Bishop Todd Fetters (middle) with Denny and Annette Sites.


Bishop Todd Fetters with Mrs Mossie Sites.


The Jerusalem Chapel sanctuary.

On July 25, Bishop Todd Fetters attended Jerusalem Chapel (Churchville, Va.) to honor Rev. Dennis Sites, who was retiring after 40 years in the United Brethren ministry–37 of those years at Jerusalem Chapel.

Denny and Annette, who met at Huntington University, were married in May 1981 and soon headed off to First UB church in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., where Denny spent the next two months completing his internship under the direction of Rev. Marvin Price. Then they were assigned to First UB church in Clarkston, Wash., where they served for the next two-and-a-half years. In March 1984, Denny was appointed senior pastor of Jerusalem Chapel…and there he remained for the next 37 years. The congregation has grown and thrived under his leadership, and many souls have been impacted for Jesus.

Denny is the son of Bishop Emeritus Wilber Sites, Jr. His father passed away in 2010, but his mother, Mossie, is still going strong at age 95. She lives in Chambersburg, Pa., but came to Churchville for this special service.

Rikkz Premnath was appointed senior pastor of First UB church (Findlay, Ohio), effective March 1, 2021. He is a 2011 graduate of Winebrenner Theological Seminary in Findlay.

Ricky Hull was appointed senior pastor of Sunfield UB church (Sunfield, Mich.), effective July 1, 2021. He previously served as senior pastor of Mt. Hermon UB church (Pomeroy, Ohio) 2012-2015, and as senior pastor of Crossroads UB (Charlotte, Mich.) since 2015. He was ordained in 2015. Hull is a 2014 graduate of Winebrenner Theological Seminary (Findlay, Ohio).

Mark Tinsley was appointed senior pastor of Jerusalem Chapel (Churchville, Va.), effective July 26, 2021. He follows Dennis Sites, who retired after serving 37 years as pastor of Jerusalem Chapel. Tinsley is a graduate of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as a chaplain in the US Army Reserves, and most recently pastored a church in Madison Heights, Va. He and his wife, Beth, have five children ranging in age from 6-16.

Christopher Moore was appointed senior pastor of Salem UB church (Chambersburg, Pa.) effective October 1, 2021. He had previously served in ministry at Emmanuel UB church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Good Shepherd UB (Huntington, Ind.), and Mt. Zion (Decatur, Ind.). He and his wife, Brenda, have most recently been endorsed UB missionaries, serving with Here’s Hope Ministries, an organization with ministry in Belize.

Greg Helman (second from right) with the umpiring crew.

Rev. Greg Helman, pastor of Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.), helped umpire the Pennsylvania State Champion softball game at Penn State University in June. He and his crew from Franklin County, Pa., were chose to umpire the AAA final at Beard Field. He was the second base umpire.

He writes: “One close play at second involved a runner returning to the base after the left fielder ran down a fly ball. She threw it to the shortstop, who hesitated and then threw it to second. My call was safe as the runner’s fingers touched the base as she slid head first before the ball was caught. This call was appealed and we gathered together to determine the situation. Ultimately, the call was safe. The fans for the defense weren’t happy. However, I later watched the play on my tv and the announcer stated, ‘Blue got it right!'”

Greg’s wife, Marty, and daughter Greta surprised him by attending the game, which was televised on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

Access the livestream of the main services of the 2021 US National Conference at: nc.ub.org

Two services remain: 6:30pm on Friday night, July 16. The speaker is Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University.

At 9am Saturday morning, July 17, Bishop Todd Fetters–newly re-elected to another four-year term–will speak to conclude the conference.

Friday afternoon and evening, beginning at 2:00 pm, will be held at Huntington University. Many activities are planned–all of which have been moved indoors, with rain in the forecast. Anyone can attend, whether or not they are registered for the conference. So if you’re in the neighborhood, come to the HU campus and enjoy the fun–tours, music, food, activities for kids, and much more.

The Saturday morning service is also open to anyone. We’d love to have people from the surrounding area attend. The service will begin at 9am at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne.

On Friday, July 16, delegates to the US National Conference will gather at Huntington University for an afternoon and evening of tours, food, music, presentations, and other activities. It’s gonna be a great deal of fun. There will be an evening service at 6:30 in the Merillat Centre for the Arts, with President Sherilyn Emberton speaking.

This event is open to anyone. You don’t need to be registered for the US National Conference.

With rain in the forecast, all activities have been moved indoors…just in case. Below is the revised schedule.

You can also download the schedule in PDF, and view the HU campus map.

The 2021 US National Conference begins Wednesday, July 14, in Fort Wayne, Ind. The main services will all be livestreamed, so people can watch them online. Go to: http://nc.ub.org

This applies to four services:

  • 6:30 Wednesday, July 14. Speaker: Mike Dittman, UB Director of National Ministries. Topic: “The Disciple-Maker as an Apprentice of Jesus.”
  • 6:30 Thursday, July 15. Speaker: Frank Yang, executive director of UB Global. Topics: “The Disciple-Maker as a Foreigner in a Strange Land.”
  • 6:30 Friday, July 16. Speaker: Sherilyn Emberton, President of Huntington University.
  • 9:00 Saturday morning, July 17. Speaker: the bishop-elect (delegates will elect a bishop on Thursday morning, July 15).