On Monday, November 28, Elsie Ramsey, wife of Bishop Ron Ramsey, underwent some tests for what they feared could be cancer. They are thankful that that wasn’t the case. However, later in the day they learned that E. J. has a disorder called temporal artoritis, a condition of inflamed blood vessels in the head. It was affecting the optic nerve in E. J.’s right eye, and if left untreated, could lead to total blindness. E. J. is on a heavy regimen of steroids right now, and the treatments are going well. The doctor feels they got it in time and Elsie may not need to be on the steroids very long. It’s not life-threatening, and there is no pain, but as mentioned, it can lead to blindness. E. J. is also diabetic, and steroids can adversely affect diabetes. But thus far, she has experienced no adverse side effects. As churches, please remember E. J. and Ron in your prayers.

Terry Taylor has been appointed as the senior pastor at Innisdale Church (Alexandria, Ind.), effective September 11, 2005. He had been serving with Rev. Larry Schimmel (the former pastor) as an associate pastor.

The Underwood UB church (Oakland, Md.) has licensed two men as ministers: Mike Bernard and Marty Wilt. The church also baptized 15 people.

The Mill Chapel UB church (Reedsville, W. Va.) also licensed one new minister: Nick Bryan. In addition, 16 people have been baptized in recent months, and another 15 are to be baptized on August 21.
Both churches are looking at building projects, since they are becoming overcrowded. God is blessing and lives are being changed. Marshall Woods is the pastor of both churches.

Bishop Ron Ramsey has appointed Rev. Pat Jones as Healthy Church Director, a major new staff position at the United Brethren Headquarters. In that role, Pat will focus most of his time on developing the new “clusters,” which will consist of an average of seven churches. There will be about 30 clusters scattered across the country, and every United Brethren church will be required to join a cluster.

For the past 14 years, Pat has served as senior pastor of King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. Before that, he planted the UB church in Carlisle, Pa., and also pastored the Devonshire UB church in Harrisburg, Pa. Pat has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team, is a member of the Huntington University Board of Trustees, and has filled various roles at the conference and denominational level.

Both Bishop Ron Ramsey and Rev. Pat Jones were able to sell their homes within a week, and for the full asking price. Pat and Pam Jones are purchasing a home on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, about 20 minutes from Huntington. Bishop Ramsey says, “We’ve decided to rent for a while to get better acclimated to the area before we rush in to build or buy.”

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Carlson and Naomi Becker will go to Macau this fall as fulltime missionaries with the English Language Program. They will stay for three years.

Carlson is the son of former Huntington College President Elmer Becker. Both he and Naomi graduated from HC. From 1964-1968, Carlson pastored the Union Church in Huntington. Then they went to Michigan to begin ten years as director and wife at Camp Living Waters, a UB camp, having worked with the YMCA and in camping during college and seminary.

In 1977, the Beckers moved back to Huntington after General Conference elected Carlson to be the Director of Stewardship. He worked at the UB Headquarters in Stewardship work for 12 years. Then, in 1989, he began four years as Associate Director of Missions. One daughter, Michelle, served as a missionary nurse in Sierra Leone.

Carlson left that position in 1993 and returned to the pastorateÑthe Northland UB church in Traverse City, Mich. He served that church for ten years.
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Amy Hoffman, wife of former Michigan Conference minister Ronald A. Hoffman, passed away April 5. She was 100 years old. Her husband passed away in 1979. Many people know Mrs. Hoffman’s son, Jim Hoffman, who worked on staff at Huntington College for many years; and her daughter-in-law Marda Hoffman, who served as General Treasurer of the denomination 1979-2003. Services will be held Saturday, April 9, at the Tagsold’s Funeral Home in Blissfield, Mich., with Rev. Mike Stambaugh and Rev. Joe Abu officiating.

M. Adam Will began his tenure as the new fulltime minister for Eden UB Church in Reedsville, Ohio. He is the first fulltime minister in a few years. Adam is a member of Eden’s sister congregation, Mt. Hermon UB, located in Chester, Ohio. Just 19 years of age, Adam is a Bible College student. He has had a heart for being a minister and prayed where God would lead him. With the help of his pastor, Rev. Peter Martindale, who also preached at Eden years ago, Adam found out that Eden, where he has spoken before, was searching for a pastor. God has truly had His hand in this endeavor. In the month Adam has been there, one person has already placed membership at the Church.

Bill Pitts, pastor of the Lancaster UB church (Lancaster, Ohio) has resigned, surrendered his ministerial credentials, and re-connected with his former denomination to start another congregation in Lancaster. A large number of people who were a part of the Lancaster UB church have left and gone with him. The conference is working to provide an interim pastor for the Lancaster Church.

Marwin T. Simon, 89, a former United Brethren minister, passed away March 13 in Auburn, Ala., where he had retired. Rev. Simon attended Huntington College in the 1940s to prepare for the ministry. He served the Otterbein and Garnett UB churches in Kansas, and Fairview UB church near Hartford, City, Ind., and another UB church near Decatur, Ind.