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Marshall Woods, pastor of Mill Chapel UB (Reedsville, W. Va.), sent this report:
“Two years ago we added a $260,000 addition, which included classrooms, restrooms, a large fellowship hall, and expansion of the sanctuary. We baptized 45 people in 2009 and 30 in 2008. Ministries to teens, children, men, and women are active. God is great and doing great things!”
Chet Conley, associate pastor of First UB (Findlay, Ohio), almost lost his grandson, Ethan, on Saturday, January 16. Several days earlier, the eight-year-old developed viral mialytus, a virus that attacks the muscles.
Today, Monday, they are removing the breathing tube and some of the sedation. He is responding. He still has the feeding tube and kidney dialysis. There will be much physical therapy when this is completed.
Last May, Eric Church earned a degree in digital media arts from Huntington University. Now, he’s in the running to win a share of $5 million as part of the Doritos “Crash the Super Bowl” ad competition.
Church was part of a team that produced “Casket,” one of the top six finalists (out of 4000 entries). It features a man who stages his own funeral to eat Doritos and watch football.
People can vote for their favorite of those six finalists. The top three will then air during the Super Bowl. Voters also earn a chance to win Super Bowl tickets.
The “Casket” commercial was produced by Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic, a church in Whittier, Calif. Eric Church attends there.
“Shooting it was a blast,” Church says, “especially the whole falling out of the casket stunt. We used 70 bags of Doritos to cover him up inside. It was great!”
Brooklyn Park UB (Baltimore, Md.) dedicated its new after-school youth center on Sunday, January 17. Using $28,000 in donations, they built a 2000-square-foot addition to the parsonage basement. It features several pool tables, Skeeball, a shuffleboard table, and video games. A bar serving soda occupies one corner, and a wood-burning stove occupies another.
It’s named in memory of Maranda Callendar, a local 15-year-old girl who was shot in the head and later died. “If the kids had somewhere to hang out, maybe things would have gone in a different direction,” says Maranda’s stepmother, Chrissy Callendar.
They had been using the parsonage basement as a youth center. About 20 teens would gather there to hang out and play games. By 2006, about 180 different youth, ages 6-18, and come there. But they needed more room. The center was closed for several months so they could complete the expansion.
Local businesses donated walls, flooring, concrete for the foundation, and the wood-pellet stove. Local residents and even other churches contributed. Youth helped with the construction.
Josh McKeown, from First UB church of Holly, Hill, Fla., sent this note on Wednesday, January 13:”Tonight during our youth service called The F.L.O.K. we had four youth accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. We were all so excited to be a part of this awesome experience in their lives and thank God for allowing us to be involved in His plan.”
Upon returning from Honduras yesterday, Donna Hollopeter, associate director of Global Ministries, learned that an aunt had passed away (her mother’s sister). She headed out to Pennsylvania today for the funeral, which is Monday.
As mentioned earlier, Phil Whipple’s uncle passed away, and he’ll be flying to Illinois tonight for the funeral.
Ajiax Wo gives his report as superintendent of Hong Kong Conference. L-r: Brian Magnus (chair), Donna Hollopeter (secretary), Ajiax, and Orville Brown (translator).
Theresa Musa and Billy Simbo (Sierra Leone) during the prayer time for Haiti. Billy also opened with the day's devotional.
Juan Pavon Pavon (Nicaragua) speaking.
Laughter: the universal language. L-r: Isaac Nugent (Jamaica), Denis Casco (Mexico), Ajiax Wo (Hong Kong).
The Honduran women fed everyone well, three meals a day.
Juanita Chavez, Honduran superintendent, talks about her country's long-range plan.
The closing prayer time.
Wednesday’s General Conference meeting opened with a devotional from Billy Simbo, bishop of Sierra Leone conference. He used the story where Jesus brought a huge catch of fish to an astonished Peter and his fellow fishermen.
The group then spent some time praying for Haiti and for Superintendent Oliam Richard, who at that point was traveling to the La Ceiba airport with Denis Casco (bishop of Mexico), hoping to get a flight to Haiti. (He eventually opted to stay in La Ceiba. The January 13 posts tell about that.)
Ajiax Wo, superintendent of Hong Kong Conference, was welcomed to his first full day of General Conference. He got hung up in New York City, needing a Honduran vissa. He reported on the ministry in Hong Kong. Karis Vong, the other Hong Kong delegate, had reported in his place, but restricted her report to Macau, where she ministers.
The delegates discussed, and unanimously passed, two changes to the international governing documents:
Next: they approved changes to the governing documents of the various national conference. One role of the General Conference is to monitor changes in the member documents to make sure they remain in conformity with United Brethren doctrine and core values.
Each national conference mentioned any significant changes to its governing documents. There were various structural changes in some conferences, but nothing that caused any concern. All changes were approved. As expected.
A few miscellaneous matters were cared for. Then Brian Magnus called for someone to adjourn this 50th meeting of the General Conference.
They adjourned.
But before you drive away….
The executive committee met for a while. They re-elected Brian Magnus as chairman of the International Executive Committee, a position he has held since 2001. The executive committee will decide where the next General Conference is held, in 2013.
The delegates reassembled for a presentation on the long-range plan of Honduras Conference by Abdiel Lopez, a Guatemalan whose organization is assisting the conference.
And THEN everyone was done for the afternoon. Most of the delegates squeezed time in at the local mall–just like any modern mall in the United States–before supper and the evening service.
Bishop Phil Whipple learned on the way back to America from Honduras that an uncle in Rockford, Ill., had died. He made arrangements to fly out of Indianapolis Friday evening for the funeral, and return Saturday evening.
General Conference delegates lay hands in prayer on Oliam Richard, Superintendent of Haiti.
The day opened with sadness, which was actually a carry-over from Tuesday: the terrible earthquake in Haiti. Oliam Richard, our Haitian superintendent, was terribly concerned, especially since his wife, Esther, had flown into Haiti the day before the earthquake.
Oliam spent the night glued to CNN and seeking information on the internet. This morning, he felt he must try to get back to Haiti, and we can understand that.
Denis Casco, bishop of Mexico, took him to the La Ceiba airport to check on connections. There were none. They could get him to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, but couldn’t make any promises beyond that.
So, Denis urged Oliam to stay in La Ceiba, where he had accomodations, and Oliam agreed. However, he skipped the General Conference meeting today, staying at the hotel and no doubt gleaning whatever news he could of Haiti. He tried various ways to get through, but in vain.
During tonight’s closing service at the Bethel II church in La Ceiba, the congregation (and it was packed) took up an offering for Haiti. Rev. Richard didn’t attend the evening service. However, back at the hotel, all the General Conference delegates gathered around him, and the money was presented to him by Marilyn Reeck. Then the delegates laid hands on him, and several prayed aloud for him.
We’ll just need to pray that during the next few days, amidst the exstreme chaos, Oliam will be able to reach not only Haiti, but his wife Esther.
