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Rev. Al Carter, pastor of West Pleasant Hill UB church in Stockport, Ohio, reported that his grandson, Robbie Humphreys, had been involved in a serious car accident. He was life-flighted to Toledo Children’s Hospital with possible bleeding around the brain.
UPDATE November 13: Robbie underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by bleeding, and is doing better.
Ron Ramsey, Bishop
I received this email from George Rhodifer, one of our ministers who has been battling leukemia. We’ve mentioned George several times on this blog, and have asked you to pray for him. Read George’s latest report and be encouraged, as well as reminded of the power of prayer.
I saw my Oncologist Thursday (November 6) and she had a good report on my leukemia. I sat in her examining room while she looked at my records on the computer. She was all smiles and saying mostly to herself, “Yes, that is good.”
Then she said, “Mr. Rhodifer, you won’t believe what I am reading on your progress. You have come a long way. Your Leukemia is now under control–not in remission, but under control.”
She said that she was only going to schedule one more series of chemo, and then see how things look after that. I started a series on Friday, and if everything goes okay, she said she won’t need to see me until December 2 to evaluate my progress.
Bishop, I am so excited about this report. It has to be the prayers that are going up for me, and the confidence that my doctor has encouraged me and my family to have. I know there is no known cure for this, but it could go into remission as God intervenes.
I read on the BishopBlog the really dark place I was in. That I only had a few months to live. Now my new doctor tells me my Leukemia is under control after only one series of chemo. PRAISE THE LORD! I hope you can put this on your blog as a testimony to the power of God and the good doctors that I have. Yes, I still have a way to go, but the picture is not as bleek. I feel good and have had no side affects to the first series of chemo shots (two a day for ten days). Keep me in prayer.
Yours in His service,
George Rhodifer
Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
I visited George Rhodifer last week. As we mentioned previously for prayer, George has been diagnosed with a fast-moving form of leukemia. The doctors are using chemo to address the cancer and try to slow it. Currently, George’s white count is almost zero, so he must guard against exposure to anything that would bring infection.
George is pastor of the Olivet Church in New Lebanon, Ohio, also cluster leader for churches in the Dayton and central Ohio area. Albert Roland, pastor of Park Layne UB church in New Carlisle, Ohio, will be taking on responsibility for the cluster while George is in treatment.
Please be praying for George and his wife Beverly.You can contact George by email or by writing to:
George Rhodifer
109 Solar Drive
Tipp City, OH 45371
Evelyn Whetstone underwent surgery for uterine cancer October 17 in Lima, Ohio. She is the wife of Ken Whetstone, lay pastor of Victory Chapel UB church in Celina, Ohio.
The surgeon feels they got it all and that she will need no further follow-up. The Lord answered prayers by containing the cancer in the one place. Cards may be sent to her at 7729 Riley Rd. Celina OH 45822
Denny Miller, pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) underwent surgery September 18 to remove disc fragments and repair a ruptured disc. Everything went well, and it ended two weeks of what he describes as “relentless pain.” Full recovery recovery is expected to take a year. He’ll return to the pulpit on October 25.
Ed Gebert, pastor of Mt. Victory UB church near Decatur, Ind., wrote a superb blog post called, simply, “Empty.” It’s the honest admission of a pastor…and we know that many pastors reach this same place.
Olinda Barnes has concluded her 13-year ministry as director of Camp Living Waters in Luther, Mich. Her last day was September 30. Olinda became the director in January 1995.
Olinda is looking for employment, and says she would love to remain in the UB church. She’s got lots of experience in youth and children’s minisry, women’s ministry, and running an office. You can contact her by email.
Sam Quinn underwent brain surgery on October 6 in San Francisco to remove a small tumor which was feared to be cancerous. Sam is superintendent of United Believers in Christ, a group of former United Brethren churches in California that withdrew from the denomination in 2005.
Burney Fix, who works with Sam, sent this report:
Sam went into surgery Monday morning about 8:00 and came out in the early afternoon. His son Mark told me the doctor reported that all went very well and the tumor was removed. He also said that he doubted the tumor was cancerous, but it has been sent to the lab for testing.
I was over to see Sam on Monday evening in ICU. He was awake, feeding himself, and propped up in bed. He was slow to speak and had difficulty finding words and remembering names, which was expected in the recovery. On Tuesday evening, Sam was transferred out of ICU into a private room. He was doing much better, and was communicating more clearly.
I have not heard when Sam will be released to go home, but last week it was expected that he would be going home Thursday or Friday.
I believe that we are seeing answers to prayer and that if the doctor is right about no cancer, then it is a BIG answer to prayer! So keep praying for his recovery and we will keep you posted whenever possible.
Dirk Small resigned as pastor of Idaville UB (Idaville, Pa.) to take a staff position at Otterbein Church in Waynesboro. Otterbein is a former UB church that withdrew from the denomination in 2005.
Dirk has been a cluster leader and a member of the Higher Education Leadership Team (and thus a member of the Huntington University Board of Trustees), two positions which will now need to be filled. We’re also, of course, looking for a new senior pastor at Idaville.
During the month of October, Robert and Virginia Blaine will celebrate these dates:
To celebrate these great milestones, Good Shepherd UB church in Greenfield, Ohio, will hold an open house:
Date: Saturday, October 11th
Time: 2-4 p.m.
Location: Good Shepherd Church, 12920 State Route 28 West, Greenfield, Ohio.
Robert and Virginia began pastoring churches the years they were married. Robert was pastor of Greenfield UB church for many years. Currently, his son, Jim, is the pastor.
