(260) 356-2312

UB.orgUBGlobal.orgChurch Search

09 Nov

November 9, 2009 |

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.

04 Nov

November 4, 2009 |

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.

30 Oct

October 30, 2009 |
Andy Sikora

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:

  • Rick Duncan, who pastors Cuyahoga Valley Church.
  • Guy Stevens, who heads a church planting organization called NEO360, based in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Matt Jones, an intern with NEO360.

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.

01 Jul

July 1, 2009 |

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.

10 Jun

June 10, 2009 |

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

  • John Beukema (senior pastor, King Street Church, Chambersburg, Pa.).
  • Annette Sites (pastor’s wife, Jerusalem Chapel, Churchville, Va.).

Central District

  • Marty Pennington (senior pastor, Mainstreet Church, Walbridge, Ohio).
  • Debbie Voight (pastor’s wife, Lancaster UB, Lancaster, Ohio).

North District

  • Lester Smith (senior pastor, Hillsdale UB, Hillsdale, Mich.).
  • Dan Paternoster (layperson, Fowlerville UB, Fowlerville, Mich.).

West District

  • Dennis Miller (senior pastor, Emmanuel Community Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.).
  • Molly Kesler (pastor’s wife, Good Shepherd Church, Huntington, Ind.).

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.

10 Jun

June 10, 2009 |

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 Discipline has required that the pastor be a member of the church board of administration. A proposal saying the senior pastor “may” (instead of “shall”) be a member of the board was defeated. So the pastor remains a voting member of the local church board.

  • Paragraph 423.1, on Lay Delegates, was rewritten. Now, the only responsibilites of lay delegates are to represent the church at the national conference. They no longer need to be chosen every year (and the church can select them in any way it sees fit–no need to elect them).

  • Added this line: “It is recommended that money from the sale of closed churches be given to the US National Conference to start new churches.” This used to be a policy statement, but was removed somewhere along the line.

  • All of the national directors are now voting members or the National Conference. The directors who are ordained ministers have been voting members because of their clergy status, but not the laypersons. So in 2011, if they are still around, Steve Dennie, Marci Hammel, Donna Hollopeter, and G. Blair Dowden will have a vote.

  • Added responsibilities to the Bishop and to the Executive Leadership Team. All were basically administrative in nature, intended to conform better to the overall structure.

  • Added a line to the paragraph about clusters which says, “The cluster to which the local church is accountable shall be the cluster in which the senior pastor is a member.” This covers situations where the senior pastor and associate staff may belong to different clusters (there are clusters, for instance, designed just for youth workers).

10 Jun

June 10, 2009 |

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).

15 Apr

April 15, 2009 |

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.

30 Mar

March 30, 2009 |

Phil Whipple

The US National Conference Nominating Committee has concluded its work, and has submitted the following:

  • A single nomination for bishop, 2009-2013: Phil Whipple (right), senior pastor of Colwood UB church in Caro, Mich.
  • The ballot for the Executive Leadership Team.
  • An explanation of the Nominating Committee’s task and the process they followed in putting together the ballot.

Phil Whipple is a graduate of Liberty University and of the Huntington University Graduate School. He took his first pastorate in 1984, but didn’t come into the United Brethren fold until 1990, when he became an associate at Richfield Road UB church in Flint, Mich.

The next year, he began seven years as pastor of Pleasant Valley UB church (Lake Odessa, Mich.). Then, in 1998, he was assigned to Colwood. Under Phil’s leadership, the attendance has grown from 200 to over 500, and they have baptized 130 people.

Phil and his wife, Sandy, have been married for almost 30 years, and have two sons, both of whom serve as Worship Arts pastors–Josh at Mongul UB church in Shippensburg, Pa., and Mike at Colwood.

You can read online Phil’s vision statement, which includes six roles he sees for the bishop and four areas for immediate attention.

30 Mar

March 30, 2009 |

whipple.jpegThe US National Conference Nominating Committee has nominated Philip Whipple for the office of bishop. The next bishop will serve 2009-2013.

Phil is senior pastor of Colwood UB church in Caro, Mich. He is a graduate of Liberty University and of the Huntington University Graduate School. He took his first pastorate in 1984, but didn’t come into the United Brethren fold until 1990, when he became an associate at Richfield Road UB church in Flint, Mich.

The next year, he began seven years as pastor of Pleasant Valley UB church (Lake Odessa, Mich.). Then, in 1998, he was assigned to Colwood. Under Phil’s leadership, the attendance has grown from 200 to over 500, and they have baptized 130 people.

Phil and his wife, Sandy, have been married for almost 30 years, and have two sons, both of whom serve as Worship Arts pastors–Josh at Mongul UB church in Shippensburg, Pa., and Mike at Colwood.You can read online Phil’s vision statement, which includes six roles he sees for the bishop and four areas for immediate attention.

Phil’s name will be the only name on the ballot, though nominations can also be made from the floor of the US National Conference. Rev. J. Michael Caley, chairman of the Nominating Committee, explains the process they used.