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07 Jul

July 7, 2011 |

L-r: Jason Bakker, Micheal Dean, Roxton Spear, Gary Boston, Marshall Woods, and Dalton Jenkins.

Seven men will be ordained during the closing service of the US National Conference on Saturday, July 9. Bishop Phil Whipple will conduct the service. Each candidate has selected ordained elders to assist in their ordination.

The six candidates are:

  • Jason E. Bakker, associate pastor of Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.). Assisting: Art Page and Dennis Sites.
  • Micheal E. Dean, senior pastor of Sabetha UB (Sabetha, Kansas). Assisting: Ron Ramsey and Ray Seilhamer.
  • Roxton W. Spear, senior pastor of Mongul UB (Shippensburg, Pa.). Assisting: Milt Herrold, Howard Beaver, and Dwight Spear.
  • Gary Boston, an unassigned minister from Winchester, Va. Assisting: Chris Little and Dennis Sites.
  • Marshall Woods III, senior pastor of Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.). Assisting: Chris Little and Dennis Sites.
  • Dalton M. Jenkins, senior pastor of Bethel Temple of Praise (Yonkers, N.Y.). Assisting: Ron Ramsey.
  • Kenneth E. Williamson, Jr., a military chaplain from Idaville UB (Idaville, Pa.). Assisting: Ron Ramsey and Ray Seilhamer.

06 Jul

July 6, 2011 |

At the registration booth.

Dan Paternoster, a layperson from Michigan, and Charles Milliken, a minister from Pennsylvania, served as greeters on Wednesday afternoon.

Sam Ward (left) and the team from Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) led in worship on Wednesday night.

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UBs from all over worshipping together.

The 2011 US National Conference got off to a great start on Wednesday, July 6, at Saw Mill Creek in Huron, Ohio.

Throughout the afternoon, people arrived from throughout the denomination–over 700 people. They were received by a friendly group of volunteers who greeted them at the door and got them registered.

Keynote speaker Rex Bullock.

The conference officially kicked off at 6:30 pm with the opening service. A worship team from Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) led the people in singing, with videos and a drama rounding out the opening part of the service.

Then Bishop Phil Whipple introduced the week’s keynote speaker, Rex Bullock. Rex gave an inspiring message on “Fanning the Flame.”

The day concluded with an ice cream social sponsored by Huntingotn University.

Altogether, a great start.

Thursday includes:

  • An 8 am worship service.
  • A breakfast for delegates, spnsored by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, who will give a brief presentation.
  • The business sessino, with adjourment set for noon.
  • The Golf Scramble.
  • The evening service at 6:30.
  • An after-service reception sponsored by Global Ministries.

05 Jul

July 5, 2011 |

Josh Greenfield (on the ladder) and Steve Dennie put up one of Josh's many signs.

The main hall, with five big screens.

Paul Hammel helps prepare the attendee packets.

Tuesday was a busy day at the Saw Mill Creek Resort, as a large crew of people from several states came to prepare for the US National Conference, which starts tomorrow.

  • They prepared everything needed for registration, including stuffing ov er 700 bags with materials for attendees.
  • They put up colorful signs.
  • They worked on the main hall where the evening services will be held–staging, sound, lighting, etc.
  • They filled the Granary–the hospitality room–with goodies, which attendees can take advantage of all week long.
  • And they did many other things.

The day ended with a poolside meal for all of the volunteers.

Registration begins Wednesday at noon, and the first service begins that night at 6:30. It’s gonna be exciting!

You can view a bunch of photos from the day on Flickr.

02 Jul

July 2, 2011 |

Report 33 to the US National Conference, which you can download in PDF format, compiles statistics for the year 2010. Of the 177 churches in the United States, 160 submitted the required annual reports for 2010 (due back in February). The statistics for the churches that reported show:

Total Attendance: 21,242
Total Membership: 16,003
Total Converts: 1,493
Total Baptisms: 779
Total Income: $32.6 million
Total Expenses: $30.9 million

The PDF file also lists every church individually, giving the following information:

  • Church name, location, and pastor
  • 2009 and 2010 attendances, and how much it went up or down
  • 2010 membership
  • 2010 converts
  • 2010 baptisms
  • 2010 total income
  • 2010 total expenses

You’ll also find:

  • A list of the 25 largest churches in 2010 by attendance, and a comparison with their attendance in 2000.
  • A list of the churches which have grown at least 10% since 2000 (there are 49 of them).

01 Jul

July 1, 2011 |

Phil Whipple, bishop

When I came into this position as bishop in 2009, I decided I wanted to see things for myself. One of my goals for these past two years was to get into all of our churches and meet our pastors on their turf. I was able to accomplish that goal, visiting all of the United Brethren churches in the United States. It was an enjoyable journey.

Here are some of the things I have learned and observed during my travels.

Pastors

I found our pastors to be enjoyable people with a strong love for the Lord and His church. They are mostly male and of the baby boom generation. They are committed to their families and have a fairly strong commitment to the UB church.

We have some strong leaders among us and many who want to learn how to lead more effectively.

Churches

It is no surprise that many of our churches are in rural locations. Most of them have been maintained very well, both inside and outside. We have many who are working at developing their facilities to reflect the changes that have emerged in the methodology of doing church today.

Congregations

We are slowly and with some struggles moving into a balanced style of worship in many churches. We have some that are far ahead of others and some that are very traditional.

We have many good cooks among us. I have attended many potlucks and have found some wonderful dishes.

Our people are friendly, but we must do a better job of opening the front door through outreach and closing the back door through effective assimilation and discipleship. We must move discipleship away from just a learning experience to a lived-out relationship with Jesus that impacts all that we do.

Lay Leaders

We have some sharp leaders on some of our leadership teams at the local church level. They are made up of men and women who have a desire to see the church move forward and impact their community.

A number of churches are changing their structure to an accountability governance model.

The Cluster System

I have met with a number of our cluster groups. The cluster system is still a work in progress, but it has made some huge strides forward in the last two years.

Denny Miller has helped to keep the connection with our cluster leaders. We have many cluster leaders who are doing a great job with their cluster, and who are being the first point of contact when issues arise.

Overall Assessment

I have concluded that while we have some significant issues, we have a bright hope for the future.

I was impressed by the warm hearts from so many of you. I also saw churches and people engaged in the Great Commission. This is happening in some locations but clearly needs to be the rallying cry for UB churches everywhere, so that we reach the people Christ wants us to reach in these days.

I believe the commitment to the Great Commission is improving. We need to move further into the implementation of reaching people for Christ and growing strong disciples in our churches.

I want us to remain committed to our confession of faith and our core values. At the same time, I want us to be willing to aggressively move into the flow of God’s Spirit to see the church advance. We began as a movement of the Spirit of God, and that is where we must return.

30 Jun

June 30, 2011 |

The US National Conference begins on Wednesday, July 6. As of Thursday, June 30, we have 742 people registered. We’re very pleased with that number.

Here is a further breakdown:

  • 197 ministers
  • 170 lay delegates
  • 230 other lay persons
  • 145 children
  • 372 signed up for the Friday morning workshops.
  • 114 signed up for the UB Historical Society Banquet
  • 25 youth signed up for Cedar Point Trip
  • 43 signed up for a special luncheon Thursday with IN Network, to talk about ministry in Turkey.
  • 12 signed up for a special luncheon on Friday with Renew Communities, a church plant in the Cleveland area.

30 Jun

June 30, 2011 |

We’re looking for more people to participate in the National Conference choir. If you’re attending the US National Conference next week, and would like to participate in the choir, send a note to Chris Kuntz [email removed].

The choir will practice on Friday afternoon, 1:30-3:30. The National Conference site has complete information, including the song list and music.

30 Jun

June 30, 2011 |

Many of you remember Alan and Doris MacDonald, who were endorsed Global Ministries missionaries with Wycliffe for many years. We just received word that Doris’s mother, Dorothy Au, passed away on June 29, 2011. The MacDonalds currently live in Virginia, where Alan is Pastor of Global Engagement at Fairfax Community Church.

29 Jun

June 29, 2011 |
  • Teddy Fairchild has been appointed senior pastor of The Rock (Findlay, Ohio) effective July 1, 2011.
  • Valerie Reynolds resigned as senior pastor of Mount Hope UB (Carson City, Mich.) effective June 10, 2011.
  • Howard Matthews resigned as senior pastor of HomeFront Church (Grandville, Mich.) effective June 27, 2011.

28 Jun

June 28, 2011 |

Allison Conners and Andy Sikora, lead pastor of Renew Communities, accept donations at one of the congregation's drop-off locations. The canned goods, cleaning and toiletry supplies will be shipped to aid victims of the April tornadoes in Alabama. (Photo by Joanne Berger, Sun News)

Renew Communities, a church plant in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, has been collecting supplies for victims of the tornados which struck Alabama in April. Their hope is to fill a 50-foot semi trailer and send it to the Holt Relief Center just outside of Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Renew started in April under the leadership of Andy Sikora, and has been averaging 90-100 people. The church was recently featured in the Cleveland Sun News. That article is printed below, with permission.

Joanne Berger, Sun News Staff Writer.

A local congregation is seeking donations to help victims recover from the devastating tornadoes that hit Alabama in April.

Members plan to fill a 50-foot semi-truck trailer with the donation and deliver them in July.

Andy Sikora, a Berea resident, is lead pastor with Renew Communities, which meets in Polaris Career Center each Sunday. The congregation has partnered with SEKO Worldwide, a freight forwarder firm in Cleveland, in organizing drop-off locations. Sikora said the church, which is about 3½ months old, is “passionate” about helping those in need.

“We believe one of the ways communities are renewed is by working together to meet these needs,” he said. “One of our small groups focuses on how to live out the mission of the Gospel. What better way to do that than by helping others in need, including this project.”

Some of the needed items include cleaning supplies, canned goods, washing detergent, undergarments/socks, lamps, blankets, linens, pillows and toilet paper/paper towels.

Rob Musial, SEKO’s inbound freight manager, said his company was looking for a project in which to get involved. Musial, a Renew member, said Sikora contacted him about the same time in finding a way to transport the donations. It was perfect timing.

“We gladly donated a truck to pick up the donations and dock space to keep them, and work with suppliers to get some donations as well as transporting the items to Alabama,” Musial said. “It is a perfect fit.”

Allison Connors, a Berea resident, spent a few hours outside the Berea Recreation Center last week accepting donations. She said Ohioans can relate to what occurred in Alabama with the heavy storms and flooding experienced recently in this area.

“We were spared the devastation they experienced,” Connors said. “I am sure they would do the same for us if we were in that situation.”

Berea’s recreation center is located at 451 Front Street. Middleburg Heights Community Center is at 16000 Bagley Road and Polaris, 7285 Old Oak Blvd., Middleburg Heights.