(260) 356-2312
Jane Mason was the United Brethren archivist for over 20 years, finally stepping down in 1997 at age 80. She professionalized our a archive services, and was in charge when the archives was moved from the United Brethren offices to the lower level of the Huntington University library.
Jane’s daughter, Barb, wrote about her mom on her blog. For those of you who might know Jane, you’ll find Barb’s recollections interesting.
After church on Sunday at Bethel Temple of Praise in Yonkers, N.Y., Sandy and I drove across New York City and through New Jersey to Pennsylvania. We arrived in Shippensburg at 6 p.m. I dropped Sandy off at our son’s home and I headed on to Rhodes Grove Campground. It was my first visit to the camp.
At 7:00 I arrived at the camp for a fireside chat session with some pastors and lay folks from Pennsylvania. I shared my story and talked about what I see for the United Brethren Church in the future. We had an enjoyable evening.
On Monday morning, I shared some devotional thoughts with a group that had come in for Mid Atlantic Resource Day. Then I headed back to spend some time with our son and daughter-in-law. Added to that opportunity was the chance to spend time with our granddaughter Aubrey. What fun it is to see her walking and growing up so fast.
Tuesday morning found us headed back to our home in Huntington. It has been a good trip.
Sandy and I arrived in Yonkers, New York, on Friday, November 6. On Friday night and Saturday, I led an evaluation of Bethel Temple of Praise, the UB church in Yonkers.
I was joined by Dan Palmer, an experienced church planter from Tennessee who and has a history of planting a multiethnic congregation. We had a good meeting with senior pastor Dalton Jenkins on Friday night.
On Saturday, a group of 15-20 people from the church came together. We asked some questions and did some teaching and sharing. Then Dan and I came back to the hotel and put together a report.
On Saturday evening, I met with the cluster that Dalton leads. Linton Thomas and Joseph Abu came to the meeting, and we had some good interaction.
Then, around 7 p.m., there was a fundraising rally. It was a night to remember. Many people, most of Jamaican descent, came from a number of area churches. The Bethel Temple of Praise church was packed as its praise team led off with several songs. Each church had someone sing a song. After each song, they went out to collect an offering, then return and report what they had raised. The emcee kept it moving with humor and a good-natured challenge to each church to out-give the last one.
On Sunday morning, I gave the sermon at Bethel, challenging the people to identify the lions in their lives that cause them to fear, and to become a lion chaser through the power of God.
I want to announce the hiring of Denny Miller, senior pastor of Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. He will work one day a week for Healthy Ministry Resources. He will oversee the cluster leaders and provide direction to the cluster system.
As I talk with other denominational executives, they all seem to like our cluster structure. I believe this system has great promise, but needs more direction.
Denny is uniquely equipped for this role. Some of our original ideas for clusters came out of the Healthy Church Leadership Team back 8 years ago. Denny was the chairman. I believe we can work on some new ways to help clusters have a greater impact in both training and meeting the needs of pastors.
We hope to roll out an updated strategy with our cluster leaders in January 2010.
We are excited about what is happening in many of our churches. We want to challenge all of our churches to pray hard and follow the direction that God leads us in to more effectively impact the towns and communities where we have churches. It is time to move with all of our energy to accomplish the mission that God has for us.
Andy Sikora
Last night (Thursday), Sandy and I had supper with Andy and Merri Sikora, both Huntington University graduates who live in Berea, Ohio. Tom Blaylock was also there.
Andy is currently the Lead Teaching Pastor for the 707 Sunday night young adult ministry at Cuyahoga Valley Church in Broadview Heights, Ohio. Andy and Merri are going to plant a United Brethren church in Berea starting next fall. We had a great supper and conversation.
This morning Tom, Andy, and I met with:
We had a great meeting as they shared their vision for impacting northeast Ohio with planting churches which not only see lost people come to Christ, but also impact their communities with their presence in every area. Exciting stuff. They want to partner with us to see a UB church planted.
We all want to work across denominational lines to accomplish the mission of impacting the kingdom of God.
The Healthy Ministry Resources staff spent Monday and Tuesday cleaning out the warehouse. We threw out gobs and gobs of stuff, and totally rearranged the space. We’re making room for the Huntington University Graduate School to put in a new classroom. Bishop Ron Ramsey and Pat Jones provided the muscle. Administrative Assistant Cathy Reich roamed the heights, stacking boxes atop an existing classroom and climbing through shelves to rearrange boxes. Jane Seely directed traffic, giving instructions about where things should go, since she’s the main person who works out there.
And Steve Dennie did the least-strenuous thing he could think of–take photos.
“Don’t you dare take a picture of me.” Pat Jones, Marci Hammel (below), and Cathy Reichare take a picture of me.” Pat Jones, Marci Hammel (below), and Cathy Reich
“You missed a spot.” L-r: Pat Jones, Ron Ramsey, Jane Seely, Cathy Reich (foreground).
Cathy, Marci, and Pat move one of the large cabinets.
The US National Conference delegates elected eight members of the Executive Leadership Team–one minister and one layperson from each of the four districts. The total ballot included 22 persons, broken down according to district and lay/clergy status. The persons elected are:
East District
Central District
North District
West District
The new ELT will now appoint four additional persons, one from each district–2 laypersons, and 2 ministers. The bishop is also a member (and chairman) of the ELT.
The US National Conference delegates acted on 22 proposals for changing the Discipline. Some were minor, some more substantial. Here are several which weren’t addressed in other posts.
The 2009 US National Conference added a new paragraph to Chapter 10, “Joining the Church.” UB missionaries must hold membership in a United Brethren church. The new provision says, “dual membership is permitted should missionaries find church membership in their place of ministry to be either necessary or advantageous.”
We have staff serving in places in the United States where there is no UB church (examples: the Datemas, Skinners, and Brinnemans). We also have staff involved in overseas churches, but unable to become members of those churches (such as our staff in Macau). Endorsed staff involved in church planting can’t become members of the churches they are planting.
So this new provision makes a lot of sense. The provision for dual membership applies only to Global Ministries staff (not to Florida snowbirds).
We recently posted the nominees for Bishop and Executive Leadership Team, along with an explanation from the Nominating Committee That ballot is only tentative and not considered complete until the current Executive Leadership Team approves it. My bad. The ballot will be reviewed and approved by the ELT when it meets next Tuesday, and then we will publish the official one prior to National Conference.
I also want to comment on having just one nominee for Bishop. In case anyone questions whether that is procedurally allowable, the answer is “yes.” There is no Constitutional or Discipline requirement to have more than one candidate for a position. That concept is found in our Standing Resolutions. Current Resolution 23 states:
23. The Nominating Committee will nominate at least twice the number of persons required for all positions.
But Rule 24 states:
24. The Nominating Committee may move to suspend the preceding rule as it sees fit.
The Nominating Committee did due diligence in seeking qualified candidates for the position of Bishop, and after asking a number of individuals to consider the nomination, found one qualified candidate who was willing to serve. By consensus, they submitted one name and will take action at National Conference to move that Rule 23 be suspended for the ballot for Bishop.
I applaud their efforts. In their search, they had in mind a list of qualifications for the position. It was desired to see someone who has a proven track record of leadership. Who knows what it was to lead a church to grow. Who is committed to Great Commission ministry. Who knows what it is to work with a team. Who has the gift of administration. Someone who has a heart for the church, and believes in the ministry of the local church.
It is imperative that we don’t compromise qualifications for the sake of a perceived procedural need. Our procedures allow for a single name to be placed in nomination.
My desire is that we all pray fervently for the work of our upcoming National Conference and for those who will lead us in the future. The task before them is great, but our God is greater.
