We’re looking forward to an exciting US National Conference this summer. The date is July 17-20. We’ll be meeting on the beautiful campus of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. They are basically letting us take over their entire multi-story Student Union complex, which can accomodate everything we need–a huge ballroom for our services, plenty of rooms for workshops, areas for children’s ministry, a large room for the women’s track, and space for exhibitors. There’s even an onsite Starbucks. And right next door is the dining facility and a Dunkin’ Donuts.

Get Your Registration in Now
Early-bird pricing is available through June 1.

Individual: $75 ($90 after June 1, 2019)
Family: $115 ($140 after June 1, 2019)

You can register here. There are actually three parts: Registration, Lodging, and Meals. You MUST register for the conference itself, but the lodging and meal parts are optional–your choice. Lodging is available on campus or in local hotels. Lunch and dinner tickets can be purchased for the campus dining hall.

Lodging
You are welcome to stay in Founders Hall, a campus residence hall. All of the beds are single (twin) beds, and there are no TVs in any rooms. It won’t be as comfy as a motel room, but it’s convenient and inexpensive. A set of linens and breakfast vouchers for the dining hall will be provided. Read more here.

The Registration page has links to four hotels in Bowling Green which are giving us a special conference rate. All four are located within a half-mile of the campus. Read about them here.

Meal Tickets
The Oaks has an excellent variety of food. You can purchase lunch and dinner tickets.

Adults: $10 per meal.
Youth (age 8-12): $6.75 per meal.
Children (4-7): $5.25 per meal.

Kids under 3 eat free with a purchased adult meal.

Theme and Keynote Speaker
Let’s Pray” is the theme for this summer’s US National Conference. Keynote speaker Daniel Henderson (right) will focus our attention on prayer during the Wednesday and Thursday night services.

Daniel Henderson was a senior pastor for over 20 years. Now, as president of Strategic Renewal, he works fulltime helping congregations experience renewal and prayer-based revitalization. He has written a number of books on biblical leadership and prayer, including “Transforming Prayer” and “Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word.”

Friday Night Spotlight on Missions
The Friday night service will focus on United Brethren missions. The keynote speaker will be David Datema (right), a UB ordained minister who, since 1999, has been an endorsed UB missionary with Frontier Ventures. His work with the US Center for World Mission has given him unique insights into worldwide mission work, particularly among unreached people groups.

Regional Meetings
In May, Bishop Todd Fetters will lead a series of regional meetings to review the proposals to be presented at the Thursday morning business session. The time in each location is 9:00 – 11:30 am.

May 6: Chambersburg, Pa.
May 8: Willshire, Ohio.
May 13: Sunfield, Mich.
May 15: Virtual meeting via Zoom.

Ministers and lay delegates are strongly encouraged to participate in one of these meetings. Complete information and a registration link can be found here.

Download the Conference Logo
The conference logo can be downloaded here in various formats, which you can use in your church communications–newsletters, announcement slides, etc. You can also download, by itself, the “wordcloud” used in the logo–for example, to use in a sermon series.

Links about the 2019 US National Conference
Conference homepage
Registration
Schedule
Campus Housing
Hotels
Business Session
Regional Meetings

Grace Green

Grace Green, a retired United Brethren pastor’s wife, passed away March 25, 2019. She was 99 years old. She and her husband, Rev. Harold Green, during their 49 years of marriage, pastored UB churches in Michigan and spearheaded a church plant in Colorado. She is the sister of Rev. Donald Dennie, a retired UB minister living in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Viewing: 4-7 pm Thursday, March 28.
Funeral: 11 am Friday, March 29.
Viewing and funeral location: Roth-Gerst Chapel, 305 N. Hudson, Lowell, MI 49331.

Huntington University has launched a doctoral program in Occupational Therapy at its campus in Peoria, Ariz. It will share space with HU’s Arizona Center for Digital Media Arts.

This is an expansion of the highly successful doctoral program based at the Parkview Randallia campus in Fort Wayne, Ind. The current program already attracts students from the West Coast.

The Arizona program will begin classes in January 2021 for 32 students. In the meantime, the university is making arrangements to hire a full-time program director, academic fieldwork coordinator, faculty, and an administrative assistant.

A two-room Birth Waiting House, for women with high-risk pregnancies, opened at Mattru Hospital on March 8. Special thanks to Summit Church Missions for donating the funds needed to make it happen.

According to Elaine Metzger, Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. One reason is the lack of hospitals. Mattru Hospital is one of only two in the Bonthe District, and the lack of roads and transportation makes it difficult for women to get to hospitals.

Elaine writes, “Thankfully there are more village health centers where high risk pregnancies can be detected earlier. Now those women can travel to Mattru earlier in their pregnancy and live in the Birth Waiting House until the baby arrives. Being on hospital grounds, they will have access to medical support as soon as labor begins.”

The Chiang Rai International Christian School (CRICS) is looking for teachers to fill a variety of needs in 2019-2020. The school serves expats, like the children of UB missionaries Brian and Rachel Glunt, as well as Thai students. Hannah Barrett, a UB Global Jump Start staff member and Huntington University graduate, is currently teaching elementary education at CRICS.

Current Needs:
Secondary Math
Secondary Social Studies
Computer Teacher (Gr 2-12)
Art
Elementary
Special Education Teacher and Assistant
Speech and Language Pathologist
Substitute Teacher
English as a Second Language Teacher
Curriculum Coordinator

Contact them at recruiter@crics.asia

Mrs. Sonia Blair passed away March 18, 2019. Until December, she was served as secretary and in other capacities at Pleasant Hill UB church in Greencastle, Pa. Among Sonia’s children is Dr. Anthony Blair, an ordained UB minister who is currently president of Evangelical Seminary in Myerstown, Pa. The funeral will be held at 11 am Saturday, March 23, at Pleasant Hill.

Terrence L. Bakner Sr., 80, passed away on March 12, 2019, in Chambersburg, Pa. He was a former United Brethren minister in Pennsylvania, including at Blue Rock UB church in Waynesboro. He was also a graduate of Huntington University.

Corunna United Brethren in Christ Church is a small-town congregation located just beyond the northern suburbs of Fort Wayne, Ind. We are looking for a co-vocational pastor who will help us reach our full potential in spiritual growth and ministry to others.

Our next pastor will be a person who balances effective preaching with pastoral care. The ability to encourage, equip and enable God’s people to do the work of ministry is essential. Skill and experience with discipleship will be a benefit. It is also anticipated that this individual will maintain professional ministerial credentials with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.

Corunna UB is a congregation of approximately 40 people who are consistent in both attendance and financial support. We are a biblically and missionally minded congregation with a wide range of generations and talents and a welcoming, family-feel atmosphere.

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.

Presenting the check to UB Global. L-r: UB Global director Jeff Bleijerveld, associate director Michelle Harris, Rich Beaver, and Cindy Krumanaker.

The Rotary Club in Huntington, Ind., has long been a supporter of the Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone. On March 6, members Rich Beaver and Cindy Krumanaker presented Michelle Harris and Jeff Bleijerveld with a check for $11,300. Their contribution will pay for the electric meters being installed throughout the community, so the hospital can charge customers for the electricity provided from their solar array. The proceeds will be used to help pay the salaries of the hospital staff.