L. Scott Hergert (right), senior pastor, First UB Church (Lansing, Mich.)

First UB Church of Lansing held the closing service on October 24. I have been praying that it would be a time of celebration, remembrance and most importantly of God’s faithfulness.

Beginning with the first Sunday of October, Theron Smith gave us a brief lesson on the History of the United Brethren denomination. The next Sunday he gave us a lesson on the history of First United Brethren Church of Lansing.

It was incredible to hear how the city of Lansing contributed to clearing the lot that the building is built on. R. E. Olds donated funds toward the building, and a local bank donated the original chandeliers. You could clearly see how God’s hand had been in the starting of First UB Church.

On the third Sunday of the month we were introduced to Pastor Tim Flickinger, former pastor of Fowlerville UB (Fowlerville, Mich.), who will serve as church planter/restart pastor to begin a new UB church in Lansing.

In preparation for the closing service, several invitations were sent to people who have moved on and to those who have not been in church for a long time. As a result, over 100 people attended the last service.

Each of the living pastors were contacted, and most of them sent letters highlighting their time at First UB. Rev. Harold Cherry, Rev. Kevin Cherry, and Rev. Connie Cherry were also in attendance. Harold and his family served the church 1959-1969. They all shared some of their memories.

Much of the service was opened up for people to share their memories and to express their thanks to individuals. Many people shared special music. The service was closed with Pastor Kevin Cherry praying for the Hergert family and their future, then Pastor Theron Smith prayed for the children in the church and for their future as well.

It seems clear to me that God has been working through the closing of First UB to benefit the kingdom through the new work in the Lansing area. The people of the church have been very open to this, plan and the issues of timing make It evident that God has been and continues to be in charge.

James E. Sturgeon, 72, of Rockford, Ohio passed away Friday morning, October 22, 2010, at his residence in Rockford, Ohio. He was a member of Praise Point UB church in Wilshire, Ohio.

Before entering the ministry, Jim worked for Chrysler 1956-1970. He graduated from Huntington University in 1974, and from its Graduate School of Christian Ministries in 1975.

Jim retired in September 2003 as a pastor. He had served these congregations:

  • New Hope UB (Huntington, Ind.). He presided over the relocation of the church, initially called Etna Avenue UB church, to its present location.
  • Park UB (Bluffton, Ind.).
  • Calvary UB (Rockford, Ohio)
  • Decatur UB (Decatur, Ind.).

Surviving are his wife, Joann Sturgeon, and three children.

Visitation: 11 am – 2 pm and 3-8 pm Sunday, October 24. Also, 1 hour before the funeral on Oct. 25.

Visitation Location: Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home, 520 North Second Street, Decatur, Ind. 46733.

Funeral: 2 pm Monday, October 25. Wes Kuntzman officiating.

Funeral Location: Praise Point Church, Wilshire, Ohio. 555 Decatur Rd North, Willshire, Ohio.

Tim Gorniak was hired as the new youth pastor at New Hope UB (Camden, Mich.). He holds a local license from Shoreline UB church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Don Gentry is the senior pastor at New Hope.

Dr. G. Blair Dowden (right), as president of Huntington University, is automatically the Director of Higher Education. Here are some tidbits from his written and verbal report to the Executive Leadership Team on October 12, 2010.

The overall enrollment his 1278 for the fall 2010 semester, exceeding enrollment projections by 44. That includes:

  • 1040 traditional undergraduates.
  • 148 students in the EXCEL Adult Degree Program.
  • 90 students pursing master’s degrees in the HU Graduate School.

Other notes about the student body:

  • There are students from 35 states.
  • 33 international students represent 20 countries–the largest grow of international students in at least two decades.
  • The incoming class of 320 new fulltime students was the second largest in the university’s history.
  • The number of new Untied Brethren students increased from 28 in 2009 to 35 in 2010–the highest number of new UB students since 2002. The UB church is consistently the largest single denomination represented in the student body.

The Campaign for Huntington University is approaching the $10 million mark toward an overall goal of $21 million.

  • Renovations are currently underway in Becker Hall (the former Administration Building) to create new classrooms, studios, and labs for the Digital Media arts program.
  • New bleachers were installed in the Merillat Complex–the first of many planned renovations.

Huntington University has received some noteworthy rankings:

  • US News: #8 among the Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest Region, and #5 in the Best Values category for Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest.
  • Forbes.com: Among the top 15% of colleges in the United States.
  • Princeton Review: on the “Best in the Midwest” list.
  • Washington Monthly: one of the Top 50 baccalaureate colleges in the nation.

HU hired 7 new faculty this year. Of the 60 fulltime teaching faculty, 48 (80%) hold earned doctorates.

Huntington University is gaining a greater presence in Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana. Significant on-air and off-air promotion of HU has developed through a strategic alliance with Fort Wayne Christian radio station Star 88.3. The number of students form Fort Wayne has increased.

HU made significant progress on several diversity initiatives. United States ethnic minorities now comprise 5% of the student population. In 2009-2010, the university community had a year-long emphasis on diversity. Book studies, chapel program, special guest lectures, and other activities centered on the theme “One in Christ” explored racial reconciliation as an outgrowth of our Christ-centeredness.

State funding was cut 31% last year and another 7% this year.

Retired minister, Jim Sturgeon, has discontinued dialysis as of last Wednesday, the family reports. Hospice care has begun and he is ready to go be with the Lord. Please hold Jim and his family up in prayer during this time of transition.

You can send cards to:

507 W. Market St.
Rockford, OH 45882

The 2010 Mid-Atlantic Pastoral Resource Day will be held November 7-8 at Rhodes Grove Camop and Conference Center in Chambersburg, Pa. The speakers will be:

  • Phil Whipple, UB bishop.
  • Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries.
  • Gary Gates, UB Director of Ministerial Licensing.

The Huntington University Board of Trustees chose new officers and some new members during its meeting on October 15.

Kelly Savage (right) is the new chair of the Board of Trustees. She is the first woman to serve in that post in the university’s 113-year history. She replaces Ed Souers, chairman for the past six years.

Savage is the vice president for global human resources at Amway Corp. in Ada, Mich. She is a 1983 graduate of Huntington University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and she also holds an MBA from Colorado State University. She has served on the HU board since 2001 and as the vice chair since 2004.

Dr. Herb Schumm (right) of Spencerville, Ohio, was elected vice chair. Schumm, a 1982 HU alumnus, is a medical doctor and vice president for media affairs at St. Rita’s Hospital in Lima, Ohio.

Nancy Hull, a 1974 graduate and the 2010 Alumnus of the Year, was elected secretary of the HU Board of Trustees. She is assistant professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Three new board members were also elected at the October meeting:

  • Larry New, who previously served on the board 1996-2008, is president of Heritage Medical Group and owner of CrownPointe Communities. As a 1971 graduate of the university, he was named Alumnus of the Year in 1982.
  • Robin Wright, a 1982 HU graduate from Columbia City, Ind., is the executive vice president of STAR Financial Bank. He previously served on the board from 2009 to 2010.
  • Molly Deuberry, a 2001 HU graduate from Chesterton, Ind., is the director of communications for the Indianapolis Department of Works. She was officially named the alumni board president in May.

All senior pastor and churches are required to participate in a cluster, which is generally a group of senior pastors from 6-8 churches. During the past year, Dennis Miller (right), senior pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), has been working one day a week as Director of Clusters. In that role he oversees the cluster system.

The cluster strategy was reorganized this year, with four types of clusters:

  1. Geographical Clusters. Pastors that serve in a certain geographical area (which is true of most of the clusters).
  2. Affinity Clusters. Pastors who have the same focus, church size, ministry philosophy, whatever.
  3. Social Clusters. A cluster that has fellowship as its primary purpose.
  4. CECL. A cluster using training from the Center for Excellence in Congregational Leadership.

Here are some items from Denny Miller’s written and oral report to the Executive Leadership Team on October 12.

  • There are 28 clusters. Two meet for fellowship only, one uses the CECL training, and one cluster hasn’t been meeting. The other 24 clusters use a common video curriculum we developed for cluster meetings.
  • A training event for cluster leaders was held in January, with most of the leaders attending.
  • On January 10, 2011, another training event for cluster leaders will be held in Huntington, Ind., with a focus on coaching. Each cluster leader will be asked to coach one person from his cluster in the coming year.
  • The curriculum for 2011 will focus on church systems.
  • We will offer two new clusters–one for pastors leading churches with over 200 people, and one for pastors leading churches with fewer than 200 people.
  • A system was devised whereby Bishop Whipple, Jeff Bleijerveld, and Denny Miller will each meet with one-third of the clusters during the year, thereby giving each cluster a personal contact.
  • Former bishops Ron Ramsey and C. Ray Miller each call and encourage half of the cluster leaders each month.

Information about the cluster system and the constituents of the various groups is given on the UB website.

Three changes have occurred at Laurel Mission in Big Laurel, Kent., all within the Boggs family.

  • Titus Boggs is on medical leave as director of Laurel Mission, but continues as senior pastor of Little Laurel Bible Church.
  • Nathan Boggs, his son, who has been issued a local conference license, is serving as executive director of Laurel Mission, effective October 8, 2010.
  • Debbie Boggs, wife of Titus Boggs, is the new associate director of Laurel Mission.