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17 Dec

December 17, 2014 |

4-grow-books600

Books 2 and 4 of the “Grow in His Word” materials are now available.

The Grow In His Word materials, used in discipleship by over 50 United Brethren churches, have been completely revised. Grow is written by Dennis Miller, pastor of Emmanuel UB church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Grow is used in over 50 United Brethren churches, and over the years has been used to systematically take thousands of people through the entire Bible.

There are four books, each of which has its own leader’s guide and accompanying teaching slides.

  1. Old Testament: The People (Genesis through Esther)
  2. Old Testament: The Prophets (Job through Malachi) – available in November 2014
  3. New Testament: The Christ (Matthew through John)
  4. New Testament: The Church (Acts through the Revelation) – available in November 2014

What is Grow?

The Grow Ministries plan is a 52-week study which takes students through the Old and New Testaments in an orderly manner. Students grasp not only what happened, but in what order, with hooks and memory tools to help them remember what they learn. As believers learn about God’s Word, they gain confidence in their understanding and use of the Bible.

A student book, leader’s guide, PowerPoint and Keynote files, and audio files are all available.

02 Dec

December 2, 2014 |

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) presenting a retirement pin to Mike Arnold.

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) presenting a retirement pin to Mike Arnold.

On Sunday, November 30, Bishop Phil Whipple presented a retirement pin to Rev. Mike Arnold. It was his last Sunday as pastor of Crossroads UB church in Charlotte, Mich., the church Arnold has pastored since 1999.

Arnold come out of what is now New Hope Community UB church in Bryan, Ohio. He began pastoring in the United Brethren church in 1984, serving four years at the Sherwood-Delaware circuit and then five years at West Windsor UB church in Dimondale, Mich. In 1993, he started a UB church in DeWitt, Mich., serving there until 1999.

Arnold graduated from Huntington University in 1986 with a degree in Bible & Religion, and received the Master of Christian Ministry from HU in 1990. He was ordained in 1990.

25 Nov

November 25, 2014 |

As you examine health insurance plans for your church staff, you might want to consider two plans offered through the United Brethren Association for Church Development, based at Rhodes Grove Camp in Chambersburg, Pa. This is our denomination’s voluntary insurance program. About 50 UB people, including the staff of the US national office in Indiana, are enrolled in the plan.

The UB Association offers two programs with Capital Blue Cross of Pennsylvania. The policies are effective December 1, 2014 through December 1, 2015.

25 Nov

November 25, 2014 |
L-r: Roger Overmyer, Bishop Phil Whipple, Amanda and Steve Henry, and Gary Small.

L-r: Roger Overmyer, Bishop Phil Whipple, Amanda and Steve Henry, and Gary Small.

Bishop Phil Whipple conducting the ordination service.

Bishop Phil Whipple conducting the ordination service.

Steve Henry, pastor of Victory Heights UB church (Franklin, Pa.), was ordained on Sunday, November 23. Bishop Phil Whipple conducted the ordination service, assisted by former pastor Roger Overmyer and Gary Small, pastor of the Atlantic Avenue UB church in Franklin.

Steve Henry has been pastor of Victory Heights since 2006.

25 Nov

November 25, 2014 |

Dr. Paul Michelson plans to retire from Huntington University in May 2015. He has been a history professor at HU since 1974. When he retires next year, it’ll be 41 years, one of the longest tenures of any professor in the school’s history.

“I’m going to be 70,” he said. “I think that’s probably a good time to call it a day. …. I’m still in reasonable condition. I need to get my book done before I turn completely senile.” He has written or co-edited six books. This will be his seventh.

In addition to his service at Huntington University, Dr. Michelson was a member of College Park UB church in Huntington and served 12 years on the denomination’s Executive Leadership Team, 1993-2005.

Michelson earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University, and considered positions at Taylor and LeTourneau universities before choosing HU.

“For one reason or another, this one to me looked more interesting,” he said. “I applied, they invited me up for an interview. I liked the people I met, who seemed serious but fun loving.”

He added, “For a very small school, Huntington had a lot of hard-working but first-class people – people who were here obviously for the teaching side of it and who were active in their fields.”

Michelson and Jack Barlow, the only other history professor at the time, formed a legendary team. Dr. Dwight Brautigam, who joined the team 27 years ago, said of Michelson, “He cares deeply about students and wants them to become the best Christian thinkers they can be, a pretty noble and significant goal if there ever was one. Of course, all of this comes in a package of sometimes bizarre humor.”

For more about Dr. Michelson, read this article published in the student newspaper, the Huntingtoninan.

22 Nov

November 22, 2014 |
Brian Reynolds speaking to pastors of UB churches in Ontario.

Brian Reynolds speaking to pastors of UB churches in Ontario.

Pastors from the United Brethren Church in Canada are on a retreat this weekend in Stratford, Ontario. Guest speaker Brian F. Reynolds is challenging the group of 12 pastors to ask themselves, “What Do You Expect?” The topic, also the title of Reynolds’ book, focuses on expectations in ministry–how to manage them and work with those who have their own expectations.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Global Ministries director, is participating this week and will be providing an update on our shared missions efforts. Global Ministries is the international arm of the United Brethren in Christ in Canada and the United States. In addition to the oversight Canada provides for our ministry in Haiti, they have also taken on 50% of the support for Brian and Rachel Glunts. The Glunts, along with their three children, are preparing to join our ministry in Thailand.

21 Nov

November 21, 2014 |
Mabel Mundy (left) and Judy Dyer.

Mabel Mundy (left) and Judy Dyer.

The National Office staff took Mabel out to a local Mexican restaurant as a farewell meal.

The National Office staff took Mabel out to a local Mexican restaurant for a farewell meal.

The UB National Office welcomes Judy Dyer to the staff. At the beginning of November, she began work as the new accounting clerk. She will work closely with Finance Director Marci Hammel.

Judy and her husband, Phil, have attended College Park UB church (Huntington, Ind.) since 1985. She and Phil met on a blind date, and were married in 1977. Phil works for the Norfolk & Southern railroad. They have two daughters. Natalie lives in Warren, Ind., and Marceline lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Judy grew up in Huntington and has lived here all her life. She graduated from Huntington University in 1976 with an associates degree in Business Management and Administration. In 2002, she received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Judy has worked in a variety of finance-related positions. She has managed two credit unions, worked for a nonprofit senior center, and worked in accounting for over 15 years. She brings a lot of experience and expertise to the position.

Judy takes the place of Mabel Mundy, who had served at the national office since 1987. At age 74, she decided it was time to retire. She and her husband, Bill, live outside of Huntington.

For 16 years, she was executive secretary in Global Ministries, and worked for three different persons—Bishop Jerry Datema (until 1993), Global Ministries director Kyle McQuillen (1993-2001), and then Global Ministries director Gary Dilley (2001-2003). In June 2003, Mabel switched to a different role, as accounting clerk.

We are grateful for Mabel’s 27 years of service in the national office. She was extremely dedicated, tireless, selfless, and just a very very nice person to be around.

15 Nov

November 15, 2014 |

Steve Dennie, Director of Communications

According to news reports, Dr. Martin Salia, 44, is on his way to the US for Ebola treatment. Dr. Salia is a surgeon at Kissy United Methodist Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He is a United Brethren member, but is not employed by us in any way. However, he has served as a consultant and occasional visiting physician at Mattru Hospital.

On Friday, a Phoenix Air air ambulance traveled to Sierra Leone to evaluate Dr. Salia to determine if he was stable enough to endure the long flight. According to NBC News, the plane, with Dr. Salia aboard, left Sierra Leone at 11:30 Friday night (Eastern Time) and is due to arrive at the Nebraska Medical Center around 3pm Saturday afternoon (ET). According to NBC, the medical team suggested that Salia may be sicker than other patients treated in the US.

Following is information about Dr. Salia gleaned from news reports and from conversations with various news organizations which have contacted the UB national office in Huntington, Ind.

Nebraska Medical Center

Nebraska Medical Center is one of four US facilities designed to handle infectious diseases like Ebola. Dr. Salia would become the 10th person treated for Ebola in the United States, and the third at Nebraska Medical Center. The others were infected in Liberia: missionary doctor Rick Sacra and NBC News cameraman Ashoka Mukpo.

The Center said on Thursday night (Nov. 13) that a Phoenix Air medical evacuation jet was on its way to evaluate an unnamed patient in Sierra Leone for possible evacuation to their 10-bed bio-containment unit in Omaha. The plane’s medical crew would decide whether or not “the patient is stable enough for transport.” If so, he would reach Omaha on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 15.

The United Brethren church is not involved in any efforts to bring Dr. Salia to the States, and news reports don’t identify who is underwriting the substantial expenses. There is some conflicting information. One report says Dr. Salia himself plans to cover the expenses. Perhaps the United Methodist Church, which employs Dr. Salia, is involved. We don’t know.

Inside a Phoenix Air air ambulance.

Inside a Phoenix Air air ambulance.

Dr. Salia and Kissy Hospital

Dr. Salia is the sixth Sierra Leonean doctor to be infected with Ebola. The other five have all died.

Reports say Dr. Salia showed symptoms of Ebola on November 6, but tested negative. However, when tested again on November 10, the diagnosis was positive. Salia was then taken to the Hastings Ebola Treatment Center in the Freetown area. Kissy Hospital was closed the next day, and the staff was put under a 21-day quarantine.

It’s not known, or at least hasn’t yet been reported, how Dr. Salia contracted Ebola. Kissy Hospital does not deal with Ebola patients. He did help in at least three other medical facilities, as did other workers at Kissy.

The United Methodist Church website reported that, after this diagnosis, “Sierra Leone United Methodist Bishop John K. Yambasu and Beatrice Gbanga, the United Methodist Sierra Leone Conference’s medical coordinator, held an emergency meeting at the hospital to talk about steps to protect the staff and make sure the hospital is disinfected immediately.”

Dr. Dennis Marke is listed as the Chief Medical Officer at Kissy Hospital. Dr. Marke, also, is from a United Brethren background and has worked as a surgeon at Mattru Hospital.

Two Quarantines

The UMC article says that in September, a patient at Kissy Hospital was diagnosed with Ebola, and died after having been transferred to the government’s Connaught Hospital in Freetown. At Kissy, certain parts of the hospital were closed and the staff put under a 21-day quarantine. Dr. Salia was diagnosed with Ebola several weeks after that 21-day quarantine expired.

With Dr. Salia’s diagnosis, the staff at Kissy was put under another 21-day quarantine, starting Tuesday, November 11. The UMC article states, “The Sierra Leone Conference Ebola response team will provide a 50-kilogram (110-pound) bag of rice, sugar, milk, soap, water, and other food to the quarantined staff. The staffers also will receive minutes for their cell phones so they can report on their health condition in case of any emergency or deteriorating health.”

The United Methodist Church also operates Mercy Hospital in Bo, the country’s second-largest city (and home to Sierra Leone Conference’s national headquarters). Two nurses at Mercy Hospital contracted Ebola, and are currently at the Hastings Treatment Center, along with Dr. Salia. Mercy Hospital was closed and quarantined on October 17; it is expected to reopen on November 17.

Dr. Salia’s Family and Legal Status

Dr. Salia’s wife, Isatu Salia, and their two sons (ages 20 and 12) live in New Carrollton, Md. It is being reported that Dr. Salia lives in Maryland, that he is a “permanent legal resident” of the US, and that he continues to hold a green card. The Associated Press described him as “a citizen of Sierra Leone but also a legal permanent US resident.” At the moment, we can’t confirm anything about his legal status, when his family came to the United States, or the circumstances under which he returned to Sierra Leone while his family remained in the US.

In a November 14 article on Voice of America News, Mrs. Salia said she hadn’t been able to speak to him since his diagnosis. She heard the news from a sister-in-law, Dr. Salia’s oldest sister, who also works at Kissy Hospital. But  say she talked to Martin on Friday. She described his voice and weak and shaky, but said he told her “I love you” in a steady voice.

Mrs. Salia says, according to Newsday, that her husband frequently travels to the US, but doesn’t stay very long “because he believes people back in Africa need him.”

Dr. Richard Toupin, a former doctor at the UB Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone, has known Dr. Salia for a number of years. He is quoted as saying of Dr. Salia, “He is one of the best-trained surgeons in his country. He is a very competent surgeon.”

13 Nov

November 13, 2014 |

HU is going to a Fort Wayne Komets hockey game! UB youth groups and others in the northeast Indiana area may want to join the fun.

The game is on Friday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m.

Komets tickets are only $6 when you purchase from Marcy Hawkins in Alumni Relations. All tickets purchased through HU directly benefit the Forester Fund. That’s right, 100% of our ticket sales will be used to help provide student scholarships!

Contact Marcy Hawkins by email at mhawkins@huntington.edu or directly at 260-359-4097. Don’t forget to wear your green!

13 Nov

November 13, 2014 |
Bishop Phil Whipple at the UB National Office in Huntington with the camp directors. L-r: Bishop Whipple, Chad and Dana Toelke, Brad North, Scott Stephens, and Angela Monn. Scott Stephens.

Bishop Phil Whipple at the UB National Office in Huntington with the camp directors. L-r: Bishop Whipple, Chad and Dana Toelke, Brad North, Scott Stephens, and Angela Monn. Scott Stephens.

Phil Whipple, Bishop

On September 17, I met in Huntington with the directors of four camps.

  • Scott Stephens, fulltime director of Camp Cotubic (Bellefontaine, Ohio) since the beginning of 2014.
  • Angela Monn, fulltime director of Rhodes Grove Camp (Chambersburg, Pa.) since 2009.
  • Brad North, fulltime director of Camp Living Waters (Luther, Mich.). He’s been a camp director for 18 years, but is new to Living Waters this year.
  • Chad and Dana Toelke, from the Coleta UB church in Illinois, who direct the three summer camps at Camp Adeline (Adeline, Ill.). They raise some of their own support and live on the campground.

Until 2005, these camps were owned and operated by United Brethren regional conferences. However, in 2005 we disbanded those conferences and let the camps reorganize as independent entities, no longer under United Brethren ownership or sponsorship. The camps have continued doing well.

But I had some concerns—that perhaps we, as a denomination, could do more to help minimize some risks they might face.

These thoughts were actually prompted over a year ago when we were interviewing candidates for the presidency of Huntington University. I asked Dr. Sherilyn Emberton how she felt about the university being connected to a denomination. She said she wanted that connection. She felt that in the future, some government pressure might fall on independent schools that lack a definite denominational connection. They might be challenged, “You say you’re faith-based. Show us your connection.” She saw value in being connected to a denomination that’s been around for over 200 years.

That made me wonder, Had we put our camps at the same risk? Would it be helpful if they had some kind of formal connection to the denomination?

So I invited the camp directors to come to the National Office. There were three main areas I wanted us to address, and I was pleased with our discussions.

Connections with the Denomination
We no longer own the camps, and don’t want to be owners. When we disbanded the conferences in 2005, there was no intent to harm the camps. They just needed to reorganize themselves as independent camps, separate from the denomination.

However, this may have also put them at risk. The State of Ohio has told Camp Cotubic that they are not a faith-based organization. Rather, the state views them as a children’s camp. Scott Stephens told me they just settled for $26,000 in back taxes—an amount which originally exceeded $70,000. They struggled to show that they were a faith-based group.

Rhodes Grove Camp in Pennsylvania, on the other hand, entered into a covenant with United Brethren churches when Mid-Atlantic Conference disbanded in 2005. The covenant explains what the camp does, says a majority of the board members will be United Brethren members, and sets forth some agreements concerning what the camp and churches will do to maintain their relationship.

This covenant is signed every so many years. I just signed the covenant. Ron Ramsey signed the previous one.

We gave copies of the covenant to the other camp directors, as an example of a document that will show a clear connection to an ecclesiastical body of churches. They’ll take that document to their boards.

Connections with Huntington University
There has been a fairly big disconnect between the camps and our college. For instance, more could be done to recruit HU students as camp counselors and for other roles. Camp Cotubic sees 3500 students a year come through. If college students from your university interact with your church’s high school students, they’ll have an impact. There’s an openness to see that reconnection happen.

We spent about an hour with Dr. Emberton, talking through what can mutually benefit the camps. Lots of ideas were tossed around. Professor Lance Clark, in the Digital Media Arts department, talked to us about a videographer going to the camp. Some camps already produce a video for the week and give it to campers as a keepsake. We talked about PRIME experiences for ministry students that can happen at camps. There was talk about the soccer team doing a camp, and about a January Term class being hosted at a camp. So a lot of options are being considered.

Early in the second semester, the plan is to have the camp directors come back to share with students summer opportunities at the camps.

Connections with Other Camp Directors
Finally, I wanted these camp directors to get acquainted. None of them already knew each other. They may have heard of the other camps, but hadn’t met. They now plan to meet once a year, probably rotating among the different camps so they can see what the other camps are like and what they are doing.

Although these camps are no longer owned by the United Brethren church, UB churches are still their strongest supporters. That hasn’t changed. We believe in what camps can do in making an impact on a student’s life.