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06 Feb

February 6, 2008 |

Jeff Bleijerveld, currently Assistant Director of World Partners USA, has been appointed by Bishop Ron Ramsey as the new Director of Global Ministries. He will begin his new duties on March 3, replacing Gary Dilley, who served in that position since 2001. Gary stepped down, effective January 21, to accept the senior pastor role at College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind.

Jeff and Charlene Bleijerveld
Jeff and Charlene Bleijerveld

Jeff has been an ordained minister in the Missionary Church for 23 years, was a missionary in Spain for eight years with World Partners Canada, has served as a pastor at two churches, and came to his current position in 2001. At World Partners USA, Jeff has been responsible for the daily operations, managed all human resources functions for the 130 staff scattered around the world, developed and supervised volunteer programs, worked with missionaries in raising their support, and much more. Being fluent in Spanish, he frequently traveled to South American, Central America, and Europe, and also served as Hispanic Liaison to churches in the United States and abroad. He brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and ability to the position.

Jeff, a Canadian citizen, holds a Theology degree from Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener, Ontario, and a Masters in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.

“Gary Dilley did much to advance our mission program,” says Bishop Ron Ramsey, “and he is highly respected throughout the denomination, not only in the United States but in our many partnering countries. We appreciate his service to the church, and wish him well as he returns to the pastorate. We knew it would be difficult to replace him.”
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06 Feb

February 6, 2008 |

The Huntington University Board of Trustees has approved a 4.5 percent increase for fulltime traditional undergraduate tuition and fees in 2008-2009.

To make college more affordable, Huntington has kept increases to only 2 percent and 3 percent the past two years. The increase for the 2008-2009 academic year means that a fulltime, traditional undergraduate student at Huntington will pay $435 more in tuition and fees per semester.

The annual tuition and fees at Huntington University is currently $19,430, nearly $4,300 less than the national average. Across the United States, the average tuition and fees at four-year private institutions in 2007-2008 is $23,712, representing a 6.3 percent increase of more than $1,400 over 2006-2007, according to College Board’s 2007-2008 Annual Survey of Colleges.

In addition to being ranked No. 7 among the Midwest’s “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in 2008 by U.S.News & World Report, Huntington University also was named No. 5 among the “Best Values in Baccalaureate Colleges” in the Midwest.
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06 Feb

February 6, 2008 |

Thomas Thelen resigned as youth pastor of Kilpatrick UB (Woodland, Mich.), effective January 31, 2008.

James Nixon resigned as youth pastor of Element Church (Blissfield, Mich.), effective January 31, 2008.

04 Feb

February 4, 2008 |

The UB church in Milltown, South Dakota, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church received the designation last summer through the efforts of several board members.

The National Register is designed “to recognize properties which contribute to the prehistoric and historic development of our localities, states, and nation.”

“We are the only church left in the area,” says Darlene Juhnke, a member of the church, “and the only United Brethren in Christ Church in South Dakota.”

Another board member is Theresa Schutt, whose great-great-grandfather, Asa Brink, pastored the church in the 1880s. The congregation actually began in 1878, and the white frame building was erected in 1880.

Milltown UB was among the churches which stuck with Bishop Milton Wright when our group split off from the main body of the United Brethren denomination.

From 1977-1999, the church was served by student pastors from North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls, S. D. From 1999-2006, a minister from a Baptist church in Parkston also filled the Milltown pulpit. Since 2006, the small congregation has not had anyone to conduct services, and the members have been scattered among other area churches.

Milltown was a stagecoach route until 1865, and was a bustling small town. But now, the population is less than 10. The nearest town is Parkston, with 1700 residents.

04 Feb

February 4, 2008 |

livingston.jpgHuntington University’s new student residence (right) will bear a name from the past: Livingston Hall. The Board of Trustees agreed on that name during their January 26 meeting.

The original Livingston Hall developed from a home built in 1897 by President Charles H. Kiracofe and later sold to theology professor Samuel L. Livingston. The house was converted to a women’s residence in 1918 and later underwent two significant expansions and renovations. After additional student residences were built in the 1980s, Livingston Hall was converted to faculty offices.

The building was demolished in 1988 to make room for RichLyn Library. The new Livingston Hall iwll house 150 undergraduates, and is scheduled for occupancy next fall.

31 Jan

January 31, 2008 |

Huntington University is seeking a person to serve in the part-time role of Graduate School Admissions and Marketing Coordinator. This position involves representing Huntington University in a professional manner throughout the process of recruiting, admitting, and matriculating prospective graduate students, specifically in marketing the Graduate Ministry and the Graduate Counseling Programs.

Candidates must have a strong personal faith in Jesus Christ, a desire to serve others and a commitment to being a faithful steward of university resources. The ideal candidate will have marketing skills and strong computer skills: primarily Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. The individual should have strong communication skills, both written and verbal, in one-on-one and group settings and must be able to work in a highly interactive and team-oriented environment. The role requires a candidate with self-motivation and initiative, creativity, attention to detail, and time management skills. The candidate must possess a high level of problem solving and organization skills, and must be able to execute multiple projects and tasks concurrently. A Bachelor’s Degree is preferred.

If interested, contact:

Huntington University
Human Resource Office
2303 College Avenue
Huntington, IN 46750
Email to prudy@huntington.edu
Or fax to 260-359-4086

31 Jan

January 31, 2008 |

A team of UBs from Michigan are heading to Nicaragua today. They’ll spend two weeks there doing a building project for a church in Masaya. The project is being spearheaded by Brown Corners UB in Clare, Mich. Eight of the members, however, come from Northland UB in Traverse City, Mich.

30 Jan

January 30, 2008 |

A team from Canada is currently in Haiti doing construction work and ministry. Unfortunately, Pastor Oliam Richard, who leads the churches in Haiti, suffered severe injuries in a fall on Monday. He attempted to jump down from a height of about six feet and ended up breaking his wrist in three places, and his hip, which they originally thought was dislocated, turns out to be badly broken. He will require a hip replacement operation.

Joan Sider with Esther and Oliam Richard
Joan Sider (center) with Esther and Oliam Richard.

The accident happened at what is called the “Hill Church.” Team members and some Haitian men had to carry Pastor Richard down to the bus. They spent two and a half hours looking for a doctor, with no success. The hospital in the town of Cayes couldn’t do anything for him. They tried to go to see some Cuban doctors Pastor Richard knows, but they were not at home. They went to the United Nations, who put them in touch with a nurse practioner. They visited a clinic, but there was no doctor at that time. They offered to keep Pastor Richard, but he declined. He was in considerable pain, but conscious and aware.

On Wednesday morning, the group planned to begin the six-hour bus journey to Port au Prince, the capital city. Upon arriving there Oliam’s wife, Esther, would begin investigating the possibility of taking her husband to France for medical treatment.

However, a wonderful opportunity arose on Tuesday night. The Mission clinic they were at suggested they try going to the Southern Baptist Mission Hospital, which is one of the best in the area. They hired an “ambulance,” which was little more than a van with a mattress on the floor and tires to lean up against.

Four times a year for one week, a team of doctors comes to this hospital from the United States. This happened to be one of those four weeks! Plus, one of the doctors is among the best Orthopaedic surgeons in North America! Definitely a God-thing.

After meeting with the doctors, they decided to have the surgery done there. A cast has already been put on Pastor Richard’s wrist. This injury is apparently the more difficult of the two problems, since three bones are broken quite badly.

Hopefully, on Thursday, Pastor Richard will have his hip operated on and they will have him up on his feet on Friday. Pastor Richard will remain in the hospital for ten days.

The cost for the operation will be about $5000 Haitian [$700 US]. There is no provision for food in the hospital. The Team will be going out to find a market to get food. Someone, likely Pastor Richard’s secretary, will need to cook the food at an outdoor fire.

Team Haiti will be going back to Cayes. They had already checked out of the hotel, but the hotel has rooms for them at a reasonable rate until Friday. From Saturday until their return to Toronto (as scheduled), they will stay in Port au Prince.

30 Jan

January 30, 2008 |

Ann Spores, who served with her husband Darrell as a UB missionary in Sierra Leone during the 1980s, passed away January 19. They served as business manager and hostess at the mission house in Freetown. Darrell’s address is:

Darrell Spores
1200 Miva Mar #602
Medford, OR 97504-8568

23 Jan

January 23, 2008 |

klopfenstein1.jpgRichard Klopfenstein, former athletic director and chair of the Physical Education Department at Huntington University, passed away January 21 at Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home in Fort Wayne, Ind. He was 85. His wife, Mary, continues living in Huntington, Ind.

The funeral will be held Thursday, January 24, at D. O. McComb and sons Lakeside Park Funeral Home in Fort Wayne, Ind. at 11 a.m. Dr. Ray Seilhamer and Dr. Kent Maxwell wil officiate.

Klopfenstein is recognized as the “founding father” of the Mid-Central College Conference, the athletic conference in which the Foresters still compete. Klopfenstein helped start the MCC in 1959 and served as the organization’s first president.

Dick Kloopfenstein came to Huntington as a transfer student in 1942. He left to serve in the US Army during World War 2, earning a battle star and a combat infantryman’s badge. He then returned to Huntington, finishing his degree in 1948. After five years of teaching and coaching in Lafayette, Ind., he returned to HU in 1953 as the new athletic director.

During his years at Huntington University, Coach K coached a total of 80 seasons, including 33 years as golf coach, 15 years as men’s tennis coach, 13 years as men’s basket5ball coach, three years as baseball coach, and one year as women’t ennis coach. He was awarded professor emeritus status in 1987, but contiued to coach golf until 1992.

Read more about Coach K and his contributions to Huntington University.