10 Feb Parts Country, Folksy, Beachy, and Buffet

A previous post mentioned Matt McKeown and the theme song he wrote, on contract, for the city of Palm Coast, Fla. Matt is associate pastor of First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla., and also heads up Sound Mind Studios, a recording studio in Holly Hill.

The online News-Journal of Daytona Beach published a feature article about Matt and the song, titled “Holly Hill Musician Carries Tune for Palm Coast.” Some tidbits from that article:

• Matt has written energetic rock music p layed during television coverage of NFL games, NASCAR races, and other sporting events.
• After getting the Palm Coast job last fall, “I didn’t go there and walk around for song inspiration. I just jumped on their website and looked at what they were proud of. That’s what I would have done if I was doing that for a company.”
• McKeown he did all the singing and played all the instruments for the song. “I wanted it to be a little country, a little folksy, and a little beachy and to have a little Jimmy Buffet in there.”

08 Feb Praise Point Hires Associate Pastor

Marcus and Stacie Flood, with Brooks the beagle.

Praise Point Church (Willshire, Ohio) has hired Marcus Flood as Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministries. He was previously youth pastor of a church in Saline, Mich., and has been a leader with different youth ministries for over 10 years.

Marcus and his wife, Stacie, were married on July 4, 2009. They met while attending Huntington University. Marcus graduated in 2008 with a Youth Ministry major and minors in Educational Ministries and Bible & Religion.

Stacie graduated in 2009 with a Social Work major. She continued her education by getting her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan.

06 Feb Jim Kendall Undergoes Heart Procedure

Last Thursday, February 2, Jim Kendall underwent a heart catheterization. He had been having some issues with his heart–partly with low sodium and electrolyte imbalance, which causes heart arrhythmia. Jim is a retired Michigan pastor living in Charlotte, Mich.

Everything went well. Jim reported, “I have no blockage, nor any evidence of a previous heart attack. I’m grateful to the Lord for the good report. Evidently, my heart arrhythmia was due to my electrolyte imbalance. Thankfully, my sodium level is now within its normal range. I still have to take it slow for a few days while the incision heals. They ‘sealed’ it with a new device, a plug, instead of using the old sandbags. The incision is still a bit sore and tender. The Lord is good, all the time.”

01 Feb Matt McKeown Writes Song for Florida City

Matt McKeown (right), associate pastor of First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla., does a lot of song-writing. He does full-blown church musicals, individual songs…and jingles. The NFL has used his stuff in the past.

Last fall, the city of Palm Coast, just up the beach from him, commissioned Matt to write a song for them–sort of a city theme song, which they could use in various types of promotions. The song uses “Find Your Florida” as a city slogan. It went public today.

Watch the video above. It includes the song. You can also read an online article titled “Holly Hill Musician Carries Tune for Palm Coast.”

30 Jan Update on Kyle McQuillen’s Cancer Diagnosis

Kyle McQuillen (right), Director of Global Ministries 1993-2001, told us previously that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes, and would be undergoing further tests. He sent this update on Monday, January 30.

I’ve completed all of my tests, including CAT scans, PET scans, biopsy, chest Xray, blood work, etc.

Diagnosis: Grade 1 Follicular Lymphoma, at Stage 3. Grade 1 means it is a non-aggressive, slow-growing cancer, which is very treatable but not curable. Stage 3 indicates that it is in several places–groin, along the spinal column, and under each arm.

I will have surgery tomorrow [January 31] to put in a port in my chest through which chemo will be given.

Treatment: I’ll begin chemo on February 7. Regiment will be three days and then off for about a month; back for another three days, month off, etc. This should last about 5-6 months. The oncologist is confident that the cancer will be eradicated through this chemo.

By the way, this seems to be exactly the same kind of cancer with which Paul Hirschy has been battling for the past 11 years. I’ve spoken to Paul a couple of times via email and phone.

All is well with me and I feel great–just not looking forward very much to a chemically changed body due to chemotherapy!

You can write to Kyle at: Kyle W. McQuillen, 299 Casa Grande, Edgewater, FL 32141.

21 Jan Catching Up with Kyle McQuillen

Kyle McQuillen (right), former Director of Global Ministries (1993-2001), has been diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes. He wrote earlier this week, “They found a mass in a routine MRI following up on my back surgery last year. I will be contacting an oncologist locally and having a PET Scan on January 19. I feel fine and am asymptomatic. Fortunately, the cancer appears to be treatable and I’ll know more after the visit to the oncologist and the PET scan this week.

“I am working fulltime at the Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach as a Chaplain, where I run two re-entry dorms for 264 inmates returning to the free world. I also continue working as pastor of visitation at the Edgewater Alliance Church. I’ll continue working even if I have to have chemo, which is likely.”

Kyle and Marlouise McQuillen came to the United Brethren church when they served as missionaries in Sierra Leone 1983-1985. Kyle later joined the national office staff as an associate director of Global Ministries for a couple years, and then left that position to pastor College Park church in Huntington, Ind., 1989-1993. After eight years as Director of Global Ministries, he and Marlouise “retired” to Edgewater, Fla.

You can write to Kyle at: Kyle W. McQuillen, 299 Casa Grande, Edgewater, FL 32141

09 Jan Gary Boston Assigned to Mt. Carmel Church

Gary Boston (right) has been assigned as pastor of Mt. Carmel UB Church in Fulks Run. Va., effective January 1, 2012. He was ordained at National Conference on July 9, 2011.

09 Jan Obit: Father of Pastor Paul Wall

Paul Wall (right), pastor of West Windsor UB (Dimondale, Mich.), experienced the loss of his father on Friday, Jan 6, 2012. Rev. Dave Wall, 82, had had dementia and Alzheimer’s for several years. Cards can be sent to Paul and Pam Wall at: 7275 Windsor Hwy, Dimondale, MI 48821.

03 Jan Josh Whipple Receives Ministerial License

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) presents a ministerial certificate to his son Josh.

On Sunday, January 1, 2012, Bishop Phil Whipple had the privilege of granting a ministerial license to his son, Josh Whipple. Josh was named senior pastor of Mount Hope UB Church (Carson City, Mich.) effective November 14, 2011. He had previously served as youth/worship pastor at Mongul UB in Shippensburg, Pa.

Josh is the first person to be granted the new “provisional” ministerial license. Normally, the local church license, which is granted by individual churches, is the entry point for ministers. However, this has proven awkward in situations where a person (perhaps coming from outside the denomination) is being assigned as senior pastor of that church. Last fall the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team implemented this new license, which brings the license under the authority of the PMLT and involves questioning which goes much deeper than the local church license (on the level of the national conference license).

Details of the provisional license will be finalized during the spring 2012 meeting of the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team.