiative at Mattru Hospital. Part of Michelle’s responsibilities include overseeing the missionary personnel we will be assigning to the hospital beginning early this year. This is Michelle’s first visit to Sierra Leone, though she lived ten years in the African nation of Gabon.

They are joined by a team of medical volunteers led by Dr. Ron Baker, who served at Mattru 1974-1990. The other team members include:

  • Dr. Dan and Elaine (RN) Metzger, who served at Mattru during the 1980s.
  • Dr. Ian and Laura Jackson and Esther (their 10 month old baby).
  • Dr. Kim Stillman, a third-year ER resident, and her husband Matt Millich (MBA).
  • Brooke Snyder, a nursing student.

Jeff and Michelle will help the medical team in whatever way they can. They will also meet with our national leaders to discuss several exciting projects, including the installation at Mattru Hospital of a solar electricity system and a water filtration system.

Information about these projects, and about several medical and other personnel who will soon join our team at Mattru, will be coming soon.

05 Jan

January 5, 2017 |

UB endorsed missionary Dave Datema (right) transitioned out of his role as one of three General Directors for Frontier Ventures, effective January 1. He will remain with Frontier Ventures in Pasadena, Calif., and with the US Center for World Mission, but will change roles. Here is his explanation.

“There are several reasons why I think it is time for me to step down from the Office of the General Director. The first reason is that I never planned on being GD for a long time. Back in 2009 when Dr. Ralph Winter asked me about taking the role, I saw that his health was rapidly declining and that the organization needed somebody to take the reins. I did so thinking that my role would be transitional, not knowing how long that transition might be. Now, seven and a half years later, it seems that I have been in this role much longer than any transition might necessitate. It was never my intention to be a lifelong General Director.

“The second reason is that I have increasingly recognized that my life-giving interests were more in the area of missiology than organizational development. I didn’t know in 2009 that so much of this role would cater to the latter not the former. Over the years, I have had many experiences, good and bad, that tested my mettle as an organizational leader. I’ve come to realize that my best contribution to Frontier Ventures is not the same as what some long for in an organizational leader.

“The third reason is that spending so much time on the organizational side has depleted my energy reserves. My zeal for it has slowly eroded. Years of living in a world of planning, org chart shuffling, dealing with personnel issues, real estate management and endless policies and procedures have taken their toll on my general well-being. As a wise man once said, ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.’

“I now look forward to my new assignment and future. First, I hope to get our campus collaboration onto firm footing for a new season of ministry together. Second, I am looking forward to diving into a full-time ThM Program at Fuller in June, possibly leading to PhD work. Ironically, pursuing doctoral-level work was one of the main reasons we came here 17 years ago. Yet the road we travel rarely goes in a straight line. I’m trusting that God has been in the twists and turns and that being on this road again is part of his plan for me. Someone once said, ‘There is no knowing. But walking makes the road.’ It is in that spirit that I move forward, still part of this community, but in a different role. I covet your prayers.”

05 Jan

January 5, 2017 |

High school students are invited to submit their film creations to the Forester High School Film Festival. It’s part of The Forester Film Festival on May 6, 2017. This yearly event is sponsored by the Digital Media Arts department of Huntington University.

Huntington University uses the festival to connect with creative high schoolers who want feedback on their work from industry professionals and are looking into continuing their education in either film, animation, or broadcasting.

Entries must be created by a current high school student. The deadline is April 1, 2017.

There are three categories:

  • A short film of 10 minutes or less.
  • A documentary or broadcasting piece created as part of a school news team, if the submitter is the featured reporter, anchor, or producer.
  • A stop motion or computer animation.

Winners will receive the “Forester Excellence Award” and are VIP’s to the Forester Film Festival black-tie screening event and reception. Winners also receive feedback on their work from professionals and may have their work screened at the reception.

Go here for more information.

05 Jan

January 5, 2017 |

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For January 2017, United Brethren Church Resources is offering a special on two books which are being recommended to cluster leaders. Both can be purchased, as hardbacks, for $20 each.

  • Dangerous Calling, by Paul Davis Tripp. It includes a free DVD.
  • A Work of the Heart, by Reggie McNeal.

To order, contact Jane Seely at the National Office.

Email: jane@ub.org
Toll-free: 888-622-3019

03 Jan

January 3, 2017 |

meadows_400On January 3, 1901, Clyde W. Meadows was born in Virginia. He would become the most influential United Brethren leader of the 1900s. For 33 years he pastored King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa., building it into the denomination’s largest church. Then he served as bishop for eight years.

Meadows was an innovator, a leader of leaders, a mentor to future bishops, a renowned songleader, and a man of boundless energy. He spoke to American troops in Vietnam, leaving the country just hours before the Tet Offensive began. He made six trips to meet clandestinely with Christians behind the Iron Curtain. He once finished an altar call for Billy Graham.

He was the first UB bishop to visit all of our mission fields. For a few years, he served simultaneously as bishop, president of the International Society of Christian Endeavor, and president of the World’s Christian Endeavor Union. In his 90s, he was still speaking up to 100 times a year.

Bishop Meadows passed away in 1999, having lived a fascinating life. His autobiography, “In the Service of the King,” is available from the National Office.