01 May Gary Small Having Back Surgery
Gary Small, pastor of Atlantic Avenue UB church in Franklin, Pa., will undergo back surgery on May 9. Your prayers are appreciated.
17 Apr Marvin Schwarts Assigned to New Horizons
Marvin Schwartz has been assigned as the new senior pastor of New Horizons UB (Rockford, Ohio) effective May 25. Wes Kuntzman will continue to fill the pulpit until May 18. Marvin is currently working towards his Masters degree at Huntington University. He was ordained in 2005 in the Church of the Brethren.
03 Apr New Licenses and Ordinations
On March 30, while conducting services at Avlon UB in Junction City, Ohio, Bishop Ron Ramsey:
- Ordained Peter Martindale, the pastor of Mount Hermon UB church in Pomeroy, Ohio.
- Granted a national conference license to Jason Sheets, associate pastor of West Pleasant Hill UB (Rockbridge, Ohio).
- Granted a national conference license to Allen R. Layne.
Also coming up:
- Milt Herrold, Jr., senior pastor of Orrstown UB (Orrstown, Pa.), will be ordained on April 6 by Pat Jones, standing in for Bishop Ramsey.
- Art Page, pastor of Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.), will be ordained on April 20 by Bishop Emeritus Wilber Sites, Jr., standing in for Bishop Ramsey.
26 Mar Death of Betty Neeb
Jay Michaud of Pleasant Valley UB (Lake Odessa, Mich.) sent this item: “It may be of interest to some in the United Brethren church, and the former Michigan Conference in particular, that Betty Neeb of Clarksville, Mich., passed away on Monday, March 24. She was the wife of the late UB minister Max Ovenshire of Michigan Conference, and she was a member of Pleasant Valley UB church. Her funeral is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 27, at Pleasant Valley, 9975 Thompson Rd., Lake Odessa, Mich. 48849 (corner of M-50 and Bell Road). You may want to contact the church for more details and an obituary: (616) 693-2265.”
13 Mar New Youth Pastor at Colwood
David Dickson has been hired as Youth Pastor at Colwood UB (Caro, Mich.).
06 Mar Surgeries for Dick and Donelle Raab
Donelle Raab was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her spinal column in early January, and began radiation treatments. Yesterday, March 5, she underwent thyroid surgery. Her husband, Dick, sent this report:
“The doctor said that it would take 2.5-3 hours, but at the end of the 2.5 hours, a nurse came out to tell me it was more involved than what he had thought. At the end of four hours, he was done and came out to talk to me. He said that the tumor was attached in a different way and that it also was around the right nerve to the voice box. He said that he had to work around that situation and so it took longer to do the surgery. When finished, he tested both of the nerves to the voice box and they both responded well. Praise the Lord! She will probably be in the Hospital (Butterworth) until Friday and will then come home to recoup.”
Dick is battling cancer, too. He went for a CT of his lungs yesterday. “The doctor said that if the cancer in my left thigh (sarcoma) had spread, it would first go to the lungs. I am praying that they will be okay. Surgery is scheduled for March 21. He will take the tumor, some of the muscle, and some lymph nodes. I will probably need radiation plus physical therapy before I am up and running again. Then May 2 has been set for the surgery on my neck to take care of the pinched nerve.
“I will be so glad to have these surgeries and then hopefully begin to feel better by not having the pain and numbness that has been a part of everyday since December 11.”
Dick and Donnelle served 42 years in the pastoral ministry, retiring in January 2007 from their last pastorate, Richfield Road UB church in Flint, Mich. Donelle holds a Specialized Ministries license, and until the end of 2007 was a member of the denominational Women’s Ministry Team. They now live in at 1914 Jack Pine Court, Dorr, MI 49323.
06 Mar Death of Mary Diamond
Mary Diamond, the wife of former UB minister Elmer Diamond, passed away February 23.
04 Mar Ted Doolittle Accepts Calvary Pastorate
Ted Doolittle was named senior pastor of Calvary Community UB church in Bridgeport, Mich., effective February 24. He previously pastored the Oak Harbor and Findlay First UB churches in Ohio. Most recently, he has been associate pastor of Zion UB in Wayne, Ohio.
20 Feb The Paul R. Fetters Prayer Chapel at HU
The prayer chapel in Huntington University’s new residence hall will be called the Paul R. Fetters Chapel after Dr. Paul Fetters, who has spent his career serving the United Brethren in Christ Church as a pastor and in the Graduate School of Christian Ministries.
The Huntington University Board of Trustees adopted the resolution naming the chapel Jan. 26. President G. Blair Dowden (left, congratulating Dr. Fetters) shared the news with the campus community February 15 at the annual Honors Convocation.
“It is my privilege to recognize a colleague who epitomizes Christ-centeredness in his scholarship, his teaching, his ministry, and his personal life,” Dowden said.
Enrolling at Huntington in 1951, Fetters earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1955, followed by a Bachelor of Divinity from the Huntington College Theological Seminary in 1959. He earned a Master of Divinity from Eastern Baptist, now Palmer, Theological Seminary in Philadelphia; a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of St. Francis in 1975; and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. During the past 10 years, his studies have continued at the University of British Columbia, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Joining the faculty in 1960 as a part time instructor in the Huntington College Theological Seminary, he filled several adjunct faculty positions during his 18 years of pastoral ministry. Later in 1972 as a full-time professor of practical theology, he was instrumental in the seminary transformation into the Graduate School of Christian Ministries, serving as director and dean from 1972 until 1997.
A contributor to a variety of denominational publications, religious periodicals and journals, Fetters served as general editor of several UB-related books, including Trials and Triumphs: History of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and Theological Perspectives: Arminian-Wesleyan Reflections on Theology. He has taught in many of the countries where you’ll find UB churches, including Canada, Sierra Leone, Honduras, Jamaica, and Hong Kong.
He continues to invest himself in the students of Huntington University as a professor in the Bible and Religion Department and through mentoring young adults at College Park Church in Huntington, Ind.
The prayer chapel will be housed in the new residence hall, Livingston Hall, named after the historic dormitory of the same name. The building was demolished in 1988, and RichLyn Library was constructed on the site.
“What an honor!” Fetters said. “The chapel located in Livingston Hall will perpetuate the memories of the early beginnings of the Graduate School of Christian Ministries, which was housed in the original Livingston Hall, 1977-1987.”
20 Feb Death of Rev. Ora D. Lovell
Dr. Ora D. Lovell, 93, a longtime minister in the UB church, passed away February 19 in Circleville, Ohio. Here are the funeral arrangements:
- Location: Wellman’s Funeral Home, 1455 N. Court St., Circleville, Ohio.
- Viewing: Thursday, February 21, 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
- Funeral: 11 a.m. Friday, February 22, at Wellman’s.