16 Nov Bishop Pessima: Among the Vai People

A visit to Pujehun in February 2013. L-r: Jeff Bleijerveld, Bishop Phil Whipple, Bishop John Pessima with Sierra Leone leaders and workers in Pujehun. (click to enlarge)

Donna Hollopeter with people from the Vai church in Pujehun in February 2013.

Bishop John Pessima (right) of Sierra Leone Conference is currently in the United States, where he is spending a couple months visiting United Brethren churches. During a stop at the National Office in Huntington, Ind., he talked about the conference’s work among the Vai people.

The Vai, a predominantly Muslim group, live on the border with Liberia in Pujehun, one of the 12 districts (like states) of Sierra Leone. It is sparsely populated, with about 300,000 people living mostly in villages of less than 2000 people. We now have a church and school in Pujehun.

They were introduced to Pujehun by a man who grew up there as a Muslim. He moved to Freetown as a young man, became a Christian, and joined the Wellington United Brethren church. John Pessima personally baptized him.

The man later moved back to Pujehun, and died in April 2013. But before passing, he instructed that two plots of land he owned be given, free of charge, to the United Brethren church.

“We are now trying to document ownership,” says Bishop Pessima.

The church currently meets in that man’s home, and the school uses a small classroom. “For now, Rev. Peter Kainwo, the conference superintendent of evangelism, is leading the church and school,” says Bishop Pessima.

A few young men, UBs from Bo and Freetown, moved to Pujehun because of their jobs with non-government organizations. Bishop Pessima describes them as “strong UB youths who are assisting greatly.”

14 Nov United Brethren Churches in Liberia? Yes.

Members of one of the United Brethren churches in Liberia. Note the sign at the top of the church building.

In early 2013, someone from Liberia called the United Brethren office in Huntington, Ind. In a thick West African accent, the person claimed to be part of the United Brethren in Christ church in Liberia, and said they wanted to be connected to us.

We’ve never had mission work in Liberia. However, this group was using our exact name—Church of the United Brethren in Christ. It’s possible they are a remnant of the “other” United Brethren group from which our denomination split back in 1889.

Anyway, Global Ministries passed along the information to Bishop John Pessima (right) of Sierra Leone Conference. Sierra Leone and Liberia are neighboring countries. Bishop Pessima made contact, and some relationships are forming.

“We’ve been to Liberia three times to meet with that group,” says Bishop Pessima.

He says they have nine churches—“Very good, large churches”—and that he has visited four of them.

“They are very receptive and are willing to join a communion of United Brethren,” he says. “We are moving gradually, because there are many things we need to look into. We’ve looked at their governing documents, and have presented out doctrines and core values.”

He plans to make another visit in December to meet with the man supervising those churches. “We’re planning to spend 4-5 days with them to talk about the logo and the Confession of Faith.” He hopes to take the UB national presidents of their organizations for men, women, and youth to talk to their Liberian counterparts.

He says they want to start by exchanging delegates to various events.

They’ll invite the Liberian women to send delegates in April 2014 to the Sierra Leone national women’s convention. Likewise with the national UB youth camp in 2014, which will probably be held in Mattru.

In this way, the two groups of churches—over 70 UB churches in Sierra Leone, and the 9 UB churches in Liberia—will get better acquainted. And we’ll see where things go from there.

12 Nov Bishop Pessima: Among Longtime Friends

L-r: Sharon Frank, Bishop John Pessima, and Judy Hoath.

John Pessima, bishop of Sierra Leone Conference, is currently in the US visiting a number of United Brethren churches. A few days ago he was at the UB church in Hillsdale, Mich., where he encountered two former missionaries, both of them nurses at Mattru Hospital. Sharon Frank served in Sierra Leone 1965-1983. Judy Hoath served several terms before completing her service in 1986.

12 Nov Philippines: UBs Working with Samaritan’s Purse

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

Global Ministries is partnering with Samaritan’s Purse in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines last week. All funds we receive–100%–will be forwarded to Samaritan’s Purse.

United Brethren people are compassionate and generous. So when disaster strikes a country, they want to help. People often contact Global Ministries to ask if we are doing anything to help in a specific situation.

Our practice is to partner with organizations which specialize in disaster relief. When the earthquake hit Haiti in January 2011, we channeled relief contributions to Samaritan’s Purse and CH Global. Within weeks of the earthquake, UBs had sent nearly $70,000 for disaster relief. Likewise, in 2012 UBs gave over $11,000 after  a tsunami hit Japan. All of it was channeled to Samaritan’s Purse.

Typhoon Haiyan requires the expertise of a major relief ministry. Global Ministries is again working with Samaritan’s Purse.

Donors can direct funds to the organization themselves. Or, we will gladly forward your gift—100% of it—to Samaritan’s Purse. Some prefer the latter to avoid being placed on a mailing list.

If you want to channel relief money through Global Ministries, you can send a check to:

Global Ministries
302 Lake Street
Huntington, IN 46750

Include a memo note on the check designating the gift for “Philippines relief.” Your entire donation will go toward relief efforts.

06 Nov Video: Rebuilding Jerusalem in Haiti

New communities are being developed on the outskirts of Port Au Prince to reestablish those left homeless by the earthquake in 2010. This video features the community of Jerusalem and the efforts of one small United Brethren congregation to raise up a church to serve their new community.

05 Nov UBs on Ten-Day Visit to Turkey

A group of nearly 20 persons left for Turkey on Monday, November 4, to begin a ten-day tour of Turkey. They arrived on Tuesday, November 5.

Global Ministries is pursuing ministry opportunities in Turkey–the first predominantly Muslim nation into which the United Brethren church has ventured. We are working in Turkey with IN Network.

The UBs involved in this trip include:

• Jeff Bleijerveld, director of Global Ministries.
• Phil Whipple, bishop.
• Michael Caley, senior pastor of Banner of Christ UB church (Byron Center, Mich.).
• Patrick Daugherty, associate pastor of Atlantic Avenue UB church (New Castle, Pa.).
• Micheal Dean, senior pastor of Sabetha UB church (Sabetha, Kansas).
• Gary Dilley, senior pastor of College Park Church (Huntington, Ind.), and his wife, Rhonda.
• John Erwin, senior pastor of Hopewell UB church (Auburn, Ind.).
• Mark Fairchild, professor at Huntington University.
• Stephen Henry, senior pastor of Victory Heights UB church (Franklin, Pa.), and his wife, Amanda.
• Donna Hollopeter, associate director of Global Ministries, and her husband, Jason.
• Mark Ralph, senior pastor of Mt. Zion UB church (Wayne, Ohio).

Also participating is LaDoyt Rodeaver, president and CEO of IN Network.

22 Oct Small Business Training in Nicaragua

The three North Americans with the Nicaraguans who participated in five days of small business training.

Nicaraguan participants in the training.

Victor Mojica leading a training session in Nicaragua.

Jeff Bleijerveld (right), Director of Global Ministries

Exponential growth of the Church is occurring in many non-Western countries. Three factors seem to be consistently present:

1. The rapid multiplication of disciples who make disciples.
2. Church structures that are adapted to the environment.
3. Pastors and church planters who are developing small businesses.

Many look at the use of small business as a way for pastors and church planters to simply support themselves. But there are many other advantages.

Acts 18:1-4 gives the example of Paul and coworkers Aquila and Priscilla, who supported themselves as tentmakers. In this way, they gained access to people in the Corinthian marketplace among whom they could evangelize and make disciples. Their example and integrity earned the respect of outsiders and believers.

Global Ministries has been providing training for pastors and church planters who want to use small business to transform their communities for Christ.

Last week, three of us from the United States spent five days in Nicaragua. I was joined by Jeff Dice (non-traditional Global Ministries staff member) and Victor Mojica, a Hispanic pastor who leads the Clearview UB church in Goshen, Ind.

We conducted five days of small business training with 11 pastors and church planters in Nicaragua. The small business training provided everything they would need to know to effectively start and manage a small business, but also focused on how to use the business to expand their ministry. It’s what is known as the dual bottom line – successful business and successful ministry.

The training this past week was the second such effort. The first was conducted in Sierra Leone. Global Ministries hopes to continue offering similar training events in Central America, Africa, India, and Asia.

If you’re a small business owner and would be interested in knowing more about serving as a trainer, contact Jeff Bleijerveld in Global Ministries.

22 Oct Leadership Training Event in Mexico

Gary Brooks (right)

Gary Brooks, a former United Brethren pastor and missionary in Honduras, recently returned from Mexico, where he helped Bishop Denis Casco conduct a leadership training seminar for members of our churches in Mexico. Gary, who currently lives in Florida, has participated in a number of training events for Mexico Conference. Here is Gary’s report about last week’s event.

Twenty adults participated in the seminar that was held in Dr. Mora, Guanajuato. This is a rural area about an hour or so out of Queretaro. I taught about the dangers of carnal leadership. The focus of this mini-series of lessons was King Saul. Our study included most of 1 Samuel. Bishop Denis Casco taught a series of lessons from Nehemiah.

While I taught about the hazards of being a carnal leader, Denis focused on the characteristics of a spiritual leader. Among these are found:

• His interest in God’s people.
• His personal involvement in their lives.
• His intercession on their behalf.

We closed out the seminar by setting aside a brother for the gospel ministry.

The following day, we drove to Celaya to visit an elderly man and his daughter. Denis shared the Gospel with them, and they both readily made professions of faith.

Saturday evening, we boarded a bus and returned to Mexico City. Sunday was a day of relaxation. As is our custom, we strolled along the Paseo de La Reforma. We saw a colorful parade, line dancing, and a “professional” Mexican wrestling match, and even got a free hug that I’ll never be able to explain to my loving wife.

These seminars are valuable opportunities to provide continuing education for lay church workers and pastors in the churches of the United Brethren in Christ scattered throughout this beautiful country south of our border.

This is just one of three outreaches led by Bishop Denis Casco in Mexico. Another is the Vacation Bible School that reaches out to children. The third is the moral and spiritual support our Mexican brethren receive from periodic visits made by Brother Denis.

If people would like to contribute to the leadership development needs of Mexico Conference, they can do so by sending a gift marked specifically for Mexican Leadership Development.

02 Oct Global Ministries Team Begins Fall Meeting

The Global Ministries Leadership Team begins its fall meeting tonight, Oct 2, and will continue until Friday, Oct. 4. They’re meeting at Gull Lake Ministries, a Christian conference center in Hickory Corners, Mich.

Two recent additions to the team are:

• Ruth Ralph, whose husband, Mark, is senior pastor of Mt. Zion UB church in Wayne, Ohio.
• Mark Wallace, executive director of Christian Horizons Global. He is a licensed UB minister in Canada, and is a member of the Mill Crossing UB church in Cambridge, Ontario.