12 Aug 90th Birthday for Doris Malson

Charles and Doris Malson.

Doris Malson will celebrate her 90th birthday on August 17. She and her husband, Charles Malson, Sr., served in the pastorate and superintendency of Michigan Conference from 1952 until retiring in 1991. They celebrated 71 years of marriage last fall. Charles passed away in March 2013, so this is Doris’s first year without her longtime husband.

You can send cards to Doris at:

Doris Malson
10928 Easy Street
Carson City, MI 48811

07 Aug 70 Years for Marion and Frances Burkett

Rev. Marion and Frances Burkett will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on August 14, 2013. They were married on that day in 1943. Since then, they have pastored a number of United Brethren churches, and have served as United Brethren missionaries in Sierra Leone, at the Laurel Mission in Kentucky, as United Brethren church planters.

In addition, sons Dave and Phil and their families have also served as United Brethren missionaries and pastors.

The family of the Burketts invite you to help Marion and Frances celebrate their anniversary with a surprise card shower.

Their mailing address is:

Marion and Frances Burkett
356 Blue Bird Dr.
Columbia City, IN 46725

31 Jul Prayer for Mother of Pastor Eric Self

Barbara Self, mother of Eric Self, pastor of Mount Zion UB Church (Junction City, Ohio), has been dealing with a number of critical medical issues for over a month now. She has been hospitalized in critical condition with an aggressive form of cancer, but other problems have delayed chemotherapy treatments. She has a blood clot, and serious infections.

“We nearly lost her over the weekend,” wrote daughter-in-law Annette Self on July 30. “Getting rid of the infections is the top priority now. As long as nothing happens with that blood clot, I think she will continue to improve.”

Annette reported that Barbara is in stable condition and even improving, but remains in ICU. She’s been off the ventilator for a few days, and ate on her own yesterday.

You can write to Eric Self at:

208 West Main St., PO Box 75
Junction City, OH 43748-0075

30 Jul Obit: Stepfather of Jill Christophel

Jill Christophel, wife of John Christophel, pastor of Brooklyn Park UB church (Baltimore, Md.), suffered the loss of her step-dad on July 27. The Christophels have served Brooklyn Park since 1998.

Address:

Jill Christophel
124 West Hilltop Rd
Baltimore, MD  21225

17 Jul Mike Willis: 30 Years at Maple Grove

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) recognizing Mike and Tamara Willis.

On Sunday, July 14, Mike Willis was recognized for having served 30 years as senior pastor of Maple Grove UB church in Baltimore, Ohio. Mike is bi-vocational; he is also a postal worker. Mike and his wife, Tamara, were married in 1987 and have four children.

How many other currently-active United Brethren ministers have served this long in one place? Not many.

• 35 years. Greg Reed has served at Morning Star Church (Kokomo, Ind.) since 1978–initially as associate pastor, and since 1990 as senior pastor.
• 32 years. Chuck Malson has pastored Brown Corners UB church (Clare, Mich.) since 1981.
• 32 years. Joe Cilone has pastored Pleasant Heights UB church (East Liverpool, Ohio) since 1981.
• 30 years. Ken Smith has pastored the Cedar Chapel UB church (Big Laurel, Kent.) since 1983.

06 Jul Five Ministerial Licenses Granted at Conference

National Conference license recipients. L-r: Bishop Phil Whipple, Chris Kuntz, Elmer Long, and Kendal Sheen.

L-r: Bishop Phil Whipple, Zachary Kennedy, and Mike Rowley.

During the Thursday morning business session during the 2013 US National Conference (June 27), Bishop Phil Whipple presented ministerial licenses to several persons.

Provisional ministerial licenses were granted to:

• Zachary Kennedy, associate pastor since 2009 of Olive Branch UB church in Lakeville, Ind. He holds a degree in Christian Ministry from Bethel College (Mishawaka, Ind.).
• Mike Rowley, from College Park church in Huntington, Ind.
• Courtney Kennedy, wife of Zachary Kennedy. She, too, is a graduate of Bethel College, with a degree in Elementary Education. (Courtney was participating in the conference women’s track during the business session.)

National Conference ministerial licenses were granted to:

• Chris Kuntz, Worship Leader and Director of Men’s Ministries at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Elmer Long, senior pastor of Hillsdale UB church in St. Mary’s, Ohio. He has served there since 2006.
• Kendal Sheen, Youth and Worship Pastor at Kilpatrick UB church in Woodland, Mich.

04 Jul Retirement of Dick Case

Bishop Phil Whipple (left) recognizing Dick and Darlene Case.

Bishop Phil Whipple attended Dillman UB church (Warren, Ind.) on July 1 to recognize the retirement of senior pastor Dick Case. Pastor Case was given a retirement pin for his 25 years as a United Brethren minister. Dick retired as of June 30, 2013.

Dick and Darlene Case have served Dillman church since 2004. Before that, they pastored Crestview UB (Lafayette, Ind.) 1991-2004. Their years in the ministry also included five years at a non-denominational church, three years at the former Kettering UB church in Ohio, and nine years as campus pastor at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

Dick graduated from Huntington University in 1966 with a degree in Psychology and from the HU Seminary in 1972 with a Master of Divinity. He was ordained as a UB minister in 1964.

Dick’s home church is the Bethel UB church in Wichita, Kansas, and Darlene’s home church is Brown Corners UB in Clare, Mich. Dick and Darlene, married in 1964, have two children.

04 Jul Ordination of Don Gentry

Bishop Phil Whipple conducts the ordination service for Don Gentry (kneeling with his wife Stacy).

L-r: Stacy Gentry, Bishop Phil Whipple, and Don Gentry.

Don Gentry was ordained Sunday night, July 1, at New Hope Church in Camden, Mich. Don has pastored New Hope since 2005. Bishop Phil Whipple conducted the ordination at New Hope. Don and his wife, Stacy, a former UB missionary in Macau, have three children.