19 Feb Summer Mission Opportunity in Spain

Global Ministries has been asked by Ron and Brenda Anderson, endorsed missionaries in Spain, to send a team of four persons to do a family English Camp outside of Madrid July 15-17, 2011. Departure date would be Tuesday, July 12, and they would return on Tuesday July 19.

Dates: Tuesday, July 12, through Tuesday, July 19.
Cost: $500 plus airfare.

The camp would focus on the Two Toledos–Toledo, Ohio, and Toledo, Spain. There would be several opportunities to teach conversational English to the participants through workshops, childrens sessions, and special activities. Teaching credentials are not a requirement for this ministry opportunity.

If you are interested, please contact or by calling toll-free at 888-622-3019, ext. 305.

18 Feb Update from the David Datema Family

Dave and Cathie Datema and children.

Dave and Cathie Datema are endorsed missionaries serving with the US Center for World Mission in Pasadena, Calif. Dave is General Director of Frontier Mission Fellowship, an umbrella organization for a variety of related ministries.

Here are some pieces of their February 16 newsletter.

• Dave is still working on the challenge of leading Frontier Mission Fellowship into a post-founder era (following the death of Ralph Winter). Much of his time is spent reading, meeting with others, and praying. Please pray for Dave and other leaders here as they seek God’s guidance.
• Dave continues to work alongside other leaders within the FMF family of organizations to re-tool them for greater effectiveness. He has spent most of his time with leaders at the US Center for World Mission (Dave is presently serving as USCWM Executive Director). Significant progress is being made in implementing a performance management system.
• Dave spent a weekend in Detroit from January 23-25. He visited some FMF members there, preached at a local church, and met with the leaders of Send International. He also enjoyed spending some down time with friends from his previous life as a pastor. He did NOT enjoy the brutally cold temperatures.
• On January 20, son Cuyler suffered another seizure, his 5th in a year’s time. It lasted quite a while, so an ambulance was called. We’re thankful that he was released from the ER without having to be admitted. Please pray for God’s mercy, grace, and healing, and for God to be glorified in Cuyler’s life.
• Callie (12) and Jill (8) are enjoying being homeschooled part-time, and taking some classes at the Judson International School on campus. Jill is playing on a Parks and Recreation soccer league for the spring and summer.
• Over the Christmas holiday break and into January, we enjoyed a number of activities with the girls including sledding in the local mountains, ice skating, visiting Chinatown in Los Angeles, and going to the zoo. We enjoyed attending the Tournament of Roses parade.

17 Feb 2011 Nicaragua National Conference

Delegates and guests to the 2011 Nicaragua National Conference (click to enlarge)

Nicaragua National Conference held its annual meeting in January, with guests coming from Honduras and Costa Rica. Rev. Erik Rojas (far right), church planter and head of our mission field in Costa Rica, served as guest speaker, and Rev. Juanita Chavez (left of Rev. Rojas), superintendent for Honduras, attended as a guest.

We currently have UB churches in five Central American countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

Rev. Juan Pavon (far left) is superintendent of the 33 churches in Nicaragua. We have a number of opportunities for mission teams in Nicaragua this summer under the leadership of Jeff and April Dice, Global Ministries’ Central American Liaisons. Visit our website for more information.

16 Feb New Assignment for Phil and Darlene Burkett

Phil and Darlene Burkett

Philip and Darlene Burkett, known across the denomination for their missionary service in Macau and for their musical talents, are leaving us. At the beginning of March, Phil will become senior pastor of Cass City Missionary Church in Cass City, Mich.

Phil and Darlene, along with Luke and Audrey Fetters, left for the Orient in 1987 to help found the UB mission work in Macau. After serving there for four years, the Burketts pastored the UB church in Toronto for 6 years. Since 1996, Phil has been Minister of Music & Worship at College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind.

Darlene’s departure will be felt strongly in the Global Ministries department, where she has worked since November 2003. In her role as administrative assistant, she handles a wide range of responsibilities.

Global Ministries has hired a replacement for Darlene and will introduce her in the near future.

10 Feb Blue Rock UB Sending Group to Honduras

A group of 11 persons from Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.) will travel to Honduras Friday 11-19, 2011. They plan to finish pouring the deck at the conference camp outside of La Ceiba, and to hold a Bible school.

31 Jan Introducing Bishop John Pessima

Jeff Bleijerveld (left) praying for newly-elected Sierra Leone Bishop John Pessima (right) following his confirmation at Sierra Leone National Conference in December. Billy Simbo, now bishop emeritus, is in the middle.

On Sunday, January 16, John Momoh Pessima was consecrated as the new bishop of Sierra Leone Conference. The service was held at the AU Memorial church in Kissy, a neighborhood on the east end of Freetown. Rev. Pessima had been pastor of this church. Rev. Henry Allie, the first national superintendent of Sierra Leone Conference, also pastored this church when he was elected to that post in the 1980s.

The Council of Ordained Elders, which consists of all United Brethren ordained ministers in Sierra Leone Conference, recommended Rev. Pessima to become the new bishop. Their recommendation was referred to the National Conference meeting in December, where it was unanimously approved.

Bishop Pessima succeeds Billy Simbo, who now carries the title “bishop emeritus.” Rev. Simbo served three years in Sierra Leone under the umbrella of Global Ministries, during which time the conference began using the term “bishop” for its highest leader (the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Jamaica also use that title). Rev. Simbo has now returned to the United States.

Rev. Pessima is a graduate of The Evangelical College of Theology in Sierra Leone, where Rev. Simbo was once his professor. He just recently received his graduate degree in Religious Studies from the University of Sierra Leone.

28 Jan Progress at the Malvern Camp

Working on the new building at the Malvern Camp in Jamaica.

The building begins to take shape.

Owen Gordon writes regarding progress at the Malvern Camp in Jamaica:

“Raymond (the project manager) stopped by today on his way from Malvern and shared some photos of what is happening: The work is progressing nicely and we have much to be thankful for. Special thanks to our US work team and the Jamaicans who have been working alongside them. In the words of Nehemiah: we are doing a great work and we cannot come down!”

25 Jan Delmas UB Church Nears Completion

Inside the new Delmas 33 church in Haiti

It’s been just over a year since a devastating earthquake leveled most of Port Au Prince, Haiti. Yet our United Brethren churches have been busy rebuilding lives, schools, and church buildings. The Delmas 33 Church, a keystone to our 33 United Brethren Churches in Haiti, is nearing completion. The church houses a school for 120 children that was established with the help of our partners CH Global and the many people who participate as child sponsors.

Funds were also provided to rebuild one of the two churches destroyed in Cite Soleil. Due to unrest and the outbreak of cholera, we were unable to send teams to help with this effort. However, funding was forwarded to the field so the congregation could move forward. The other church in Cite Soleil is working to fulfill the requirements necessary for funding to be released, but we hope to see it rebuilt soon. These two churches are both locations where we would like to open additional schools with the help of CH Global.