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12 Jan

January 12, 2023 |

Rev. Gar Hull, 61, passed away January 9, 2023 in Jackson, Mich.

He graduated from Huntington University in 1984 and from the Graduate School of Christian Ministries in 1985. He was ordained in 1986. He served at four United Brethren churches in Michigan up through 2010. They include Homefront (now Maple Hill) in Grandville; East Washington in Ashley; and Hillsdale UB in Hillsdale.

Rev. Hull is survived by four children and one grandchild. His wife of 39 years, Lisa, preceded him in death.

Please visit hamptonfuneralhomes.com to sign the guestbook and/or send a condolence to the family.
Hampton Funeral Homes – Hillsdale
517-437-0605

01 Jan

January 1, 2023 |

Donald W. Dennie, 91, a longtime United Brethren in Christ minister, passed away the evening of Friday, December 30, 2022. He died at the home he shared with Gloria, his wife of 67 years, in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Don Dennie grew up around Lake Odessa and Lowell, Mich., the youngest of five children. Growing up, he attended Pleasant Valley UB in Lake Odessa. He went off to Huntington College in 1951, but was drafted and served two years in the US Army, mostly in Germany (he was a chaplain’s assistant).

After mustering out, he returned to Huntington and completed his degree in Social Studies in 1957. He added a Masters in Elementary Education and Administration in 1964 from Ball State University. Further coursework occurred at the California Graduate School of Theology, the HC School of Christian Ministries, Long Beach University, Biola University, and other schools.

Don and Gloria met at Huntington College and were married in 1955. They have three children: Steve (now age 66), Stu (63), and Rick (58). Steve is Communications director for the United Brethren in Christ denomination; Stu owns an automobile sales and repair shop in Van Wert, Ohio; and Rick is director of Student Support Services at Indiana University-South Bend. There are seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, all living in Indiana and Ohio.

Don taught elementary school in the Huntington area and worked six years as assistant business manager at Huntington College. In 1966, the Dennie family moved to Harrisburg, Pa. Don taught sixth grade, and he and Gloria provided leadership to the recently-started Devonshire Memorial United Brethren church. Don also directed junior camp at Rhodes Grove Camp in Chambersburg, Pa.

In 1969, the family moved to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., where Don taught junior high while providing leadership, particularly in youth ministry, to the new First UB church started by Rev. Marvin D. Price.

In 1973, Don Dennie left teaching to become a fulltime United Brethren minister. He was assigned to the UB church in Pixley, Calif., serving there 1973-1983. He was ordained in 1983 by Bishop Raymond Waldfogel. Five more UB senior pastor assignments followed: Fountain Hills Community in Fountain Hills, Ariz. (1984-1989); Olive Branch in Lakeville, Ind. (1989-1995); Third Street UB church in Fort Wayne (now Anchor Community, 1995-1998); Convoy UB in Convoy, Ohio (1998-2001); and a second stint at Olive Branch (2002-2006).

A small memorial service will be held. There will be no body (cremation was chosen), and no meal afterwords.

Time: 2:00 pm Sunday, January 8, 2023. People can visit with the family one hour beforehand.

Location: Anchor UB church, 1529 Third St., Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Gloria asks that memorials be made to UB Global, the mission arm of the United Brethren in Christ. Contribute online at UBGlobal.org, or send a check to: UB Global, 302 Lake Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

01 Jan

January 1, 2023 |

Rev. George D. Cole, 96, passed away Thursday afternoon, December 29, 2022, in Huntington, Ind.

Visitation: 5-7 pm Thursday, January 5, 2023.
Funeral: 10:00 am Friday, January 6, 2023. Visiting one hour beforehand.
Location for both: Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

George was born in 1926 in Fulton County, Ohio. After graduating from high school in 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp Cadet program, and went on to serve 13 years in Search and Rescue with the Civil Air Patrol.

George received his Bachelors in Psychology in 1966 and his Bachelors in Theology in 1967, both from Huntington University. He was ordained in 1967. He served three UB churches in Ohio (Montpelier, Kunkle, and Nettle Lake), as well as the Hudson/Corunna and Olive Branch churches in Indiana. After 24 years of ministry, he retired from Convoy, Ohio in 1988.

George is survived by his wife of 75 years, Aldene. Also surviving are two brothers and a sister preceded him in death. two sons, five grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and twelve step-great-grandchildren.

Memorial donations can be made to the New Hope United Brethren Church sent in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

08 Dec

December 8, 2022 |

Jamie Hoffman joined the Headquarters staff on November 28, 2022. As administrative assistant to the bishop, she interacts regularly with UB ministers, church leaders, cluster leaders, and leadership teams.

Jamie taught language arts for 31 years—three years in Kendallville, Ind., followed by 28 years at Crestview Middle School in Huntington, Ind. She also taught at Huntington University for many years as an adjunct professor. When she became eligible for retirement from the school system, she decided to see what God might have in terms of a second career. She wanted to do something with an emphasis on service. Upon learning about the opening at the United Brethren National Office, she was immediately drawn to it.

Jamie came to the UB National Office with deep roots in the United Brethren in Christ Church. Her grandfather, Rev. Ronald Hoffman, was a longtime UB minister in Michigan, and her great-grandfather, Andrew Hoffman, was a UB minister, too. Jamie’s great-aunt, Bernadine Hoffman, was a UB missionary in Sierra Leone for 39 years. Both of Jamie’s parents graduated from Huntington University, as did Jamie and her sister, as well as both of Jamie’s children.

Jamie was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but when she was in second grade, her father, Jim Hoffman, accepted an administrative position at Huntington University. Her mother, Marda Hoffman, was Finance Director and Office Manager at the United Brethren National Office for 24 years, 1979-2003 (back in the 1960s, she had spent a couple years as assistant editor of publications).

So, Jamie brings to the position a love for the United Brethren church, and a familiarity with a great many UB people. She attends College Park UB church in Huntington, the church in which she grew up.

Jamie has two children. Aisha and her husband, a lawyer, live in Minneapolis, Minn. Her son, Kai, lives in Huntington and works for Sweetwater Sound.

16 Nov

November 16, 2022 |

Courtney Waterman joined the UB Global team as an associate director on November 1, 2022. She and her husband are members of Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Courtney grew up mostly around Buffalo, New York. She attended her first Bills game at age five and rejoices at the team’s current success.

Courtney attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., where she earned an Economics degree. There, she met her husband, John, a fellow Economics student. After seven years in Chicago, they moved to John’s hometown of Fort Wayne, where he took a position in his father’s company.

After doing tech consulting for a number of years, Courtney went to cooking school and then ran her own catering business for a few years. Then she returned to consulting, and during the past 12 years worked for Salesforce.com.

John and Courtney began attending Emmanuel Community Church about 13 years ago. There, she became deeply interested in missions, going on short-term trips, joining the missions team, and serving in volunteer and board leadership at various nonprofits.

For about five years, Courtney had been praying, “God, I love my job and enjoy the people, but you know my interests and skills. If you have something else for me, make it happen.” So when Frank Yang contacted her about joining the UB Global team, she was ready. The position matched her skills with her passion for missions.

Frank said, “I’m excited about Courtney joining the UB Global team. Her decades of non-profit leadership, involvement in many short-term mission trips, leadership on the church missions board, and her management and leadership experience as a director of Salesforce will be a great asset to our team.”

03 Nov

November 3, 2022 |

Bishop Todd Fetters and Samantha Essig

Sam Essig (right) with her predecessor as administrative assistant to the bishop, Cathy Reich, at the farewell luncheon.

In August 2021, Samantha “Sam” Essig came to the United Brethren National Office as administrative assistant to Bishop Todd Fetters (that’s the two of them in the first photo above). She took the place of Cathy Reich, who had held that position since 2007 and was moving into semi-retirement with a new role as Events Coordinator.

Sam has been a perfect fit for this office–talented, personable, fun, energetic, a self-starter, and brimming with ideas to make us more effective. She’s a Huntington University graduate with deep roots in the United Brethren church. So we’re really, really sad to see her go.

Sam has accepted a job as Care Coordinator with Pathway Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., a very large Missionary Church congregation. She starts Monday. Sam and her husband, Jake, live in Fort Wayne and attend Pathway, so it’s a good fit. It’ll certainly be a much shorter commute. We know it’s a good opportunity for Sam, and we’re glad for her. But good help can be hard to find, and Sam has been far better than good. She’s been great.

Last week, the UB National Office staff held a farewell luncheon for Sam, with gifts. It was a good time. Her predecessor, Cathy Reich, came to help say goodbye. Friday, November 4, is Sam’s last day at the UBNO.

We are grateful to Sam for her time with us, and for the many ways she has sharpened us and contributed to the ministry of the United Brethren Church. We wish Sam the best, and know God has good things in store for her.

02 Nov

November 2, 2022 |

Dr. Paul R. Fetters

Dr. Paul R. Fetters, 88, of Fort Wayne, Ind., passed away early Monday morning October 31, 2022, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Paul lived out Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” in his leadership roles in the Church, ministerial education, and family, which he loved deeply.

Visitation: 4-8pm Friday, November 4, 2022.
Visitation location: Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.
Funeral: 10:30 am Saturday, November 5, 2022. Viewing one hour beforehand.
Funeral location: College Park United Brethren Church, 1945 College Ave., Huntington, IN 46750.

Dr. Fetters was an ordained minister in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and served churches in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. In 1972, he founded the Graduate School of Christian Ministries at Huntington University and taught theology and Bible for over 45 years.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, whom he married in August 1956, three sons, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Dr. Fetters was born in 1933 in Celina, Ohio. He graduated from Huntington University in 1955, and from the HU Theological Seminary in 1959; he was ordained that year as a United Brethren minister. He went on to earn a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1980.

His pastoral ministry began in 1954 as pastor of Calvary UB church in Rockford, Ohio, followed by a year at Hopewell UB (Auburn, Ind.), and then 1957-1962 at Third Street UB in Fort Wayne, Ind. (now Anchor Community Church). He pastored a United Methodist congregation in Pennsylvania for two years while working on his MDiv at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He then returned to pastoring UB churches for eight years: 1964-1966 at Park UB (Bluffton, Ind.), and 1966-1972 at Kettering UB (Dayton, Ohio).

In 1972, Dr. Fetters moved to Huntington to found the Graduate School of Christian Ministries, a new paradigm for training UB ministers. He served as dean of the GSCM for the next 25 years. He then stepped down as dean, but continued teaching fulltime at Huntington University at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Over the years he served as general editor for several books related to the United Brethren church, including Trials and Triumphs (UB history), Theological Perspectives, and two volumes about UB bishops since 1889. He also wrote various other UB materials for the denomination–curriculum, booklets, pamphlets, and articles.

Paul and Barbara’s three sons are ordained United Brethren ministers and currently live in Huntington. Brooks is a former UB pastor, church planter, and two-term mayor of Huntington. Luke, a former UB church planter and missionary in Macau, is now Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Huntington University. Todd, a former UB pastor in Michigan and Pennsylvania, has been bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ USA since 2015.

Interment will be at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Huntington.

Memorial donations can be made out to Paul Richard Fetters Scholarship at Huntington University in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

Other funeral information can be found on the Myers Funeral Home website.

05 Oct

October 5, 2022 |

UB Global is holding a special missions event on Friday evening, October 21. It’s designed for the whole family, and it’s free!

When: 6:30 – 8:00 pm Friday, October 21
Where: Emmanuel UB church, (12222 US Highway 24 W, Fort Wayne, Ind. 46814
Cost: Free!

Some highlights:

  • Designed for the whole family.
  • Sample international appetizers from places like Ethiopia, Pakistan, Myanmar, and other countries.
  • Missions stations for engaging with international cultures, including a challenge food table for extra spicy, weird-tasting foods.
  • A great chance to meet & connect with others interested in missions from our wider region
  • The evening will conclude with a series of short but high-impact stories of what God is doing around the world.
  • Interact with the UB Global staff and other UB leaders.

Learn more on the UB Global website. You’ll also find promotional resources you can download.