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08 Jan

January 8, 2026 |

Rev. Lynn E. Mefferd passed away January 6, 2026, at Heritage Pointe of Warren, Ind. He was a United Brethren pastor for 44 years and a missionary in Sierra Leone for ten years.

  • Visitation: 2-7 pm Friday, January 9, 2026, at Adkins Bailey-Love Mortuary, 35 West Park Drive, Huntington, Ind.
  • Funeral: 10am Saturday, January 10, at College Park UB church, 1945 College Ave., Huntington, Ind. There will be an hour of visitation prior to the service.

Lynn Mefferd was born in 1939, and was converted in 1946 at age 7. He cited his home church as Wren UB in Wren, Ohio, near Van Wert. In 1961 he married Betty Jean Myers, and that year they began pastoring the Zion UB church near Wilshire, Ohio. In 1963 they began five years at the Fairview and Convoy UB churches.

Mefferd graduated from Huntington College in 1965 and from the HC Seminary in 1968. He was ordained as a UB minister in 1968. That year, he and Betty were appointed as missionaries to Sierra Leone, serving in Freetown–Lynn as business manager, Betty as hostess for the many missionaries who stayed at the mission house. During one furlough, Lynn took a year of training at the School of World Missions and the Institute of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in California.

After leaving missionary service, Mefferd resume pastoral ministry:

  • 1978-1984 at Prescott Avenue UB church (now Lighthouse Community UB in Dayton, Ohio).
  • 1984-1989 at Decatur UB (Decatur, Ind.).
  • 1989-1991 at Convoy UB (Convoy, Ohio).
  • 1991-2004 at Dillman UB (Warren, Ind.).
  • 2004-2015 as pastor of Congregational Care at New Hope UB church in Huntington, Ind., serving alongside senior pastor Ray Seilhamer.

Mefferd was granted retired status in 2018. At the time of his death, he was a member of College Park UB in Huntington, Ind.

Mefferd’s online obituary says, “He had a servant’s heart and especially enjoyed caring for the people of his church congregations….He enjoyed reading books and singing songs to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He also enjoyed fishing, golfing, watching sports on TV, camping, traveling, doing puzzles, and eating ice cream. Pastor Lynn loved to sing in church and he enjoyed waking his daughters in the mornings with song.”

Mefferd is survived by his wife Betty, three daughters (Deborah, Joanne, and Cheryl), nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Preferred memorials may be made in memory of Lynn Mefferd to:

  • UB Global, 302 Lake Street, Huntington, Ind.
  • College Park United Brethren in Christ Church, Huntington, Ind.

 

(Written by Steve Dennie)

06 Jan

January 6, 2026 |
Rev. Richard “Dick” C. Case, 82, passed away December 31, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind.

 

Dick was born in 1943, and grew up in Wichita, Kansas, in the Bethel United Brethren church. He was converted in 1958. In 1964, he married Darlene Birdsall in Claire, Mich.

 

Dick graduated from Huntington University in 1966 and from the Huntington Theological Seminary in 1972.  He was ordained in 1974.

 

Dick pastored a nondenominational church for five years, and then served three years as pastor of the UB church in Kettering, Ohio. That was followed by nine years as campus minister of Hutchinson Community College in  Hutchinson, Kansas. In 1991, he began 13 years as pastor of Crestview UB church in Lafayette, Ind. In 2004, he became senior pastor of the Dillman UB church in Warren, Ind. He retired from there in 2013. In retirement, from 2014-2021, Dick was chaplain of the Heritage Pointe retirement center in Fort Wayne, Ind.

 

Dick is survived by his wife, Darlene, daughters Tonia and Amber, and six grandchildren.

 

A memorial service was held January 5, 2026, at Covenant Church in West Lafayette, Ind.

 

Written by Steve Dennie

25 Dec

December 25, 2025 |

Mary L. Towne passed away December 19, 2025, in Upland, Indiana, at the age of 95. Mary was a former member of College Park Church in Huntington, Indiana. She and her late husband, Evan Towne, served for six years as United Brethren missionaries in Sierra Leone, West Africa. She also served a term as president of the Evening Missionary Society.

Her funeral service will be held December 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel.

Read more about Mary and her family in her official obituary.

19 Dec

December 19, 2025 |

As we celebrate the Christmas season, please note that the UB National Office will be closed from December 24 through January 2. If you need to reach a member of our team before the holidays, feel free to call and/or email until then. We will be back in action when the office reopens in the new year on Monday, January 5, 2026.

We wish you a joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

And, in case you missed it in the Connect newsletter, check out this fun video the team made for our office Christmas party.

We’ll see you in 2026!

05 Dec

December 5, 2025 |

The next session of The United Brethren Story is right around the corner, and registration is now open. This interactive online course offers a meaningful and engaging journey through the history of the United Brethren movement from its earliest beginnings to the present day. You’ll gain insight into the convictions, leaders, and defining moments that formed our identity and continue to shape our mission today.

The United Brethren Story is required for anyone pursuing ministerial licensing in the UB Church. However, it is open to anyone interested in deepening their understanding of our shared history and strengthening their connection to the wider United Brethren family. Discounted group rates are available for Sunday School classes and small groups who are interested in participating in the class together.

The next session begins on Monday, January 26 and concludes on Sunday, March 15. You can find all the details, including how to register and what resources you will need, on The United Brethren Story events page.

07 Nov

November 7, 2025 |

The Otterbein United Brethren Church is searching for their next Senior Pastor. This individual will be a compassionate person who is sensitive to the needs of others.  They will exhibit a shepherd’s heart and enjoy building relationships with people of all ages.  They must be a gifted leader with a heart and passion for helping others grow their faith and relationship with God in a way that impacts their daily lives. This person will be an effective communicator of the Word and will foster unity and fellowship in the church body.

The Otterbein United Brethren Church has a history that traces its roots in Greencastle back to 1829. Currently, it is a congregation of approximately 250 people. They are committed to the infallible Word of God, generous with their time, talent, and resources, invested in the local community, and very mission minded. There is room for growth and a desire to reach more families in the community, and they are seeking a leader with a similar vision.

The Senior Pastor role at the Otterbein United Brethren Church is an exempt, full time, 12-month position. The salary and benefits package will vary based on education and experience in ministry leadership.

If you are interested in exploring this opportunity further, please send a copy of your resume and a cover letter to [email protected].

28 Oct

October 28, 2025 |

We are currently in the process of rebuilding our website, ub.org, and could use your help. We would like to feature photos of your people, in your church, and at your events. So we are inviting you to send us your best photos.

Here is what you need to know:

  1. Wide shots of your worship service and events will be useful in certain locations on the site.
  2. Closer shots that show faces, emotions, and conversations are better and will be more useful in more places.
  3. Photos taken in different contexts – fellowship after church, small group gatherings, children’s events, youth group parties, etc – are all welcome.

If you have photos to share, or if you are able to take a few in the next week or two, AND have permission to share them, simply open this link and upload your digital photos. We will take it from there.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to participate. Your photos will help bring the new ub.org to life and show those who visit who we are.

17 Oct

October 17, 2025 |

On Friday, October 17, at 3:00 p.m., the Huntington University community will gather to celebrate the inauguration of Dr. Robert Pepper, elected in January 2025, as the University’s 14th president. For the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, which founded Huntington University in 1897, this event represents the continuation of a cherished legacy and the beginning of a new, hope-filled chapter.

The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Merillat Center for the Arts on the Huntington University campus. Bishop Todd Fetters, will speak on behalf of the denomination, offering words of encouragement for the University’s next season of ministry and academic excellence. 

“This University was born from a dream our church held tightly: to create a space where Christ, scholarship, and service come together to shape lives for Kingdom impact,” said Bishop Fetters in an address to Dr. Pepper. “And now, it’s your turn to lead… We believe in you. And, we believe in the God who called you here.”

The ceremony will be streamed live on Huntington University’s YouTube Channel.

Dr. Pepper steps into this role at a pivotal time in the life of both the University and the broader church. As higher education faces new challenges and opportunities, his leadership brings renewed energy and innovative thought to HU’s mission of “impacting the world for Christ through scholarship and service.” 

As the University community gathers to celebrate this historic moment, the UB Church does so with deep gratitude and great expectation. Indeed, this inauguration marks not just a change in leadership—but a renewed commitment to the timeless mission that has guided both the Church and the University for more than a century.

08 Oct

October 8, 2025 |

It is with great joy that we recognize nine individuals who have recently answered God’s call to serve the Church of the United Brethren in Christ as ordained elders. This commitment is a profound step, and we celebrate the spiritual maturity, passion, and commitment these leaders bring to their churches and our denomination.

Six of these individuals (pictured above) were ordained during the Friday morning service at National Conference this summer. That day we celebrated the ordinations of Frank Yang, Colin Raab, Jay Leadley, Tiffany Rhine, Philip Kandeh, and Dawn Sundstrom. Since the conference, three others have been ordained during services held with their local congregations: Jason Carter, Robert Rose, and Aminata Conteh.

Please keep all nine of these ministers in your prayers. We thank God for their willingness to serve and for the gifts they continue to share as they guide, teach, and minister within the body of Christ.

08 Oct

October 8, 2025 |

We’re excited to share a few books recently published by folks right here in our United Brethren family. It’s inspiring to see the diverse gifts God has given us, and I encourage you to check out these titles that span fiction, spiritual encouragement, and history.

           

First up is Sunrise Mountain, a novel by David Kisamore, Senior Pastor at Mill Chapel UB Church in Reedsville, WV. In this young adult fiction novel, David tells the story of a young man’s journey with Jesus in a world of drama and dysfunction.

Next up is Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt by Diana Gruver. Diana, a board member at Otterbein Church in Greencastle, PA, offers a powerful look at historical figures who wrestled with the very real issues of depression and doubt, reminding us we aren’t alone in our struggles.

Finally, if you want to deepen your understanding of where we come from, pick up Essentials of United Brethren History: 10 Events, 10 Bishops, and 10 Issues You Should Know About by Steve Dennie. In this book, Steve, our former communications director and a dedicated UB historian, has compiled a concise and essential look at the history of the United Brethren in Christ denomination.

If any of these books pique your interest, you can find the links to each of them in the article above. Supporting these authors is a wonderful way to celebrate the talent within our denomination. Happy reading!