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27 Aug

August 27, 2024 |

Reverend Lee Roy Palmer passed away in his home in Carson City, Michigan on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at the age of 86. Palmer was a long-time minister in the United Brethren church serving in 4 churches from 1964 to 2011 including Kalamazoo (1964-67), Pleasant Valley (1967-81), Harrison (1983-03), and East Washington (2004-11). He also spent time on the mission field in Sierra Leone from 1981-83.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, September 7, at 11:00 a.m. at East Washington United Brethren Church in Ashley, Michigan. Additional times of visitation and sharing will take place on Friday, September 6, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 10:00 a.m. 

You can read more about Lee, his family, his ministry and the service details in his obituary.


16 Aug

August 16, 2024 |

Dr. Sherilyn Emberton will preside over Huntington University as the institution’s 13th president for one final academic year. She recently announced her plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2024-25 spring semester.  

Dr. Emberton came to Huntington University in 2013 from East Texas Baptist University where she served as provost and vice president for academic affairs. Under her leadership, Huntington University expanded its reach and academic offerings to two additional campuses in Fort Wayne, Indiana (2014) and Peoria, Arizona (2016). Annual enrollment also increased from approximately 1,100 students in 2013 to 1504 students in 2023. 

Bishop Todd Fetters has worked closely with Dr. Emberton for the last nine years and has developed, not just an ongoing institutional partnership, but a cherished friendship. When asked for comment, he had this to say,

“The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is grateful for Dr. Emberton’s leadership at Huntington University. She has led our denominational college through continual growth and innovation, making it stronger than ever. I admire the way she has led with vision, collaboration, humility and a deep faith. 

I admire the way Sherilyn has always connected to people, especially her love for students. Her pride in them has been abundantly clear. She wants the best for them! And then there is her humble Christian spirit, which is always present. 

Although I’m sad to see Sherilyn leave, I’m grateful for her service to our University and denomination and I’m confident that God has exciting things in store for her.”

You can find the official press release here to learn more about her time at Huntington University.



23 Jul

July 23, 2024 |

Many of you are likely familiar with the film Wayfaring Stranger that was written and directed by Matt Webb and produced by Lance Clark and Matt Webb in conjunction with Forester Films and Huntington University. This movie is the inspiring true story of a United Brethren pastor and his family who set out to build a new UB church in 1970s rural Michigan. Along the way, they face challenges that threaten to unravel everything when an afflicted carpenter becomes their unlikely source of hope, proving that faith in God is the true path to redemption, even in the most tragic circumstances.

The title of this film has since been changed to A Carpenter’s Prayer, and it is soon being released to a limited number of theaters nationwide. So far, the distributors have secured 40 theaters and hope to get it up to 200 in the next few weeks. We are sharing this information with you now because you have an opportunity to bring this movie to a theater near you by visiting their website and expressing interest. Just follow the instructions below within the next week, as the next few days are crucial to determining interest in order to secure theater locations. And even if you opt not to fill out the theater demand form, you can watch the movie trailer and read more about this film on their website.

And be looking for A Carpenter’s Prayer to perhaps be coming to a theater near you beginning in September 2024!

01 Jul

July 1, 2024 |

The United Brethren National Office is pleased to welcome Stacie Betterly to the team. She joined us on Monday, June 24, 2024, in her new role as finance assistant and will be working closely with Marci Hammel. Before joining our team, Stacie was the Assistant to the Registrar at Huntington University and served as a teller at Bippus State Bank. Stacie and her husband, Aaron, live in their hometown of Huntington, Indiana along with their son, Colin (23), and daughter Morgan (18). 

If you get a chance to connect with Stacie, here are a few fun facts you should know about her:

Favorite pastime: Camping and cross-stitching
Favorite place to visit: Antique malls with her husband
Favorite candy: Hershey’s chocolate kisses and cherry Starbursts
Favorite book/movie/TV series: Movies based on Jane Austin books

 

14 May

May 14, 2024 |

This month the United Brethren Church is praying for the next generation of Christian leaders and we are inviting you to join us. Here are a few ways you can pray this month:

  1. Pray that God would call the next generation to ministry service.
  2. Pray that the next generation would hear that call.
  3. Pray that you might see those whom God may be calling.
  4. Pray for the courage to have a conversation that might alert a young person to God’s call on their life.

In a recent video, Ryan Koch (Hopewell United Brethren Church, Auburn, IN) shared his story of being called to ministry but not recognizing it until someone else saw it. Watch now.

Who do you see that God might be calling? Have you talked to them about what you see? Sometimes all it takes is a simple word of encouragement to help a young person recognize a calling.

10 May

May 10, 2024 |

The Ministry Leader Summit took place on the sunny shores of Daytona Beach, Florida, from April 29th to May 3rd, 2024. This year, 31 associate staff members from UB churches across the country with responsibilities ranging from children’s ministry to world missions attended the event.

We caught up with a few of them and asked why they value the summit. Here’s what they had to say:

 

 

Keynote speaker Dr. Terry Linhart, a professor at Bethel University and author of “The Self-Aware Leader,” offered valuable insights on leadership. He encouraged ministry leaders to always do the hard work of caring for themselves and nurturing their own inner lives in order to be effective leaders in the ministries to which they have been called. His message resonated with attendees, prompting much reflection and discussion.

 

 

Key Learnings and Takeaways

The Ministry Leader Summit provided a valuable space for ministry associates to connect, share experiences, and develop their leadership skills. We spoke with some attendees about their biggest takeaways from this year’s summit:

 

 

We want to say a big thank you to Bobby Culler (Mount Pleasant Church) and Craig Mickey (Emmanuel Community Church) for putting together the plans for this year’s summit, and to Cathy Reich (UB National Office) for helping make it all happen.

This event happens every other year and is available for any and all associate staff serving in United Brethren churches throughout the country. The pastor and spouse summits are coming this fall for all senior and solo pastors and their spouses. More information on those events can be found here.

06 May

May 6, 2024 |

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, we received the news that Mossie Sites, widow of Bishop Wilber L. Sites, Jr., had passed away earlier that day. She is survived by her three children, Judy A. Baker (Mike), Linda S. Etter (Donnie), and Rev. Dennis Sites (Annette).

Mossie was a long-time member of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and served the church domestically and internationally. While in the States, Mossie and her husband served several UB Churches including Mount Pleasant UB (Chambersburg, PA), Salem UB (Chambersburg, PA), Pen Mar UB (Cascade, MD), King Street (Chambersburg, PA), and Otterbein UB (Waynesboro, PA). Internationally, they served with UB Global in Macau and taught classes at Jamaica Bible College.

Mossie was a strong supporter of missions and got involved in Women’s Missionary Fellowship of the Mid-Atlantic Conference. She eventually served as the International President of the Women’s Missionary Fellowship. 

Information about services and memorial contributions can be found here.  

15 Apr

April 15, 2024 |

 

In the latest episode of UB Now, our host, Brian Biedenbach sat down with Matt McKeown from Daytona First Church of the United Brethren in Holly Hill, Florida. Matt is great storyteller and is full of great stories, and he was excited to talk about a partnership that is developing between two very different churches in their community.

This was a fun and insightful episode to record and is definitely worth a listen. You can listen by clicking on the media player above or by searching for it on your preferred podcast directory.

29 Mar

March 29, 2024 |

We received news that Reverend Thomas Mellott passed away on February 10, 2024.

Thomas was a graduate of Huntington College (1964) and served three United Brethren churches including Salem (Chambersburg), Devonshire (Harrisburg) and Otterbein (Greencastle).

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, April 4th at 10:00 am at Devonshire UB Church in Harrisburg. PA. 

Rev. Mellott’s obituary can be found here.

13 Mar

March 13, 2024 |

Mt. Hermon United Brethren Church is a rural congregation located on the Ohio River, approximately 20 miles southeast of Athens, Ohio. We are looking for a pastor who will help us strengthen relationships, be a positive influence in our community, and enable us to G.R.O.W. (Gospel Centered Daily Living; Reaching Out to Others; Obediently Following Christ; Worship God Together).

Our next pastor will possess a shepherd’s heart and be an effective communicator. The ability to work well with a team, build a sense of fellowship in the congregation, and help people develop their spiritual lives are essential. Skill and experience in ministering with youth will be a benefit. It is also expected that this individual will maintain professional ministerial credentials with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA.

Mt. Hermon is a congregation of approximately 100 people. We are financially stable and have modern facilities which will enable growth.

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 [email protected].