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16 Sep

September 16, 2010 |

Huntington University enrolled a record number of traditional undergraduate students this fall and reported its second-largest incoming class in the school’s history.

The total enrollment for fall 2010 is 1278. This includes:

  • 1040 traditional, fulltime and part-time undergraduate students (up eight students from 2009).
  • 148 students in the EXCEL Adult Degree Program.
  • 90 graduate students.

Other stats of note:

  • The university enrolled 320 new fulltime students, including 263 new freshmen and 57 transfers,
  • Fulltime undergraduate enrollment increased from 949 to 982 students.
  • The students come from 20 countries and 35 different states.
  • 60% of the students are from Indiana.
  • Ethnic minorities make up 5% of the student population.
  • This is the largest class of international students (33) in at least two decades.

13 Sep

September 13, 2010 |

Homeschooled children can take advantage of a physical education program being offered this fall by Huntington University’s Department of Physical Education. There are nine session from September to December for children in grades K-5. Classes last for 50 minutes and are free. More information is on the HU website.

13 Sep

September 13, 2010 |

Rev. Reuben Zurcher, a retired United Brethren minister, passed away early this morning, Sept. 13, 2010. He was a World War 2 veteran and, at the time of his death, a member of Monroe United Brethren church in Monroe, Ind.

Rev. Zurcher graduated from Huntington College in 1962 and began his pastoral ministry at the Zanesville, Ind., United Brethren church. He served six other UB pastorates: Third Street (Fort Wayne, Ind.), St. Mary’s (Ohio), Olivet (near Dayton, Ohio), Kettering (Dayton, Ohio), Alexandria (Ind.), and Bobo (Willshire, Ohio). He also served a term as conference superintendent in Central Conference. The family believes he retired in 1986.

Viewing: Tuesday, Sept 14, 2010, 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm.
Viewing Location: Maplewood Park D.O. McComb and Sons funeral home, 4017 Maplecrest Rd., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46815.

Funeral: 10 am Wednesday, Sept 15, 2010. Viewing will be at 9 am.
Location: Maplewood Park D.O. McComb and Sons funeral home, 4017 Maplecrest Rd., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46815.

Read more about Rev. Zurcher on the D. O. McComb website.

12 Sep

September 12, 2010 |

Burley Clay, 88, a retired United Brethren minister, passed away September 10, 2010. He was a pastor for 58 years–48 in the Missionary Church, and 10 in the United Brethren church. He pastored the Alvordton, Ohio, and Waldron, Mich., UB churches during the 1980s. Prior to that, they served non-UB churches in Arizona and California.

Burley Clay is the father of Polly Dunten, whose husband, Darwin, is pastor of Findlay First United Brethren Church, Findlay, Ohio.

Arrangements:

Viewing: Monday, Sept. 13, 2010.
Location: Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, Ohio.
Funeral: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010. Visitation at 10 a.m.
Location: Redeemer (Community) Missionary Church, 5321 Springdale Ave., Toledo, Ohio.

Rev. Clay is survived by his wife of 66 years, Alice, 6 children, 15 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.

09 Sep

September 9, 2010 |

Huntington University launched a $21 million capital campaign to:

  • Renovate Becker Hall (the former Administration Building).
  • Build a new Studio Art Center.
  • $9.5 million to expand the Merillat physical education complex.
  • $3 million for the University Fund.
  • $2 million for endowment.

“We must dream again,” said HU President G. Blair Dowden. “We need to expand and renovate and build.”

“Together: The Campaign for Huntington University” started in 2007 to improve and expand campus offerings and facilities. Over the past two years, the university has received $9.7 million in donations and pledges, resulting in:

  • Construction of the Studio Art Center — a combination of the Art Annex building and a new 2-D studio.
  • Renovations to Becker Hall, including refurbishing the entryway, adding an elevator, and renovating the third floor to create a film studio for the digital media arts program.

Work has also begun at the Merillat Complex. New bleachers were installed this summer. Additional plans include:

  • Creating a new entryway.
  • Expanding the exercise and weight-training areas.
  • Adding new classroom and fitness lab spaces.
  • Renovating the outdoor track.
  • Constructing a new hardwood floor gymnasium.
  • Installing all-weather turf on the soccer field.
  • Funds for a facilities endowment.

The University Fund helps to bridge the gap between what students can afford and the financial aid available to them. Currently, 91 percent of the student body receives some sort of financial aid.

The endowment has a long-term impact by establishing scholarships, endowing faculty chairs, or supporting a particular program. It also helps supplement funds for the overall operation of the university.

Donations can be made to the university in various forms such as cash, appreciated securities, or real estate. The Office of Advancement will work with individuals to make sure that their gifts fulfill the donor’s wishes as well as the university’s needs.

08 Sep

September 8, 2010 |

Felida Christian Fellowship, a UB church in Vancouver, Wash., has withdrawn from the denomination. On August 4, the congregation voted to join, and integrate its assets with, Summit View Church, a megachurch located 17 miles away.

Summit had been planning to launch a new campus on the west side of town. For that, they will now use the former UB building, which will be known as Summit View: Felida. Services are being held there at 10 am on Sundays.

Ian McIntosh, pastor of Felida Christian Fellowship, will become a part-time staffperson at Summit View.

The church began in 1976 as a mission church under the sponsorship of the denominational Board of Church Extension. It was named Guiding Light, and Ron Mulles was the founding pastor. For three years, the congregation met in a local Grange Hall, growing to about 65 people. A 3.9 acre piece of land was purchased, and in 1979, ground was broken for a building.

The name was later changed to Friendship Community Church, and then to Felida Christian Fellowship.

07 Sep

September 7, 2010 |

Pastor Les Smith enacts the Book of James

Pastor Les Smith enacts the Book of James

Kurt Charleville, Hillsdale's new youth and worship director.

Kurt Charleville, Hillsdale's new youth and worship director.

On Sunday, August 29, the Hillsdale UB Church held its 11th annual Outdoor Service at Michindoh Conference Center. The day featured the 4 Friends Quartet and a visit from the Apostle James.

Pastor Les Smith’s dramatization of the book of James had an unusual sense of divine timing. As he began the final sentence of James, there was a crashing sound from above and suddenly a huge limb fell to the ground. Since there were no seats left in the amphitheatre, the quartet members were standing to the side under the tree. One of the singers stepped aside just in time, as the branch landed next to him.

The crowd gasped and there was a pause, whereupon “James,” without missing a beat, seized the opportunity and finished his book, “Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way, shall SAVE A SOUL FROM DEATH.” Before he could add the last phrase, the crowd broke out in laughter and applause. Then the Apostle concluded, “and shall cover a multitude of sins” and exited.

During the potluck picnic and waterfront activities that followed, the buzz continued. Several people who witnessed it asked Pastor Les if he had somehow arranged this “prop.” The pastor’s reply was, “I think the Lord just wanted to emphasize that last verse to us, about the eternal importance of turning sinners back to him.”

There was a record attendance for the Outdoor Service of over 550, including a large number of guests.

07 Sep

September 7, 2010 |

On Monday, September 6, Billy Simbo, bishop of Sierra Leone Conference, sent the following update about his wife, Mamei. Her situation was previously reported on September 1.

Today marks one week since we brought Mamei to the hospital by ambulance. She had been in bed for over four days without being able to get up or move due to excessive pain in her knees and all over her body.

In the ER, various blood tests and scans revealed infection in the port that had been inserted for the administration of the chemotherapy drug and also infection in her right knee. The next day she had surgery to clean up the knee infection. She had a drain put in to clean out the infection and antibiotics were applied directly to the surface. The doctors determined that the same bacteria that infected the port had traveled to the knee. So she has been on antibiotics and all kinds of other medications. The immense side pains she was experiencing were the result of kidney stones, which have now passed, eliminating that pain.

Today things got a little more complicated. The in-house doctors noticed irregular sounds in Mamei’s heart. We were transferred from the oncology unit to the Coronary Care Unit, which is an intensive care unit for monitoring. An updated ultrasound found inflammation around the heart and leakage around one of the valves, probably caused by the same bacterial infection. They ordered a procedure requiring anesthesia and the insertion of a tube down the throat to get a clearer picture of the heart.

Thank God that though the infection and inflammation was confirmed around the one valve, the infection had not spread all over the heart. They will continue treating with antibiotics and other medications, and hope that no surgery will be required. Mamei is now resting quietly and still hooked up to monitors. We don’t know how long they will keep her in this particular unit.

We have completed one week in the hospital, I say we because I have been sleeping on a folding bed next to her. But with this unit and all the monitoring, I am planning to go home tonight and sleep on a real bed for a change!

We should have an idea after a couple more days as to what plans we should make for rehab. I will make a final decision on whether to change my departure date for Sierra Leone some time this week based upon the whole heart issue.

Please pray for the following:

  1. The clearing of the infection around the heart.
  2. For Mamei  to regain her appetite. She eats very little even with us standing over her and urging her to eat. She needs the nutrition to back up the medications.
  3. The strength to endure pain, thereby allowing the nurses and staff to help her with her mobility. The longer she stays down, the more difficult her recovery will be. The initial surgery on her knee was over one year ago and she was still walking with a cane or walker before this new onset of infection.
  4. For the family as we make arrangements and organize things for Mamei’s aftercare once she is discharged from the hospital and or rehab facility.
  5. My plans as I seek to complete our assignment in Sierra Leone on schedule. I am scheduled to attend a conference in Ghana September 19-24, and I am teaching two classes at The Evangelical College of Theology (TECT). Classes start next week and they have asked me to be the main speaker for Spiritual Emphasis week which starts in the middle of October.

Cards for Mamei can be sent to:

Mamei Simbo
1822 Erlens Rd.
Elkins Park, PA  19027

31 Aug

August 31, 2010 |

Kathy Buck has joined the Huntington University faculty as Instructor of Nursing. Her nursing career has taken her to Tulsa, Okla., and to three cities in Indiana–Muncie, Peru, and Fort Wayne. Her experience includes a number of years in intensive care, along with orthopedics, home health care, hospice, and cardiac rehab. She holds undergraduate degrees from Anderson and Indiana Wesleyan universities in Indiana, and a master’s degree in Nursing Education from Indiana Wesleyan.

Dr. Melanie Ross has been hired as Assistant Professor of Worship Leadership. Ross comes to Huntington University having previously taught undergraduate courses in theology at the University of Notre Dame. Ross holds a doctorate in Liturgical Studies from the Notre Dame. She earned a Master of Arts in Religion at Yale Divinity School and Yale Institute of Sacred Music in 2004.