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16 Feb

February 16, 2010 |

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A United Brethren women’s conference will be held September 17-19, 2010, at the Willow Valley Resort in Lancaster, Pa.

The theme is “I Do, Do You?” It is not a conference about earthly marriage or male-female relationships. Rather, it is about women living with joy in the knowledge of who they are in Jesus Christ.

Join women from across the country for a weekend that promises to change your life, challenge the way you see yourself, and captivate your senses as you experience the beauty of the Lancaster area and all the amenities that Willow Valley Resort offers.

Your total cost depends on how many people share your room:

  • 2 people in a room: $209 per person
  • 3 people in a room: $179 per person
  • 4 people in a room: $159 per person

The first 20 pastors’ wives to register will receive a $50 discount.

Brochures about the conference have been mailed to all UB churches.

The Women’s Ministry website has complete information–speakers, schedule, costs, area attractions, directions, and more. You can also register online. Go to: UBWomen.org

12 Feb

February 12, 2010 |

The two-day Mission Team Leader Training is underway at Mainstreet Church in Walbridge, Ohio. Jeff Bleijerveld and Donna Hollopeter are teaching 12 people, who have come to learn how to effectively lead a short-term mission team. Three other persons from the east were signed up, but had to cancel out because of the blizzard.

28 Jan

January 28, 2010 |

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General Conference opened on January 10 with a Sunday afternoon service at the Bethel Institute in La Ceiba, Honduras.

The service began with a parade of flags representing each United Brethren country and mission district represented at General Conference. That would be nine national conferences, plus Guataemala, Haiti, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. Honduran teenagers carried the flags, escorted by younger children clad in outfits symbolic of that country.

The flags were inserted into holders on the stage, while the younger children lined across the front. And then came this amazing part: those children took turns singing the national anthem of the country they were representing. The two children representing Mexico went first, then three for Canada, and on down the line. You could see General Conference delegates singing along, smiling with delight, when it was their country’s turn.

Missionary Marilyn Reeck spearheaded this part of the program. You can imagine it was an incredible amount of work–making the costumes, finding recordings of the various national anthems, teaching Spanish-speaking children to sing those songs in other languages, etc.

At the end came the Honduran national anthem, which really brought the local assembly alive. After finishing with the national anthems, the children then did several more songs before marching out. General Conference was off to a great start, thanks to the children of Honduras.

Click on any thumbnail photo below to view a photo gallery of the children singing at General Conference.

19 Jan

January 19, 2010 |
Bishop Phil Whipple leading the ELT meeting.

Bishop Phil Whipple leading the ELT meeting.

Andy Sikorra (right), who will be planting a UB church in the Cleveland area, with Huntington University president G. Blair Dowden.

Andy Sikorra (right), who will be planting a UB church in the Cleveland area, with Huntington University president G. Blair Dowden.

The Executive Leadership Team met Monday night and Tuesday morning (January 18-19) at Huntington University. This was the first time the ELT has met since Phil Whipple was elected bishop, though they’ve handled several items of business over the internet.

The plan was to handle all business during the two hours on Monday night, and reserve Tuesday for talking about church planting. They stuck to that plan.

On Tuesday morning, after a devotional by Bishop Whipple, the ELT heard from Andy Sikorra, who will be planting a church in the Cleveland, Ohio, area starting next fall. Andy is originally from Texas, but his family moved to northwest Ohio and attended New Hope UB church in Bryan, Ohio. He attended Huntington University, and is now on staff with a Southern Baptist church in Cleveland.

Bishop Whipple then guided the ELT members into an open discussion about church planting. Our denomination was born out of aggressive church planting, but in recent years we’ve not done so well at starting new churches. It’s something everyone agrees we need to get a better handle on.

18 Jan

January 18, 2010 |
Denny Miller (far right) leading the cluster leader training.

Denny Miller (far right) leading the cluster leader training.

Today, 22 cluster leaders came to Huntington, Ind., for several hours of training with Bishop Phil Whipple and Denny Miller, pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.). They met in the Habecker Dining Commons at Huntington University. Denny Miller works one day a week as Director of Healthy Church Ministries. He led much of the training.

Here are some photos from the event.

16 Jan

January 16, 2010 |
Me, after I've just signed 100 copies of Tio Archive.

Me, after I've just signed 100 copies of Tio Archive.

I started writing Tio Archie in 1996, and it was published in May 2001. While it tells the story of Honduras, it was not written in Spanish, the language of Honduras. It was published in English. Because that’s what I speak.

But it needed to be in Spanish.

Over the years, missionaries Roger and Marilyn Reeck translated Tio Archie into Spanish. Marilyn worked hard this year to finish the book. On Satuday, January 9, the book arrived in La Ceiba the same day I did (though it came from a printing plant in Tegucigalpa).

The book was unveiled at the end of the January 10 service which opened the General Conference. A number of people asked me to autograph their copies. That’s always a joy and a privilege to do.

15 Jan

January 15, 2010 |
Ajiax Wo gives his report as superintendent of Hong Kong Conference. L-r: Brian Magnus (chair), Donna Hollopeter (secretary), Ajiax, and Orville Brown (translator).

Ajiax Wo gives his report as superintendent of Hong Kong Conference. L-r: Brian Magnus (chair), Donna Hollopeter (secretary), Ajiax, and Orville Brown (translator).

Theresa Musa and Billy Simbo (Sierra Leone) during the prayer time for Haiti. Billy also opened with the day's devotional.

Theresa Musa and Billy Simbo (Sierra Leone) during the prayer time for Haiti. Billy also opened with the day's devotional.

Juan Pavon Pavon (Nicaragua) speaking.

Juan Pavon Pavon (Nicaragua) speaking.

Laughter: the universal language. L-r: Isaac Nugent (Jamaica), Denis Casco (Mexico), Ajiax Wo (Hong Kong).

Laughter: the universal language. L-r: Isaac Nugent (Jamaica), Denis Casco (Mexico), Ajiax Wo (Hong Kong).

The Honduran women fed everyone well, three meals a day.

The Honduran women fed everyone well, three meals a day.

Juanita Chavez, Honduran superintendent, talks about her country's long-range plan.

Juanita Chavez, Honduran superintendent, talks about her country's long-range plan.

The closing prayer time.

The closing prayer time.

Wednesday’s General Conference meeting opened with a devotional from Billy Simbo, bishop of Sierra Leone conference. He used the story where Jesus brought a huge catch of fish to an astonished Peter and his fellow fishermen.

The group then spent some time praying for Haiti and for Superintendent Oliam Richard, who at that point was traveling to the La Ceiba airport with Denis Casco (bishop of Mexico), hoping to get a flight to Haiti. (He eventually opted to stay in La Ceiba. The January 13 posts tell about that.)

Ajiax Wo, superintendent of Hong Kong Conference, was welcomed to his first full day of General Conference. He got hung up in New York City, needing a Honduran vissa. He reported on the ministry in Hong Kong. Karis Vong, the other Hong Kong delegate, had reported in his place, but restricted her report to Macau, where she ministers.

The delegates discussed, and unanimously passed, two changes to the international governing documents:

  1. Changing the frequency of General Conference from 4-3 years.
  2. Reducing representation to just two persons for each national conference–the highest governing leader, plus one other person (doesn’t need to be a minister).

Next: they approved changes to the governing documents of the various national conference. One role of the General Conference is to monitor changes in the member documents to make sure they remain in conformity with United Brethren doctrine and core values.

Each national conference mentioned any significant changes to its governing documents. There were various structural changes in some conferences, but nothing that caused any concern. All changes were approved. As expected.

A few miscellaneous matters were cared for. Then Brian Magnus called for someone to adjourn this 50th meeting of the General Conference.

They adjourned.

But before you drive away….

The executive committee met for a while. They re-elected Brian Magnus as chairman of the International Executive Committee, a position he has held since 2001. The executive committee will decide where the next General Conference is held, in 2013.

The delegates reassembled for a presentation on the long-range plan of Honduras Conference by Abdiel Lopez, a Guatemalan whose organization is assisting the conference.

And THEN everyone was done for the afternoon. Most of the delegates squeezed time in at the local mall–just like any modern mall in the United States–before supper and the evening service.

14 Jan

January 14, 2010 |
L-r: Jeff Bleijerveld, Phil Whipple, and Alan Simbo in Chicago.

L-r: Jeff Bleijerveld, Phil Whipple, and Alan Simbo in Chicago.

Steve Dennie (left) and Jeff Bleijerveld waiting for the flight to Fort Wayne...home,

Steve Dennie (left) and Jeff Bleijerveld waiting for the flight to Fort Wayne...home,

A tired group of General Conference delegates left the Gran Paris Hotel in La Ceiba, Honduras, at 4:15 a.m. The conference bus (“Followers of the Lord” in bit white letters across the windshield, but in Spanish) came to pick us up. David Raudales, director of the Bethel Band and son of Francisco and Maira Raudales, tagged along with the bus driver to see us off.

The two Guatamalans, Francisco Najera and Rolando Valenzuela, deboarded at the bus station on the outskirts of town. The rest of us continued on to San Pedro Sula.

In San Pedro, the Americans, Jamaicans, and Sierra Leoneans boarded a flight for Miami about 9:30. they left four persons behind. Carlos Quesada, a workshop leader, would be catching a flight to Brazil to continue his presentations on behalf of Operation Mobilization. Jeff Dice waited for a flight to Costa Rica. And the two Canadians, Brian Magnus and Paul Plato, also had a later flight back to Canada.

In Miami, we lost Winston Smith and Isaac Nugent, who continued on to Jamaica. That left five Americans and three Sierra Leoneans.

On to Chicago. There, the Sierra Leoneans and Americans parted company. Billy and Alan Simbo were heading to Philadelphia, while Theresa Musa caught a flight for Baltimore.

Phil Whipple waiting for the flight to Fort Wayne.

Phil Whipple waiting for the flight to Fort Wayne.

That left the Americans waiting for a tiny American Eagle flight to Fort Wayne, Ind. Phil Whipple, Jeff Bleijerveld, Jason and Donna Hollopeter, and Steve Dennie arrived in Fort Wayne just after 8:30.

Meanwhile, back in Honduras….

  • The Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans left Wednesday night, driving home.
  • Oliam Richard would left this morning from La Ceiba, hoping to make his way to stricken Haiti. (We were happy to see, in Miami, that a scheduled flight to Port au Prince was On Time.)
  • Denis Casco left Thursday from the La Ceiba airport, heading back to Mexico.
  • Ajiax Wo and Karis Vong began their journey back to Hong Kong in late afternoon.

And that’s it. The end of a great meeting.

13 Jan

January 13, 2010 |
General Conference delegates lay hands in prayer on Oliam Richard, Superintendent of Haiti.

General Conference delegates lay hands in prayer on Oliam Richard, Superintendent of Haiti.

The day opened with sadness, which was actually a carry-over from Tuesday: the terrible earthquake in Haiti. Oliam Richard, our Haitian superintendent, was terribly concerned, especially since his wife, Esther, had flown into Haiti the day before the earthquake.

Oliam spent the night glued to CNN and seeking information on the internet. This morning, he felt he must try to get back to Haiti, and we can understand that.

Denis Casco, bishop of Mexico, took him to the La Ceiba airport to check on connections. There were none. They could get him to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, but couldn’t make any promises beyond that.

So, Denis urged Oliam to stay in La Ceiba, where he had accomodations, and Oliam agreed. However, he skipped the General Conference meeting today, staying at the hotel and no doubt gleaning whatever news he could of Haiti. He tried various ways to get through, but in vain.

During tonight’s closing service at the Bethel II church in La Ceiba, the congregation (and it was packed) took up an offering for Haiti. Rev. Richard didn’t attend the evening service. However, back at the hotel, all the General Conference delegates gathered around him, and the money was presented to him by Marilyn Reeck. Then the delegates laid hands on him, and several prayed aloud for him.

We’ll just need to pray that during the next few days, amidst the exstreme chaos, Oliam will be able to reach not only Haiti, but his wife Esther.