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Registrations for this summer’s US National Conference have surged past the 600 mark. Of those, 110 are children and teens.
The schedule has been updated on the website, with a variety of additions.
Workshops are still being finalized. A number of them are now listed on the website.
Norris Friesen (left) with Huntington University students.
On May 6, the Huntington University Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service was be renamed the Friesen Center for Volunteer Service in honor of Dr. Norris Friesen (right). Friesen came to the university in 1985 as dean of student services, became vice president for student development in 1993, and in 2003 was named vice president and dean of the university.
The Joe Mertz Center was founded in 1992. This student-directed organization mobilizes students, faculty, and staff to give over 10,000 hours of labor each year in service to others. Over 70% of resident students are involved in some form of volunteer service.
Goldie Saultman, wife of Pastor Erv Saultman, passed away on the evening of Saturday, May 11, 2013.
Erv and Goldie served the Mt. Morris church as it was “daughtered” by the Richfield Road Church in Flint, MI. They also toured the area holding gospel music concerts in many of the United Brethren churches.
Visitation hours: Wednesday, May 15, 11am – 1 pm and 5-8 pm.
Funeral time: 11 am on Thursday, May 16.
Visitation and funeral location: Mt. Morris Chapel, 2232 East Mt. Morris Road, Mt. Morris, MI 48458.
Cards can be sent to Rev. Saultman at:
Erwin Saultman
175 Glen Gary Drive
Mt. Morris, MI 48458
Abdul Kamara takes a picture of, from left, 5-year-old Fatmata Somtir with Rosaline Cook and Mamie Sowa during a luncheon following a revival service at Brooklyn Park United Brethren in Christ Church on Sunday. All four are members of Mount Zion United African Church in Philadelphia. The Brooklyn Park church held the revival as a way to celebrate its growing international community and its partnership with Mount Zion. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli.
Jennifer Donatelli, correspondent for the Maryland Gazette. Used with permission.
Leading a group of about a dozen women and girls from her Philadelphia church, Katie Kamara invited worshipers at Brooklyn Park Church of the United Brethren in Christ to join her in singing during a revival service on Sunday, May 5.
“Praise God! Alleluia,” she told the crowd of about 100. “Get on your feet! You are going to dance the African way.”
Some in the crowd looked around, perhaps a little nervously.
“Hey, ay, ay. My God is good,” the members of Mount Zion United African Church’s praise and worship group began singing.
By the end of the service, which marked the end of the four-day revival, most were singing, clapping and dancing along with the Philadelphia church members, many of whom were from Sierra Leone in Africa. And that was exactly the idea behind the revival — to celebrate the Brooklyn Park church’s growth among people from other countries, said Rev. John Christophel (right), its pastor.
“It’s representative of what heaven is like. We should all be praising God together instead of waiting until we get there,” he told the crowd as they murmured and nodded. “We are united in faith, in God, and in our belief in each other.”
The seed for the expanding international focus was planted years ago when Christophel and Rev. Joseph Abu, Mount Zion’s pastor, attended college together, Abu said. Abu needed a place to host a group of alumni, and Christophel offered his church.
Abu (right) said the Brooklyn Park church made his church members feel right at home.
“It’s a joy. This is how it’s going to be in heaven. It starts now, so when we’re in heaven, there’s no problem,” he said.
During a meeting with Bishop Phil Whipple in January, he recognized the Brooklyn Park church’s growth among people from other countries, Christophel said. Besides people from Sierra Leone, the church has seen members from Jamaica, Trinidad, Nigeria and Liberia, as well as Puerto Rico.
The church even brought in a missionary from Africa, Rev. Samuel Sinnah, in November to help with the new focus. At times, the transition hasn’t been easy, he admitted. Americans typically are a little more reserved in their celebrating during services than Africans, who like rapid, upbeat songs and dancing, he said.
After the revival, Sinnah said the service was like a marriage of African and American traditions.
“It becomes a way of learning from each other,” Sinnah said.
Some longtime members of the Brooklyn Park church said they enjoyed the revival and listening to Abu preach.
“You get an assimilation of how they worship. They’re basically the same,” said Louanne Porter of Brooklyn Park, who has been attending the church for seven or eight years. “God’s behind it, and he made all races of people. We have to get together.”
We’re almost to 600 registration for this summer’s US National Conference. And three weeks remain before the June 1 early-registration deadline.
Our keynote speaker this year (Wednesday and Thursday nights), is Dave Engbrecht. Dave has been the senior pastor of Nappanee Missionary Church (Nappanee, Ind.) since 1979. A gifted communicator, Dave’s humor, personable style, passion for developing fully committed disciples, and commitment to world missions is well reflected in his messages. Dave has been the featured speaker in venues across the nation and around the world.
The 26 proposals for revising the UB Discipline have been finalized. You can download them from the National Conference website. Other reports will soon be added to that page.
Essie Kauffman and Markus Clancy.
Each year, Huntington University students donate thousands of hours to serve in the community. Two such students were given the PACE Servant Leadership Award, which recognizes students who have demonstrated leadership in community and ministry service.
The two recipients:
The awards were given at the May 2 Joe Mertz Center for Volunteer Service Appreciation Banquet. Both students received a $1,000–$750 toward academics, and $250 to any charity they choose.
Here’s a pastoral transition we neglected to report earlier.
Robert Staup retired as senior pastor of Mt. Pleasant UB church in Angola, Ind., on November 24, 2012. Effective the same day, Devon Strine (right) was appointed as senior pastor of Mt. Pleasant church.
The United Brethren denomination has had a long relationship with Brotherhood Mutual, and many of our local churches are insured through Brotherhood.
Brotherhood Mutual has developed MinistryWorks, a church-specific payroll service provider, affordable for all sizes churches with staff numbering one and up. The cost is as little as $2.50 or less per person/payroll, plus a yearly fee of $10 per W2. You don’t need to be a Brotherhood customer to use MinistryWorks.
Call Tonya Birkey at 866-215-5540 ext. 5335 or Tonya Miller at 866-215-5540 ext. 5356. You can also visit their website at Ministryworks.com for more information, or download this PDF.
Dick Case (left), pastor of Dillman UB church (Warren, Ind.), will retire as of June 30, 2013. He and his wife, Darlene, have served Dillman since 2004.
Richard Mose (right) will also retire as of June 30, 2013. He is pastor of Lurgan UB church (Lurgan, Pa.). Rev. Mose has pastored five different UB churches in Pennsylvania since 1973. He has pastored Lurgan UB since 2004. Interestingly, Lurgan was also the first church he pastored, initially serving there 1973-1974.
Both of these churches are seeking a new senior pastor. Other open churches, along with the method for applying, are listed here.
Gary Gates (right), Director of Ministerial Licensing
I am looking for prayer warriors. This is not an easy task. Satan will do everything he can to keep you from doing this, but I need at least 13 people who will pray for a specific assigned area of National Conference. We have 13 areas we want to bathe in prayer leading up to National Conference.
Should you accept this challenge we ask that you…
To be assigned as a prayer warrior, email [email protected] and you will be assigned an area of prayer to prepare for a spiritually uplifting and challenging National Conference.
