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06 May

May 6, 2009 |

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People from the US Center for World Mission pray over Dave (center, blue shirt) and Cathie Datema (on Dave’s left). Dr. Ralph Winter is in the wheelchair.

David Datema has been named to succeed Dr. Ralph Winter as general director of Frontier Mission Fellowship, which oversees the US Center for World Mission. Dave is an ordained UB minister, and as a kid lived in both Jamaica and Sierra Leone, where his parents, Jerry and Eleanore Datema, were missionaries. He has served at the US Center for World Mission in Pasadena, Calif., for the past ten years. He and Cathie are endorsed missionaries with Global Ministries, and Dave serves on the Global Ministries Leadership Team.

Dr. Winter, who is currently winning a battle against multiple myleoma, stated, “I sense it is God’s will that David and Cathie Datema should be the couple that would carry on (with the help of others) the role of General Director. Dave’s steady involvement, his pastoral experience, and his scholarly emphasis and not least his concern for the Frontier Mission Fellowship [the organization to which they belong] as a fellowship, all equip him and are factors in this decision….I believe our fellowship is stronger than ever and will continue to grow stronger, and that its best days are beyond my lifespan.”

We wanted to let you know that Dr. Ralph Winter, the founder of the Frontier Mission Fellowship, the organization to which we are members, has appointed Dave to a new assignment. As of yesterday, May 5th, Dave officially became the General Director of the Frontier Mission Fellowship as Dr. Winter stepped down from this role. (See attached photo.)

Dave and Cathie write, “In this role, we will continue to live here in Pasadena and will join the current leadership team which oversees the US Center for World Mission and the William Carey International University. We appreciate your prayers as Dave transitions to this new role with its responsibilities, and as the FMF adjusts to a new General Director.

“We appreciate so many of you who have been partners with us on our ministry team with your prayers and support. Our status as missionaries on support remains the same. In other words, we continue to depend on God and his family for our ‘daily bread.'”

04 May

May 4, 2009 |

Richard Palmer, pastor of the Abilene UB church (Abilene, Kansas) since 2001, passed away Sunday night, May 3. He suffered a major stroke on April 10 and has been in poorhealth ever since. He leaves behind Carmen, his wife of 55 years.

Viewing: 7-8 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home in Abilene.
Funeral: 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 8, at the Abilene UB church, 114 Southeast Second Street, Abilene, KS 67410.

Notes can be send to Carmen Palmer at: 1214 North Walnut, Abilene, KS  67410.

04 May

May 4, 2009 |

We’ve added some information about XLR8:

A very complete list of restaurants near Sawmill Creek, where the conference will be held. Some of these may be closed, and probably some new ones have opened. But this list–quite lengthy–should be pretty close to reality.

Information on the four keynote speakers:

  • Tim Brown (Thursday and Friday).
  • Pat Jones (Friday night UB Historical Society Banquet).
  • Jeff Bleijerveld (Saturday night focus on missions).
  • Ron Ramsey (Sunday morning).

Ministers: set up a time with Denny Zimmerman to go over your pension account.

Sign up for the Friday luncheon on church multiplication.

02 May

May 2, 2009 |

Huntington University will award three honorary doctorates during Commencement exercises on May 16:

  • Dr. John Bernbaum, founder and president of the American Christian University in Moscow, Russia.
  • Robert and Sue Miller, entrepreneurs and owners of Essenhaus Inc. in Middlebury, Ind.

01 May

May 1, 2009 |

The numbers for XLR8 keep climbing and climbing. Here in the national office, we’re very pleased, excited…and maybe a bit scared.

Here are the latest numbers:

  • Total registrations: 751
  • Ministerial delegates registered: 185
  • Lay delegates registered: 184
  • Attending the UB Historical Society Banquet: 125
  • Golf outing: 25 on Thursday, 25 on Saturday
  • Teens and children registered: 113
  • LEAD Team lunch on Friday: 11

We’ve got an interesting neck-and-neck race between laypersons and ministers to see who has more voting members.

30 Apr

April 30, 2009 |

Bethel Temple of Praise, a predominantly Jamaican UB church in Yonkers, N.Y., has a new website. Pastor Dalton Jenkins points out some of the new features:

  • Podcast of messages he preaches.
  • A blog on which Dalton shares his thoughts and reflections.
  • A new page for connecting youth with a Youth Blog page.
  • A page call Spiritual Checkup. One feature is a link for presenting the Gospel via the internet.

30 Apr

April 30, 2009 |

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Dr. Michael Cook will become the director of graduate ministries at Huntington University on June 1. This is a key position in the training of new ministers.

Cook currently chairs the Christian Ministries Department at Taylor University Fort Wayne, where he has served for the last 12 years. He developed the Bachelor of Science degree in counseling program at TUFW and a number of new courses. Before TUFW, Cook taught at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Cook served as the counseling pastor at First Missionary Church in Fort Wayne for four years and has worked in other churches and counseling centers as a clinic director, staff counselor, research consultant, youth pastor, and associate pastor.

Cook holds a Ph.D. and Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from Albany State University in Georgia.

As director of graduate ministries, Cook will oversee all the graduate ministries programs as well as the Diploma in Christian Ministries, and teach courses in these programs. He will work closely with the other graduate program directors and relevant denominational committees.

30 Apr

April 30, 2009 |

godswarthumb.gif I am reading a new book, God’s War on Terror, written by Walid Shoebat (Executive Media). Walid is a converted Muslim. Technically the book, in my opinion, is not edited very well, but as far as getting the point across, it is power-packed.

He says that the Bible is Futurology 101: “It is a detailed roadmap of so much evidence that God exists and His design from time immemorial regarding man’s destiny with many details concerning the future, especially the coming war with an Islamic coalition against Christianity and Israel.”

He believes that the nations that God goes to war against in the end time are all Muslim nations. His arguments are pretty convincing.

The book has 98 chapters and 490 pages. So you can see there are a lot of short chapters.

This is not devotional reading, but I think it is worth the read. Has anyone else out there read it? If so,I would be interested in your take!

28 Apr

April 28, 2009 |

J. Michael Caley, Senior Pastor, Banner of Christ UB (Byron Center, Mich.)

Michigan has been hit particularly hard by the economic crisis. At Banner of Christ church (Byron Center, Mich.), 15 families have been affected by layoffs or job cuts.

Several men who are key breadwinners had been at the same location 25-30 years. Many of them got good jobs right out of high school or college. This is the first time they’ve been in this situation, and they know they could be unemployed for a long time. It’s not like they can make five phone calls and line up interviews for next week.

We decided to bring together people who had lost their jobs. We scheduled the meeting from 6-8 p.m., and we provided pizza. Twelve of the 15 families at Banner directly affected by layoffs or job cuts were represented–both husband and wife in some cases, just one spouse in others.

After eating, we held an informal time of sharing–what work they had been doing, their skills and abilities, what they might do if they can’t return to their previous work.

Then we committed to praying for each other and keeping alert for job opportunities we could share with each other. One guy doing a job search might come across an opening which fit someone else’s skillset.

They were still taking about 8:00 when I basically said, “Last one out, turn off the lights.” Four men stayed for another 45 minutes, just sharing and networking.

Within the first few weeks, several people helped others in the group regarding a job opportunity. In one case, a guy sent a reference back to his former employer saying, “I know someone who would fit the job you’re trying to fill.”

They committed to meeting monthly to check in with each other, and in between meetings, we used a confidential group email list. At least two families that aren’t part of Banner are in that email group.

I was blown away. It brought the magnitude of it to me–the number of people being affected by job cuts, and how much comfort they found in meeting to pray and share.

We have now seen two guys get at least part time work. Two guys also set up times every week to volunteer doing stuff for and around the church–just a way to give something back.

27 Apr

April 27, 2009 |

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Top: Pastor Denny and Annette Sites with Denny’s parents, Bishop Emeritus Wilber and Mossie Sites. Bottom: Jerusalem Chapel Church.

On Sunday, March 29, the congregation of Jerusalem Chapel (Churchville, Va.) honored Pastor Denny and Annette Sites, who have now served the church for 25 years.
 
The celebration included musical favorites of Pastor Denny, and a video of the Sites family covering the past 25 years. A gift was presented from the congregation.
 
When Denny came here 25 years ago, 38 people attended his first service. Today we average 400. Under his ministry we added a sanctuary seating 300 and a fellowship hall. We held two services in the chapel until the current building was constructed, at which point we went back to one service. But a few years later, we had to go back to two services.   
 
A few years ago, a fire destroyed the 125-seat chapel that was over 100 years old. That was a sad day for many in the congregation, but now an educational building stands where the chapel once stood. We don’t always understand why things happen, but the Lord had bigger and better things in store for us. 

The Lord has truly blessed us under Pastor Denny’s ministry. We are also blessed to have Associate Pastor Matt Hann and his wife, Emily; and Youth Pastor Todd Yoder and his wife, Amy.
 
We thank the Lord for the staff he has given us and for what He has done for us as we look forward to the future.