12 Oct Nov. 1-2: Pastoral Resource Day

Here is the information for the annual Pastoral Resource Day in Pennsylvania.

Dates: November 1-2, 2015.
Location: Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center.
Address: 7693 Browns Mill Road, Chambersburg, Pa. 17202.

The speaker is Beth Pictor, who will address the subject, “Promoting Awareness and Understanding of Same-Sex Attraction.”

Registration deadline: October 26, 2015.

Overnight lodging and meals are available.

Download this PDF form to register, or call the camp at 717-375-4162. Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 8am – 3pm.

Address questions to ubassociation@rhodesgrove.com

11 Aug Message by Todd Fetters to Conclude National Conference

Here is the concluding message of the recent US National Conference, delivered by Todd Fetters on July 18, 2015. (The video starts a few words into the message.)

At the time, Todd Fetters was director of National Ministries. On Friday, August 7, Todd Fetters began his new role as Interim Bishop for the US National Conference, with all the authority and responsibilities of bishop as stated in the UB Discipline.

(If you receive this post by email, you’ll need to watch the video here.)

11 Aug 100 Years for Carson City Campground

A Centennial Celebration will be held at the Carson City Christian Camping Center Sunday, August 23. A service will be held at the tabernacle at 3 pm, followed by dessert served in the pavilion. A potluck supper will be served in the pavilion at 5 pm, followed by camp meeting at 7 pm.

In 1914, the North Michigan Conference of the United Brethren in Christ Conference paid $15 to lease a piece of property from Mr. George Knowles. They wanted to use the land, located 2.5 miles north of Carson City, Mich., for camp meeting and annual conference.

By 1920, the 40 acres had been purchased and the tabernacle built. The original floor was sand, covered with marsh hay. (Emma Hull said this was a soft place to lay her babies.) The new cement floor was added in the 1940s. Camp meeting has been held there for 100 years.

Camp meeting this year will feature mostly local ministers, with a different speaker and music each night. The schedule is as follows:

• Sunday, August 23. Message by Rev. Andrew Stahl, music by Shepherdsville Youth.
• Monday, Aug. 24. Fourteen Stations of the Cross, music by Josh Mayes.
• Tuesday, Aug. 25. Message by Rev. Charlie Bellinger, music by Crystal Lake Community Church.
• Wednesday, Aug. 26 . Message by Rev. Larry Austin, music by Open Door.
• Thursday, Aug. 27. To be supplied (come and be surprised).
• Friday, Aug. 28. Messsage by Rev. Brian Wicks.
• Saturday, Aug. 29. Message by Rev. Birt Cooper, music by the Yoders.

06 Aug Video: Ordination Service at the 2015 US National Conference

Six men were ordained as United Brethren elders during the concluding service of the US National Conference on July 18, 2015. Bishop Emeritus Paul Hirschy officiated at the ordination of each person. Above is a video of the ordination service

Here are the six persons who were ordained:

Bill Blue has been senior pastor since 2011 of Shoreline UB church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Prior to that, he served in youth ministry at several UB churches going back to 1976. Assisting were Rev. Carlson Becker and Bishop Emeritus Paul Hirschy (who in this case filled a double role, since he also officiated).

Jeff Evans has been Director of Youth Ministries at Morning Star UB church (Kokomo, Ind.) since 1999. Assisting in the ordination were Greg Reed, senior pastor of Morning Star church; and Steve Fish, teaching pastor at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., and a former staff member at Morning Star.

William Flamer is assistant pastor of Park Layne UB church in New Carlisle, Ohio. Also serving there as co-assistant pastor is his wife, Mary, who was ordained in 2011. Assisting were Roland Albert, pastor of the Park Layne church; and Ed Harvey, pastor of the Lighthouse UB church in nearby Dayton, Ohio.

Ricky Hull has been senior pastor since March 2015 of Crossroads UB church in Charlotte, Mich. Before that, he pastored Mt. Hermon UB church in Pomeroy, Ohio. Assisting were Rocky Spear, senior pastor of Mongul UB church in Shippensburg, Pa.; and Todd Fetters, director of National Ministries.

Brian Kramer is Pastor of Student Ministries at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Before that, he was youth pastor of King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. Assisting were Jason Holliday, Pastor of Family Ministries at Emmanuel; and Steve Fish, Teaching Pastor at Emmanuel.

Mark Vincenti has been Associate Youth Pastor since 2011 of College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind. Before that, he was youth pastor for 11 years at King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. Assisting were Gary Dilley, senior pastor of College Park church; and Les Stine, Minister of Pastoral Care at King Street Church.

22 Jul Hundreds of Photos from the US National Conference on Facebook

Nearly 450 photos from the July 15-18 US National Conference have been posted on the United Brethren Facebook page. You’ll find them in these albums.

Tuesday, July 14 (53 photos). The day of preparation, when the National Office staff and local volunteers arrive to begin setting things up.

Wednesday, July 15 (77). Preparations continue, with registration starting at noon. Attendees arrive all afternoon. At 6:30, the conference begins with the first evening worship service. The worship team from Colwood UB church (Caro, Mich.) leads the worship time, and Dr. Wayne Schmidt speaks. A reception is held afterwards.

Thursday, July 16 (78 photos). The day starts with a breakfast for delegates, sponsored by Logos Bible Software. The business session consumes the rest of the morning and afternoon. The evening service again features the Colwood worship team and a message from Dr. Wayne Schmidt. Afterwards comes a reception sponsored by the exhibitors.

Friday am, July 17 (73 photos). The morning features 19 workshops in two time slots.

July l7 Retiree Luncheon (27 photos). Retired pastors and spouses met at noon in the ResLife Olive Tree restaurant for a very nice meal. Dr. Kent Maxwell hosted the event, and gave the pastors and spouses opportunity to give an update on their lives. Dr. Mike Wanous, from Huntington University, spoke about his spiritual and occupational journey.

Friday pm, July 17 (38 photos). A new worship team for the evening service, this one from First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla. Dr. Wayne Schmidt gives his final message to the conference. After the service comes an ice cream reception sponsored by Global Ministries.

Saturday, July 18 (97 photos). The closing service, at 9:30, features a number of elements: the Florida worship team; a consecration time for Todd Fetters, as he prepares to assume the responsibilities of the bishop; a message from Todd Fetters; the ordination of six men; a communion service; and a clever promotional for the 2017 US National Conference in Lancaster, Pa.

21 Jul Six Men Ordained at UB Ministers at National Conference

All of the ordination candidates, spouses, and assistants lined up across the platform (click to enlarge)

Ricky Hull, pastor of Crossroads UB in Charlotte, Mich.), with his wife, Jami.

The ordination of Bill Blue, with his wife, Charlene. Rev. Carlson Becker is standing behind them.

Jeff Evans, director of Youth Ministries at Morning Star UB in Kokomo, Ind.

The ordination of William Flamer, with his wife, Mary. Standing behind them are Ed Harvey (right) and Roland Albert.

The ordination of Brian Kramer, with his wife, Amy. Standing behind are Steve Fish (right) and Jason Holliday.

Mark Vincenti, associate youth pastor of College Park UB church (Huntington, Ind.), with his wife, Angela. In the back is Gary Dilley, pastor of College Park Church.

Six men were ordained as United Brethren elders during the concluding service of the US National Conference on July 18, 2015. Two of them currently serve as senior pastors, and the other four serve in staff roles. Bishop Emeritus Paul Hirschy officiated at the ordination of each person.

The ordination service began with all six men being asked a series of questions, to which they responded individually. Then each couple came forward and knelt at the front of the platform. Ordination candidates always choose two ordained ministers to stand with them, persons who have had an impact on their life and ministry in some way. These persons stood behind the couple, laying hands on them as Bishop Hirschy said, “Take authority to execute the office of an elder in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The couple then stood. Bishop Hirschy presented a Bible to the ordination candidate and said, “Take authority to preach the Word of God and to administer the ordinances in the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.”

Here are the six persons who were ordained at National Conference.

Bill Blue has been senior pastor since 2011 of Shoreline UB church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Prior to that, he served in youth ministry at several UB churches going back to 1976. Assisting were Rev. Carlson Becker and Bishop Emeritus Paul Hirschy (who in this case filled a double role, since he also officiated).

Jeff Evans has been Director of Youth Ministries at Morning Star UB church (Kokomo, Ind.) since 1999. Assisting in the ordination were Greg Reed, senior pastor of Morning Star church; and Steve Fish, teaching pastor at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., and a former staff member at Morning Star.

William Flamer is assistant pastor of Park Layne UB church in New Carlisle, Ohio. Also serving there as co-assistant pastor is his wife, Mary, who was ordained in 2011. Assisting were Roland Albert, pastor of the Park Layne church; and Ed Harvey, pastor of the Lighthouse UB church in nearby Dayton, Ohio.

Ricky Hull has been senior pastor since March 2015 of Crossroads UB church in Charlotte, Mich. Before that, he pastored Mt. Hermon UB church in Pomeroy, Ohio. Assisting were Rocky Spear, senior pastor of Mongul UB church in Shippensburg, Pa.; and Todd Fetters, director of National Ministries.

Brian Kramer is Pastor of Student Ministries at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Before that, he was youth pastor of King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. Assisting were Jason Holliday, Pastor of Family Ministries at Emmanuel; and Steve Fish, Teaching Pastor at Emmanuel.

Mark Vincenti has been Associate Youth Pastor since 2011 of College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind. Before that, he was youth pastor for 11 years at King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. Assisting were Gary Dilley, senior pastor of College Park church; and Les Stine, Minister of Pastoral Care at King Street Church.

16 Jul Day One of the 2015 US National Conference

Registration volunteers ready for attendees to arrive.

Registration.

L-r: John Plumley (Fowlerville, Mich.), Mark Young (Chambersburg, Pa.), and Josh McKeown (Holly Hill, Fla.).

Emcees for the week are pastors from two nearby UB churches: Josh Good, right, pastor of Homefront UB in Grandville, Mich.; and Randy Carpenter, pastor of Sunfield UB in Sunfield, Mich.

Mike Whipple and the worship team from Colwood UB church (Caro, Mich.) opened the conference during the Wednesday night service.

A great worship time during the opening service.

Keynote speaker Wayne Schmidt.

The reception after the evening service.

The 2015 US National Conference got off to a great start on Wednesday, July 15.

Throughout the morning, volunteers and staff worked to get everything ready, especially in the registration area. Around noon, people began arriving to register, and they trickled in throughout the afternoon.

At 6:30, the conference officially began with the opening service. Todd Fetters, director of National Ministries, gave some remarks to begin the service, and then turned it over to co-emcees Josh Good and Randy Carpenter, who pastor nearby UB churches.

The worship team was from the Colwood UB church in Caro, Mich. Mike Whipple led the worship time in singing. Then Mark Wilson, pastor of the UB church in Fowlerville, Mich., introduced keynote speaker Dr. Wayne Schmidt, VP for Wesleyan Seminary in Marion, Ind. Mark had served on staff with Dr. Schmidt at Kentwood Community Church in the Grand Rapids area.

After the service came a reception, with various goodies. People lingered in the lobby, around the exhibits, for over an hour. It was a good day.

Thursday is devoted to business, with several weighty issues on the table.

Numerous photos from Tuesday and Wednesday have been posted on the UB Facebook page.

15 Jul Prepping for National Conference

Frank and David unloading the trailer.

Josh Good and Josh Greenfield assembling a large cutout of the UB logo.

Todd Fetters pushing in a cart filled with materials for the conference, as Cathy Reich watches.

Cathy Reich giving instructions to volunteers.

About 40 people gathered in Grand Rapids on Tuesday afternoon, July 14, to begin setting up for the US National Conference, which begins on Wednesday. They included 11 persons from the UB National Office in Huntington, Ind., along with 5 spouses. A number of persons from the Grand Rapids area were there, plus assorted others from Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana.

They all met around 3:30 at ResLife Church, where the conference will be held. Cathy Reich, administrative assistant to the Bishop’s Office, kept everybody organized. At 6 pm, a meal was held at ResLife for all of the volunteers. Cathy gave instructions so everybody was on the same page.

There were various display tables to set up, and a trailer load of materials to unload. A lot of work, including stuffing all of the attendee packets, was done ahead of time by volunteers organized through the Homefront UB church in Grandville (only a few miles from Reslife Church). That was a big help. Many thanks to Paula Averill, administrative assistant at Homefront, for heading up the volunteers.

Registration begins at noon on Wednesday. All morning, volunteers will busily prepare the registration tables and a myriad of details.

The conference officially begins at 6:30 with the opening service. Below are some more photos (click to enlarge).

13 Jul Stay Connected to What Happens at National Conference

Articles about the July 15-18 US National Conference will be posted on UBCentral.org, the official UB news site.

Numerous photos will be posted on the UB Facebook page.

Extended information will be sent via Connect, the official denominational e-letter. You can subscribe (free) here.

Download the UB App, which contains complete information about the conference. It works on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. You’ll find download links here.

13 Jul 780 Registered for National Conference

On Wednesday, July 15, about 780 United Brethren from across the United States will begin gathering in Grand Rapids, Mich., for the 2015 US National Conference. The venue is Reslife Church, a megachurch in Grandville, part of the Grand Rapids metro area.

Registration begins at noon. People will trickle in all afternoon. The conference actually begins at 6:30 with a worship service. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, who heads the Wesleyan seminary, is the keynote speaker on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights.

After the service, National Ministries will host a reception, while the youth enjoy a pizza party compliments of Huntington University.

The UB National Office in Huntington, Ind., will be closed the rest of the week and next Monday (July 14-20). The entire staff will be helping at the National Conference. They’ll head up on Tuesday to begin set-up.