(260) 356-2312

UB.orgUBGlobal.orgChurch Search

09 May

May 9, 2025 |

In order to help delegates prepare for conference, we are hosting a series of regional preview meetings. During these preview sessions, Bishop Fetters will share the proposals that will be presented during the business session at NC25. While no votes will be taken at these sessions, they do provide a space for more interaction and dialogue than would otherwise be possible at the national conference business session where the voting does take place.

The preview session packet is now available for download, and includes the following:

  • Nominating Committee Report (ELT and Bishop)
  • ELT Candidate Bios
  • Discipline Revision Proposals

The Discipline revision proposals primarily focus on the work of a task force enlisted by Bishop Fetters to better define church as described in the UB Discipline. The video linked below is the first in a series we will share leading up to conference related to this work. This first video explains more about why this task force was assembled, the process they followed, and the proposals they are making as a result of their work.

Click here to register for a preview session in your area.

Click here to register for National Conference.

02 May

May 2, 2025 |
Mabel Mundy, 84, passed away April 28, 2025, in Huntington, Ind.
For 27 years, 1987-2014, Mabel worked in the United Brethren National Office. She spent the first 16 years as executive secretary in the Missions department, working for three different directors—Bishop Jerry Datema (until 1993), Kyle McQuillen (1993-2001), and Gary Dilley (2001-2003). For a time, prior to the arrival of Donna Hollopeter, she was also interim director of the Women’s Missionary Fellowship.

 

In June 2003, Mabel switched to a different role, as accounting clerk. In that role, she worked with Finance director Marci Hammel until 2014, when Mabel finally retired at age 74.

 

Mabel possessed a variety of skills which made her a superb administrative assistant—detail oriented, organized, great relational skills, a servant spirit, and really smart. She was also highly dedicated, one of those employees who goes far beyond the job description and sometimes had to be told to go home. Point of interest: on the side, Mabel was part of a clown ministry.

 

Visitation: 3-7 pm Sunday, May 4, 2025. Location: Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

 

Funeral: 11 am Monday, May 5, 2025, with visitation one hour beforehand. Location: Bippus Calvary Church, 7955 N 900 W, Huntington, IN 46750.

 

Mabel was born in Huntington in 1940 and lived her entire life in the area. She and Bill were married in 1959 and had two sons and two daughters. Bill passed away in 2019, after 60 years of marriage, and one son also preceded her in death.

 

Memorial Contributions can be made out to UB Global, Church of the United Brethren, or Bippus Calvary Church all in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington IN 46750.

 

 

(Author: Steve Dennie)

30 Apr

April 30, 2025 |

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word… (2 Tim 4.1-2a)

—————————

God calls people from every generation to lead his church.  While we trust God to be faithful for tomorrow as he has in the past, we can’t be passive. God calls us to partner with him in the calling, equipping and sending of Christian leaders to build the Church. This has been a key part of the United Brethren’s past and we long to make it an integral part of our future.

We invite you to join in this work.

In the month of May, we are inviting the United Brethren Church to pray for the next generation of Christian leaders. Pray on your own, with your family, and in your church and small group gatherings. There is a need for more pastors and leaders, and we know the first critical step to identifying those individuals is prayer.

Please join us.

What can you pray for?

  • Pray that God would continue to make his call into ministry clear to the next generation.
  • Pray that people would have the courage and faith to respond to God’s call.
  • Pray that the Church would help identify the call in people.
  • Pray that the Church would equip, train, and encourage those called into ministry.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for video reminders and specific prayer prompts on Thursdays throughout the month.

Thanks for joining in this prayer focus for the month of May. We are excited to see how God moves!

Article submitted by:

Ryan Koch

Senior Pastor, Hopewell Church

 

24 Apr

April 24, 2025 |

The United Brethren National Conference (NC25) is fast approaching, and to get everyone up to speed and informed, we are once again hosting a series of regional preview meetings. These meetings are designed to give you a taste of what to expect at the conference, including key speakers, workshop topics, and any proposals that will be presented during the business session at NC25.

While no votes will be taken at these meetings, they do provide a space for more interaction and dialogue than would otherwise be possible at the national conference business session where the voting does take place. 

There are four regional preview meetings scheduled and one online meeting for anyone unable to attend one of the others. These gatherings are open to anyone, but we would especially love to see ministers, staff, and the lay delegates that will represent your churches. The dates and locations for each of these meetings are listed below. Find the one that best fits your schedule and register here.

Preview Meeting Dates and Locations

  • Monday, May 12 at Sunfield UB Church, 9:00-11:30AM
    8436 W Grand Ledge Hwy, Sunfield, MI 48890
  • Wednesday, May 14 at Living Grace Community Church, 9:00-11:30AM
    13726 Coldwater Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46845
  • Monday, May 19 at Atlantic Avenue UB Church, 9:00-11:30AM
    160 Atlantic Ave, Franklin, PA 16323
  • Wednesday, May 21 King Street Church, 9:00-11:30AM
    162 E King St, Chambersburg, PA 17201
  • Thursday, May 22 | Virtual Zoom Meeting, 7:00-8:30PM
    (All virtual meeting registrants will receive an email ahead of time with the Zoom invitation link. Our plan is to send this the day before as well as one hour before the meeting.)

For the latest updates and announcements about the 2025 National Conference including any changes to these preview sessions, visit the official conference website or follow us on social media.

If you still need to register for the conference, click here.

 

09 Apr

April 9, 2025 |

Roger Reeck, a longtime United Brethren missionary serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators, passed away March 28, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. A celebration of life will be held at 8:00 p.m. on April 21, 2025, at the Bethel Evangelical Education Center in La Ceiba, Honduras.

Roger and Marilyn Reeck met at Fort Wayne Bible College in Fort Wayne, Ind. Marilyn was born in Canada, but spent much of her childhood in Honduras, where her parents, Archie and Maisie Cameron, were United Brethren missionaries. Roger and Marilyn were married in 1971 in Honduras, and two weeks later began linguistic training to become Bible translators with Wycliffe.

Their first assignment was with the Zapotec language spoken in southern Mexico. There was no written language, so Roger crafted an alphabet, and then they taught the people to read in their own language. They spent 19 years on that project. Mark, the first Bible book to be translated, was published in 1981, and more books followed.

During those years in Mexico, four daughters were born to Roger and Marilyn. In 1990, the family moved to La Ceiba, Honduras, where they worked on the Garifuna Bible translation and could also care for Marilyn's aging parents. They returned to Mexico in 1999 for the dedication of the Zapotec New Testament. In 2002, back in Honduras, they dedicated the Garifuna Bible. In the years ahead, they also created a Garifuna version of the Jesus film, which was shown up and down the Caribbean coast, along with sundry other materials.

From 2006-2021, Roger and Marilyn served as translation consultants, starting with a project in Guinea Bissau, West Africa. That required many trips across the Atlantic. Other consulting projects opened up—in Mozambique, Belize, Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia, Surinam, Nicaragua, Trinidad, and Aruba. After Covid hit in March 2020, all consulting work was done via Zoom.

Today, tens of thousands of people can read the Bible in their own language because of Roger and Mariyn Reeck.

Instead of flowers, it is suggested that you consider donating to a future Bible translation project which was close to Roger's heart. Information can be found on the Everloved.com online obituary page.

(submitted by Steve Dennie)

03 Apr

April 3, 2025 |

Brown Corners Church in Clare, Michigan, is searching for a lead pastor. This individual will be responsible to the church for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, maintaining a consistent focus upon disciple-making as commanded in the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), and providing biblical leadership for the church. He shall serve as the chief under-shepherd and, along with the Elders, he shall provide Brown Corners Church with care and leadership in keeping with 1 Peter 5:2-4.

Brown Corners Church is a church of approximately 250 adult members and an average worship attendance of 300 people. It is a community-minded church with great facilities that are made available for use by partner organizations throughout the week. The church seeks growth through intentional community outreach and developing a robust small group ministry according to the vision and leadership of their next lead pastor.

This lead pastor role is a full time position at Brown Corners Church. A more detailed job description can be found here.

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

(First posted 2/6/25)

28 Mar

March 28, 2025 |

Plans are in place and more of the details are coming into focus. As they do, we will continue to post new updates to the National Conference site.

This week you will find two new updates:

  • The business session is now available in the list of menu options. While there is not much yet to share, you will find information related to how many lay delegates your church can send as voting members of the conference.
  • You can now register for the golf outing. The outing will take place on Thursday, July 17, with a shotgun start at 1:00 pm. The cost is $60 per golfer. Visit the event registration page for more details.

There are a few more updates coming soon:

  • We are preparing to launch an online, print-on-demand store where you will be able to purchase 2025 National Conference apparel and other United Brethren gear, and have it shipped directly to your home.
  • For those interested in the UB Youth Camp (for high school students and youth leaders) or the middle school day away (both hosted by Huntington University), keep an eye out for a Frequently Asked Questions link on the Student Events page.

One final update the you will not find on that site:

  • We have over 100 people registered for National Conference already and we hope you can join us. Registration is open until June 30, but why wait? Register now!

 

05 Mar

March 5, 2025 |
Rev. Roger Overmyer, a United Brethren pastor for 48 years in Ohio and Pennsylvania, passed away Saturday evening, March 1, 2025.

 

Overmyer graduated from the Kentucky Mountain Bible Institute in 1957, and the next year began pastoring a United Brethren church in Youngstown, Ohio and was ordained in 1960. That was followed by 18 years as pastor of First UB church in Findlay, Ohio. In 1980 he began pastoring the Seneca and Victory Heights UB churches near Franklin, Pa. The two congregations united in 1984, and he continued serving them until July 2006, when he retired from the United Brethren ministry.

 

In 2008, Overmyer became Pastor of Visitation at Oak Grove Church, a non-UB congregation in Mercer, Pa. Also since 2008, he has been president of Portage Holiness Camp near Bowling Green, Ohio.

 

Roger and Darlene were married in 1956 and had three children.

 

The family is planning a memorial service later in the year.

 

Read more about Roger’s life and legacy in his obituary.

(Submitted by Steve Dennie)

03 Mar

March 3, 2025 |

Mount Pleasant Church in Chambersburg, PA is offering a young leader the opportunity to join our ministry team for a 2-year Pastoral Residency. Our residency program is designed to develop competency in all aspects of pastoral ministry by providing personalized mentoring and practical experience, including preaching on a monthly basis.

Our next pastoral resident will have a clear sense of calling and the desire to serve in the lead and/or solo pastoral role, possess a Bachelor degree in a ministry related field or its equivalent, and the demonstrated capacity for ministering in a team-based environment.

Mount Pleasant Church is a growing congregation of about 300 people in a thriving community along the I81 corridor in south-central PA. We are committed to investing in God’s Kingdom by developing, equipping, and releasing the next generation of pastors, leaders and global workers.

Here’s what previous residents have said about their residency experinece:

  • “My experience as a Pastoral Resident was the best practical “rounding out” of my education I could have asked for. In preparing for ministry, you learn plenty in the classroom, but a long-term position developing and honing the skills to pastor well is now something I consider “necessary” given how helpful it was for me. Mt. Pleasant Church offers a great environment with a perfectly-sized congregation to get to know, intentional mentorship under Pastor Jim, and plenty of opportunities to exercise ministry. You will be blessed and come out better equipped to fulfill God’s call to pastoral ministry!” – Rev. Colin Raab | 2021-2023 | Pastor, Zanesville United Brethren Church, Zanesville, OH
  • “The Pastoral Residence at Mt. Pleasant Church has been an invaluable resource in my ministry. Through the help of the helpful pastoral staff and a loving congregation, I have learned so much in my two years about how to be a pastor, not just in the practical aspects, but in the personal spiritual side as well.” – Heath Lewis | Current Resident

This position is full-time, with competitive compensation, including health insurance. If this sounds like something for which God has been preparing you, please send a resume highlighting ministry experience, a cover letter, and a brief (no more than 300 words) testimony describing your spiritual journey and call to ministry to Pastor Jim Bolich.

18 Feb

February 18, 2025 |

Good resources can be hard to find, but there are a few coming soon, and one recently released, from pastors and friends of the United Brethren Church. You can find more information about each of these resources below, including where to find them and how to purchase them.

Recently Released:

Death, Life, and Discipleship: Seven Ways Jesus Defeated Death Before the Resurrection

This book explores Jesus' victories over challenges like ignorance, sin, and Satan, offering a deeper understanding of His power. Each chapter examines a specific victory and draws practical principles for discipleship. It encourages personal spiritual growth and equips readers to make disciples themselves, fostering a deeper understanding of holiness and a Christ-centered worldview. This is a fantastic resource for personal and small group study. The author of Death, Life, and Discipleship, Victor Collins is the Associate Pastor at Kilpatrick Church in Woodland, Michigan. Purchase here through Amazon.

Coming Soon:

Grit & Joy: Help for Bewildered Families of Teens

In today's fast-paced world, teens often crave something deeper than fleeting distractions. Grit & Joy guides parents and mentors in cultivating lasting, authentic faith in young people. It blends practical advice, compelling stories, and insights from social and brain science with biblical wisdom, providing a roadmap for helping teens develop a meaningful relationship with Christ. This book is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to help teens find enduring joy. Dr. Dave Rahn was an influential professor at Huntington University, has been a featured speaker at UB Youth and Associate Pastor Summits, and will be the keynote speaker for youth workers attending the UB Youth Camp this summer. Co-author, Ebonie Davis is a veteran youth worker, researcher, and author who received her M.A. in Youth Ministry Leadership at Huntington University. The release date for this book is February 25 but you can preorder your copy here.

Essentials of United Brethren History: 10 Events, 10 Bishops, and 10 Issues You Should Know About

This is the latest release coming soon from Steve Dennie, our beloved United Brethren historian, author, and former communications director who served at the UB National Office for 45 years. Essentials of United Brethren History covers the denomination's history from its 1767 beginnings to the present day. Divided into sections on key events, influential bishops, and important issues, it tells the story of what has been important and what remains important to the United Brethren Church and its people throughout the years. This book is a valuable tool for anyone wanting to learn more about the United Brethren Church. It will be available this summer at the UB National Conference. You can find Steve's other works including All for Christ - Volumes 1 and 2 and Against the Blighting Curse here.

We hope these resources are helpful in your family, small groups, and discipleship ministries.