04 May 100 Years for Rev. M. E. Burkett

Nancy N’Gele
Huntington, Ind.

“100 Years Loved” was the sign on the wall at Rev. Marion E. Burkett’s birthday party at Sugar Grove Church of the Nazarene in the village of Tunker, Ind. on Good Friday afternoon, April 15.

Earlier in the day, Rev. Burkett had conducted a Good Friday service at his residence, the Columbia City Miller’s Merry Manor. He shared that he had become a Christian believer 85 years before. His sons Rev. David Burkett, wife Julie, and daughter Molly from Franklin, Pa., and Rev. Phil Burkett and wife Darlene from Cass city, Mich., led in singing “The Old Rugged Cross” and “One Day,” accompanied by Phil on the accordion. Phil also sang an a capella solo of “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”

Two members of the nursing home staff assisted Rev. Burkett in serving communion to approximately 40 residents and guests. Rev. Amos Rawley, pastor of New Hope United Brethren church in Huntington, gave the benediction.

At 2:00 p.m., the party began in Tunker, hosted by M. E. Burkett’s son Dr. Mark and Sandy Burkett. Delicious hot food and desserts were served guests from the church kitchen.

Special music was provided by sons David, Mark, and Phil, along with other family members. The family group sang two favorites of the guest of honor, “Life is Like a Mountain Railroad,” and “Trust and Obey,” with Darlene Burkett at the piano.

Approximately 75 members of the family and friends had come to celebrate the 100th birthday.

On Monday, the staff of Miller’s Merry Manor surprised him with another party with a huge cake and the release of 100 balloons.

Rev. Burkett grew up in a United Brethren church in Monroe, Mich. He was ordained as a United Brethren minister in 1946, and in the years ahead served in ministry in many ways. He pastored churches in a half-dozen states, served as a missionary in Sierra Leone for two terms in the 1950s and another term in 1971, served in Kentucky at the UB Laurel Mission and the United Methodist Redbird Mission, planted a UB church in Pima, Arizona…and so much more. It was fitting that he would spend his 100th birthday serving communion.

Rev. Burkett and his wife of 73 years, Frances, raised four sons. David and Phil became ordained United Brethren ministers and missionaries, and Mark became a medical doctor. The fourth son, Stephen, died of cancer in 1990.

24 Feb Autobiography of Bishop Ray Seilhamer

Former Bishop Ray Seilhamer has published his autobiography. “My Journey” is available on Amazon–$9.95 in paperback, $4.99 in epub format.

“My Journey” covers his life from growing up on the farm in Pennsylvania, through Huntington College, serving as president of Evangelical Seminary in Pennsylvania, his eight years at bishop, six years leading the graduate school at Huntington College, and pastoring at nine United Brethren churches, two of which he started (Emmanuel and Devonshire). It’s been a very full life. He and Ruth continue pastoring the UB church in Zanesville, Ind.

21 Dec Heart O’ the Lakes Becomes One Church with Two Locations

L-r: Bishop Todd Fetters, Rev. Todd Frederick, Rev. Cyle Young.

The Pathway congregation.

The new “Jackson Campus” sign of Heart O’ the Lakes.

Heart O’ the Lakes UB church now has two locations in Michigan–Brooklyn and Jackson. As of December 6, Pathway UB church in Jackson is now officially Heart O’ the Lakes – Jackson.

Pathway, known as Gethsemane until 2006, was founded in 1970 by Rev. Herb Cherry. In 1972, Gethsemane helped support Rev. Milan Maybee in planting a new UB church in Brooklyn. Now those two congregations have come together under the same banner.

Rev. Cyle Young has been lead pastor of Heart O’ the Lakes since 2016. He will continue in that role with both congregations. Rev. Todd Frederick, who was assigned as senior pastor of Pathway in 2017, will now join Cody Morehead as associate pastors of Heart O’ the Lakes—one church with two locations.

09 Nov UB Year in Review

The “UB Year in Review,” published every January since 2012, is now in the works. You are invited to submit news about your church from 2021–events, ministries, mission trips, or anything else of interest. If you have any relevant photos, those would be great. Of particular interest: information about how your church has adjusted in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, or any continuing effects of the pandemic on your church.

Send to steve@ub.org, or use the form on this page.

20 Jul Greg Helman Umps State Championship Softball Game

Greg Helman (second from right) with the umpiring crew.

Rev. Greg Helman, pastor of Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.), helped umpire the Pennsylvania State Champion softball game at Penn State University in June. He and his crew from Franklin County, Pa., were chose to umpire the AAA final at Beard Field. He was the second base umpire.

He writes: “One close play at second involved a runner returning to the base after the left fielder ran down a fly ball. She threw it to the shortstop, who hesitated and then threw it to second. My call was safe as the runner’s fingers touched the base as she slid head first before the ball was caught. This call was appealed and we gathered together to determine the situation. Ultimately, the call was safe. The fans for the defense weren’t happy. However, I later watched the play on my tv and the announcer stated, ‘Blue got it right!'”

Greg’s wife, Marty, and daughter Greta surprised him by attending the game, which was televised on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

05 May Steeple Erected in Honor of Rev. David Bell

First UB of New Castle, Pa., erected a steeple atop the church in honor of Rev. David Bell, who pastored the church for 28 years. Bell died in September 2018 of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

The church held a dedication service for the steeple in April. Ann Bell, Dave’s widow, attended along with 33 other family members. Rev. Marc Stephenson, the current pastor, presented to her a collection of memories assembled by members of the congregation.

Read the article about the steeple in the New Castle News.

08 Dec Fire Destroys Grace UB Church (Sherkston, Ontario)

Grace UB Church in Sherkston, Ontario.

The sanctuary of Grace UB church.

Brian Magnus, bishop of the United Brethren Church in Canada, reports that the Grace UB church in Sherkston, Ontario, burned to the ground during the night.

He said the the pastor’s family, living in the parsonage next to the church, noticed smoke coming from the church building around 3:30 in the morning. They immediately called 911. Fire trucks came from Sherkston, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, and even Niagara Falls.

Bishop Magnus said, “The front half (sanctuary, lobby and basement) are down to the basement foundation walls. The back half is also burned, and smoke- and water-filled, and will need to be torn down to the concrete slab.”

The parsonage has some smoke damage. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the fire.

Bishop Magnus writes, “Please be praying for this congregation. I guess the news spread and some of the church members and neighbors stood around watching the last couple of hours. They’re in shock and need God’s comfort.”

Grace UB has consistently been one of the largest contributors to United Brethren missions. Over the years, a number of UB missionaries have come from Grace, including Ruth Benner, Shirley Fretz, Kathy Jones, Audrey Federline, Olive Weaver, and Eula Eby, all of whom served in Sierra Leone.

15 Oct Calvary UB Collects Water Bottles for Public Schools

L-r: Coach Kevin Marshall, Calvary member Jeff Frazier, Athletic Director Gabe Rodriguez, and Pastor Ted Doolittle.

Ted Doolittle, senior pastor, Calvary Community Church

One of the “Be the Church” projects of Calvary Community Church (Saginaw, Mich.) was collecting water for the Bridgeport Public Schools. While most students are doing virtual school online in our school district, we learned that there are a total of 445 in-person students in the school district.

Drinking fountains are closed due to Covid-19, so our Leadership Team challenged the church to bring in water bottles so that schools could make every Wednesday in October “Water Wednesday” courtesy of Calvary. We set a goal of 1,780 bottles, but we surpassed that goal in two weeks by receiving 2,148! The schools were delighted when we delivered them.

While we have not been doing indoor worship yet, the church is not closed! The motto is: “While we can’t GO to church, we will continue to BE the church!” In addition to the water project, the church has continued to distribute more than ninety boxes of food each month to needy families in our community through our bi-monthly Outreach Ministry. More projects are planned.

28 May UB Worship Pastor Mark Young and Taps Across America

L-r: Mark and Kimberly Young; Kimberly; Airman Christopher Young.

At 3:00 pm on Memorial Day, thousands of musicians across the country stepped outside to play “Taps.” Most persons played the trumpet or bugle, but there were trombones, tubas, flutes, and other instruments. The “Taps Across America” idea originated with Steve Hartman, the “On the Road” correspondent at CBS News.

Among those musicians was one very talented United Brethren minister: Rev. Mark Young, Pastor of Worship and Music at Mount Pleasant UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. He has been on staff there since 2004, and helped lead music during the 2017 US National Conference in Lancaster, Pa.

Mark knows “Taps” well. For six years, 1989-1995, he played lead soprano bugle for “The Commandant’s Own,” the US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps in Washington D.C. For a year before that, he was a Presidential Honor Guard with the US Marine Corps.

Mark’s Dad, Rev. Paul Young, played and taught trumpet and baritone at the Navy School of Music before he became a Minister of Music.

“My Dad taught me to play the trumpet when I was four years old,” Mark says, “and I played it from middle school to college. He was my mentor all my life until he passed on to Heaven last year.”

Mark entered the US Marine Corps as an infantryman in May of 1988. Six months later, he became part of the Presidential Honor Guard, and served in that role until September 1989.

“In the Presidential Honor Guard, we stood in formations at the Pentagon for the President and visiting dignitaries. We did parades at the Iwo Jima monument on Tuesdays, and at Marine Barracks 8th & I on Fridays, where the Commandant of the Marine Corps resides. We were ‘professional marchers.’ All of our steps and M1 rifle movements were in complete synchronization. We marched for Presidential Inaugural parades and for other special events. We did 21 gun salute ‘firing parties’ for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery almost every day, and marched in formation for full honors funerals.”

They also trained as infantry platoons at Quantico, Va. In 1989, Mark switched to the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps. A month later, his platoon suddenly and unexpectedly went to fight in Desert Storm. Fortunately, all of his fellow Marines made it back safely.

“As a bugler in the Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, I played ‘Taps’ at Arlington National, Lincoln National, and other cemeteries near D.C. with my friends from the Honor Guard (A Company) who did the firing parties. They called me ‘the Boogie-woogie bugle boy from company A.’ We also performed at the Iwo Jima monument on Tuesdays and at the Barracks on Friday. We traveled around the U.S., performing for several thousand spectators every year.”

Mark and his wife, Kimberly, met when Mark was in the Honor Guard, and they were married in 1992. Their son Christopher is currently deployed in Qatar with the US Air Force.

Kimberly, too, is a vet–a former major in the Army Nurse Corps. Interestingly, their fathers served together in the Navy at the School of Music in Anacostia, and their mothers grew up together, in both church and school, in Bladensburg, Md. Kimberly is now the Clinical Educator for the Summit/WellSpan Physician Offices. Among other things, she teaches new nurses how to correctly swab for Covid-19.

Thank you Mark, Kimberly, and Christopher for your service to our country, and for your ministry within the United Brethren church. And thank you, Mark, for participating in “Taps Across America” and sharing it with us.

14 Apr UBs Around the World Unite In Prayer on Good Friday

On Good Friday, the UB Global staff led United Brethren from around the world in a Day of Fasting & Prayer. A lot of people took part in several different ways. Here are some highlights:

• 23 people joined at 10:00 Friday morning for a prayer time on Zoom.
• 12 accounts (some with multiple participants) engaged in a second Zoom prayer time at 8:00 Friday evening. Milton and Erika Pacheco, UB Global missionaries in Thailand, led in worship.
• 42 family units (21% from outside the United States) signed up to pray for a 20-minute slot as part of the Friday 24/7 prayer time. They included UBs from Canada, Costa Rica, Honduras, and the US.