22 Jan UB History Course in Bryan, Ohio

Bishop Phil Whipple spoke briefly to the class as it began on Monday morning, January 21 (click to enlarge).

Bishop Whipple speaking to the class.

Bob Bruce is a frequent teacher of the UB history courses, which are held regionally.

A course on United Brethren Church History is underway at New Hope Community Church in Bryan, Ohio. The course is a requirement for ministerial licensing in the UB church, but is open to anyone who wants to attend. Bob Bruce, associate pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), is teaching the class, which has 12 students.

The class began on Monday, January 21, and will conclude today (Tuesday). Bishop Phil Whipple was on hand Monday morning as the class began, and spoke briefly to the students.

15 Jan 27 Attend “Governing Board” Class

Bishop Phil Whipple teaching the “Leading a Governing Board” class. The screen in the back of the room shows persons attending remotely.

On January 15, 2013, 27 persons attended a glass on “Leading a Governing Board,” taught by Bishop Phil Whipple. The course was held at the Healthy Ministry Resources building in Huntington, Ind. Of the partipants, 17 attended in person and another 10 attended remotely, by video, from four different locations.

“Leading a Governing Board” is a requirement for ordination in the United Brethren church, though anyone is welcome to attend.

15 Jan Cluster Leaders Hold Annual Training Session

Bishop Phil Whipple speaking to the cluster leaders.

Bishop Phil Whipple (left) presenting a gift to Dennis Miller for his leadership of the clusters since 2009.

A table of cluster leaders talking during break time. L-r: Chris Little (Chambersburg, Pa.), Charles Millkin (Franklintown, Pa.), Kevin Cherry (Brooklyn, Mich.), Stephen Smith (Camden, Mich.), and Douglas Stull (Logan, Ohio).

About 25 persons participated in the annual Cluster Leader Training on January 14, 2013. They met at the Habecker Dining Commons at Huntington University.

Denny Miller, the Cluster Coordinator, was in charge of the meeting, which lasted from noon to 4 pm. Gary Gates, Director of Licensing, spoke to the group about the new Provisional ministerial license and other issues regarding ministerial credentialing. Bishop Phil Whipple then walked through the 20-some proposals for changing the Discipline. These proposals will be acted upon in June 2013 at the US National Conference. (He will also present the proposals at a series of regional meetings in February, March, and April 2013).

Bishop Whipple also talked about the upcoming addition of Todd Fetters, pastor of Devonshire UB church (Harrisburg, Pa.), to the national office staff. Fetters, among other duties, will assume leadership of the clusters, a role which Denny Miller has filled for the past three years.

Bishop Whipple explained, “I’d been thinking for some time about ways to be more effective with the tasks God has placed before us. In November, I met with Gary Gates, Denny Miller, and Jeff Bleijerveld for a little over a day. One of the concepts that came out was the advantage of bringing in somebody fulltime, rather than part-time.

“I looked into the budget to see if it would be possible to hire a fulltime person. I decided it would work. With a part-time person, you need to find somebody who matches the specific need, has the time to give in addition to their regular work, and is close enough to drive in to the office. But if you’re looking at a fulltime position, you have a much larger pool of prospects.”

He interviewed Todd Fetters in late December 2012, and in early January offered him the position, which he accepted. It was announced January 11 on UBCentral.

The Bishop continued, “Denny Miller has been very gracious, saying that if we brought in somebody fulltime, he would be willing to step aside in leading the clusters. I appreciate that attitude. As I thought about Todd’s position, it seemed like it would be a good thing to place him in charge of the clusters.”

Bishop Whipple expressed appreciation to Denny Miller for his leadership of the clusters during the past three years, and for the ways he has advanced this important area. He then presented a gift to Denny on behalf of the denomination.

08 Jan Sarah Groves Concert January 27

Sara Groves will be in concert on January 27, 2013, at Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) The concert begins at 7 pm (doors open at 6:30).

Tickets: $10 in advance, or $15 at the door.

For more information, contact Dan Friend by email or by calling 260-672-3377.

Location:

Emmanuel Community Church
Family Life Center
12222 US 24 West
Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46814

20 Dec 2013 Regional Meetings

Three regional meetings will be held in early 2013 in preparation for the 2013 US National Conference. These meetings are open to anyone. Ministers and lay delegates are especially encouraged to attend.

Monday, February 25: Praise Point Church (Willshire, Ohio)
Location address: 555 Decatur Rd North, Willshire, OH 45898

Monday, March 18: Pleasant Heights Church (East Liverpool, Ohio)
Location address: 848 Northside, East Liverpool, OH 43920

Monday, April 8: East Washington Church (Ashley, Mich.)
Location address: 8051 S Crapo Rd, Ashley, MI 48806

(In the east region, Bishop Whipple will use the January 27-28 Mid-Atlantic Foundation meeting in Chambersburg, Pa., to go over this material with attendees of that meeting.)

Each national conference includes a business meeting. However, we have been reserving major business for every other national conference. We had very brief business meetings in 2007 and 2011, and an extended business meeting in 2009. Now, we’re set for another extended one.

Over 20 proposals for revising the UB Discipline will come before the delegates in June 2013. Most are minor changes, but some will no doubt generate a good deal of discussion. These regional meetings will acquaint people with the proposals and the rationale for them. Hopefully, this introduction will help cut down the amount of time taken in floor discussion at national conference.

Bishop Phil Whipple, Jeff Bleijerveld (Global Ministries Director), Dennis Miller (Cluster Coordinator), and Gary Gates (Director of Ministerial Licenses) plan to attend all of these events.

Each meeting will go from 9:30 am through lunch. The host churches will provide lunch.

Please let us know now many people from your church will attend, so we can give the host church a headcount for lunch. The “Register” button on the right will take you to a form you can use.

13 Dec UB History Course: January 21-22 in Northwest Ohio

The United Brethren History Course will be held January 21-22, 2013, in Bryan, Ohio. The course is a requirement for ministerial licensing in the United Brethren church. However, people who just want to learn more about United Brethren history are free to take it.

Basic Information

• The cost is $200 for persons who need licensing, $100 for everybody else.
• You will need to read the UB history book “Trials and Triumphs” beforehand. It is available through the Healthy Ministry Resources bookstore for $14.95 (plus shipping). Order a copy by calling toll-free: 888.622.3019
• Register using the online form at: ub.org/events/ubhistory

Details

Location: New Hope Community Church, 15627 US Hwy 127 E/W, Bryan, OH 43506
Date: January 21-22, 2013 (Monday and Tuesday)
Time: 8 am Monday — 4 pm Tuesday
Teacher: Robert Bruce (right), associate pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

For more information and to register, go to the UB website. Direct any questions to Cathy Reich, Administrative Assistant.

10 Dec Course: Leading a Governing Board

This workshop will be helpful for leading any style board your church may have. This course is a requirement for ordination in the United Brethren church, but anyone may attend.

Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Time: 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Healthy Ministry Resources Building, 302 Lake Street, Huntington, Ind. 46750.
Instructor: Phil Whipple, Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ USA

You can also attend by videoconference, if you have a computer with a camera. There are three videoconference locations:

1. Cochranton UB Church (Cochranton Pa.)
2. Pleasant Hill UB Church (Greencastle, Pa.)
3. Mt Hermon UB Church (Pomeroy, Ohio)

Address any questions to Cathy Reich, administrative assistant to Bishop Phil Whipple.

Registration Cost

• $100, if you are seeking ordination.
• $50 for everyone else.

You can register online at the UB.org website. You’ll also find a reading list there.

06 Dec Christmas at Your Church in 2012

United Brethren churches do a lot of special things during the Christmas season. What is happening at your church this year? Other UB churches would be interested in hearing about it.

While the Christmas season is still fresh in your mind, write up a little description about any special ministries, programs, events, services, activities, etc. at your church. We’ll get it posted on UBCentral.org so others can read about it.

We have a form you can use to send your report. You can even upload digital photos. (So if you’ve got a Christmas event coming up, find someone to take some photos!)

12 Nov 13 Attending Governance Class Nov 15

Thirteen persons are registered for the Governance class, which will meet this Thursday (November 15, 2012) at the Healthy Ministry Resources office in Huntington, Ind. Eight will attend in person. Two persons will attend by video from Cochranton, Pa., two from Greencastle, Pa., and one from Pomeroy, Ohio.

Dennis Miller, senior pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) will teach the class. This course is a requirement for ordination in the United Brethren church.

04 Oct Meetings: It’s That Time of Year

Early October is always a time of denominational meetings at the national office in Huntington, Ind.

• The Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team met this past Monday and Tuesday (October 1-2, 2012). Lee Rhodes, pastor of Countryside UB church (Breckenridge, Mich.) is the chairman.
• The Global Ministries Leadership Team meets today and tomorrow (October 4-5). Kurt Uhen, a layperson from Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) is the chairman. This group is a joint venture of the US and Canadian national conferences (2 of the 10 members are from Canada).
• The Executive Leadership Team meets next Monday and Tuesday (October 8-9). Bishop Phil Whipple is the chairman. This is the highest governing body between sessions of the US National Conference. The ELT will be looking at a number of proposals for changing the Discipline, which the US National Conference will then consider in June 2013.
• The Higher Education Leadership Team meets October 17. J. Michael Caley, pastor of Banner of Christ UB church (Byron Center, Mich.) is the chairperson. This team provides oversight of Huntington University.