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19 Jan

January 19, 2010 |
Bishop Phil Whipple leading the ELT meeting.

Bishop Phil Whipple leading the ELT meeting.

Andy Sikorra (right), who will be planting a UB church in the Cleveland area, with Huntington University president G. Blair Dowden.

Andy Sikorra (right), who will be planting a UB church in the Cleveland area, with Huntington University president G. Blair Dowden.

The Executive Leadership Team met Monday night and Tuesday morning (January 18-19) at Huntington University. This was the first time the ELT has met since Phil Whipple was elected bishop, though they’ve handled several items of business over the internet.

The plan was to handle all business during the two hours on Monday night, and reserve Tuesday for talking about church planting. They stuck to that plan.

On Tuesday morning, after a devotional by Bishop Whipple, the ELT heard from Andy Sikorra, who will be planting a church in the Cleveland, Ohio, area starting next fall. Andy is originally from Texas, but his family moved to northwest Ohio and attended New Hope UB church in Bryan, Ohio. He attended Huntington University, and is now on staff with a Southern Baptist church in Cleveland.

Bishop Whipple then guided the ELT members into an open discussion about church planting. Our denomination was born out of aggressive church planting, but in recent years we’ve not done so well at starting new churches. It’s something everyone agrees we need to get a better handle on.

18 Jan

January 18, 2010 |
Denny Miller (far right) leading the cluster leader training.

Denny Miller (far right) leading the cluster leader training.

Today, 22 cluster leaders came to Huntington, Ind., for several hours of training with Bishop Phil Whipple and Denny Miller, pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.). They met in the Habecker Dining Commons at Huntington University. Denny Miller works one day a week as Director of Healthy Church Ministries. He led much of the training.

Here are some photos from the event.

18 Jan

January 18, 2010 |

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!”

18 Jan

January 18, 2010 |

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.

18 Jan

January 18, 2010 |

eric-church300Last 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!”

18 Jan

January 18, 2010 |

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.

15 Jan

January 15, 2010 |

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.”

15 Jan

January 15, 2010 |
We learned today (Jan. 15) that Rev. Oliam Richard, superintendent of the 40 United Brethren churches in Haiti, made it back to Haiti, and he was reunited with his wife, Esther. She was not injured. However, Esther is not well, and they are making arrangements with the French embassy to send her back to France as soon as possible. She arrived in Haiti from France the day before the earthquake.

15 Jan

January 15, 2010 |

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.

15 Jan

January 15, 2010 |
Ajiax Wo gives his report as superintendent of Hong Kong Conference. L-r: Brian Magnus (chair), Donna Hollopeter (secretary), Ajiax, and Orville Brown (translator).

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.

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.

Juan Pavon Pavon (Nicaragua) speaking.

Laughter: the universal language. L-r: Isaac Nugent (Jamaica), Denis Casco (Mexico), Ajiax Wo (Hong Kong).

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.

The Honduran women fed everyone well, three meals a day.

Juanita Chavez, Honduran superintendent, talks about her country's long-range plan.

Juanita Chavez, Honduran superintendent, talks about her country's long-range plan.

The closing prayer time.

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:

  1. Changing the frequency of General Conference from 4-3 years.
  2. Reducing representation to just two persons for each national conference–the highest governing leader, plus one other person (doesn’t need to be a minister).

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.