The post Death of Rev. Don Ross, 1948-2026 first appeared on UBCentral.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve shared updates about what’s changing and how the new site is designed to make things easier to find and easier to use. Now it’s time to explore it for yourself.

From the beginning, this project has been about one simple goal: creating a clearer, more accessible online home for the United Brethren Church.

What You’ll Notice Right Away

As you begin using the new site, a few things should stand out immediately.

A more visual experience
Pages are designed to help you quickly recognize where to go next, with clearer sections, better use of images, and less clutter.

Simpler navigation
No matter where you are on the site, key links like Resources, Find a Church, and Staff Openings are always within reach.

A more connected experience
Everything now lives in one place. Resources, events, and news updates are no longer spread across multiple sites, making ub.org a more reliable starting point.

A Few New Features to Explore

In addition to the updates we’ve already shared, there are a few other improvements you’ll discover along the way.

• Improved search functionality to help you quickly locate articles, documents, and pages
• Cleaner page layouts that make longer content easier to read and navigate
• Optimized mobile experience, so the site works just as well on your phone or tablet

Start Exploring

If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few good places to start:

• Browse Resources to explore articles, videos, and podcasts
• Use Find a Church to locate congregations near you
• Check out the latest Events right from the homepage

This new site is designed to serve you—and we hope it makes your experience simpler, clearer, and more helpful every time you visit.

Take a few minutes to look around. We’re glad you’re here.

The post The New ub.org Is Live first appeared on UBCentral.

Youth leaders and students across Northeast Indiana—don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something powerful.

On April 10, Huntington University will host Outpour Worship, a regional worship night designed to unite students and churches for an unforgettable evening of praise and worship.

The lineup features Grammy Award winning artists Joe L Barnes (Maverick City Music) and DOE (2025 Best Christian Music Album), along with local artists City Movement (City Church).

But why Outpour and why now? 

Chris Freeman, senior pastor at City Church in Fort Wayne, answers that question this way, “I believe we are at a pivotal moment in history, where Christians have the opportunity to set aside personal preferences and come together as the body of Christ. Outpour Worship invites us to unite with one heart, one voice and one worship to the One who loves us most.”

This is a great opportunity for United Brethren church youth groups to join together with students and leaders from across the region to participate in a unified worship experience that lifts up the name of Jesus.

Doors open at 5:30 PM, preshow begins at 6:00 PM, and the concert starts at 7:00 PM.

Group discounts are available—use code OgpHu@10 when purchasing tickets for your youth group.

To learn more about the event and purchase tickets, visit Huntington University’s event page.

The post Outpour Worship Coming to Huntington University first appeared on UBCentral.

In 2025, the US National Conference landed on a new definition of a local congregation. Our Discipline now states that, “A congregation is a gathered expression of people of the global community that embodies the life of Christ in the world” (¶401.1). 

We believe this change offers United Brethren churches, regardless of size, the “freedom to pursue the expression of ministry and worship that will enable them to fulfill God’s call upon them” (Discipline, ¶401.2). This year, we want to help churches navigate this change by providing a series of resources on Strong Church Formation.

The first of these resources is a set of workshops titled, Growing in Maturity, designed to shift our focus from metrics as the key measure for a strong church, to maturity characterized by spiritual vitality, relational connectedness and missional engagement. The key question we will ask in this series is not “How can we grow bigger as a church,” but rather “How can Christ grow bigger in me/us?” 

These workshops will be hosted regionally and open to all of our pastors, church leaders, national conference delegates and anyone else who is interested in attending. 

We have three workshops scheduled so far with additional dates and locations (more to the east) coming in the summer and fall. Workshops will be held on the following Saturdays from 9:00 am to approximately 3:00 pm, with lunch included.

• May 16, 2026 at Fowlerville United Brethren Church (Fowlerville, MI)
• May 30, 2026 at Living Grace Community Church (Fort Wayne, IN)
• June 13, 2026 at Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, OH)

More details on each of these events will be available soon, but for now, mark your calendar for the Strong Church Formation: Growing in Maturity Workshop closest to you. 

The post Strong Church Formation Workshops Coming Soon first appeared on UBCentral.

What’s Included

Your $75 registration fee covers several parts of the summit experience designed to make the week both meaningful and refreshing. Attendees will receive:

• Daily à la carte breakfast

• At least two hosted dinners

• Seminars and workshops throughout the summit

• Monday night’s hotel stay (April 27)

If you hold a ministerial license, attending the summit will also provide six contact hours toward your continuing education requirements.

Please note that travel, lunches, personal spending, excursions, and most lodging costs are not included.

Take-aways from the last Ministry Leader Summit

Hotel Reservations

All attendees will stay at the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn in Daytona Beach at the event’s group rate of $209 per night (including taxes).

As part of the summit, Monday night’s stay is covered. Attendees are responsible for the remaining three nights—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

To keep the process simple, the UB National Office will handle all hotel reservations. When you register, you’ll indicate your arrival and departure dates as well as any roommate request. Our office will then make the reservation on your behalf.

After registration, you will receive an invoice from the National Office for your lodging costs (all nights except Monday). Payment is due by April 13, 2026.

If you plan to arrive early or stay an extra day or two, you can note that on your registration and our office will include those nights in your reservation.

Finally, please remember that cancellations must be made by April 13 to avoid being charged for one night’s lodging.

If you’re planning to attend but haven’t registered yet, be sure to do so before the March 25 deadline.

Register here!

The post Ministry Leader Summit: Registration and Reservations first appeared on UBCentral.

Currently, all articles live here on ubcentral.org. Our videos are housed on Vimeo.com. And all of our podcasts can be found on the most popular podcast directories (Apple, Spotify, etc.). So, while all of it is currently accessible, you really have to know what you are looking for and where you need to look for it.

When the new site launches, all videos, podcasts, and articles will be available and searchable under the resources tab at ub.org.

What This Change Means

There are a few things to note as this change takes place, the biggest of which may be that ubcentral.org will no longer be operational. All the content will still be accessible and new content will be written, but it will be available under the resources tab on the new site.

Other Benefits of this Change:

• One main website to remember
• Easier access to trusted content
• A consistent place to find new and archived resources
• Job postings linked directly from the homepage

If you’ve visited ubcentral regularly, the biggest change will simply be where you go—not what you’ll find there.

In the coming weeks, we’ll highlight more updates and show you other areas of the site designed to make your experience even smoother.

The post Finding Resources on the New ub.org first appeared on UBCentral.

Several months ago, United Brethren churches responded generously to an opportunity to serve international students at Huntington University who were asking for bibles in their home languages. We recently received an update from campus pastors, Karyn Kamphausen and Mark Vincenti, and wanted to share it with you. 

So far, students have received Bibles in the following languages:

• Portuguese / English
• Japanese / English
• Spanish / English
• Thai / English

In the coming weeks, German / English parallel Bibles will be added, along with additional Spanish / English copies. English Bibles have also been provided for students who requested them.

For many students, these parallel-language Bibles serve as a familiar voice, a spiritual anchor, and a reminder that they are seen and supported by the broader Body of Christ while studying in a new culture.

Karyn says, “some [students] are receiving a Bible for the first time ever. Thank you for helping us to purchase these Bibles (and many more) to give away.”

Thank you to the United Brethren churches and individuals who made this project possible. Your generosity is helping students engage Scripture in a deeply personal way, and the fruit of this ministry will continue to grow as God’s Word is read, shared, and lived out.

The post International Students at Huntington University Receive Bibles in Their Home Languages first appeared on UBCentral.

Ministry Leader Summit

Register Here

April 27–May 1, 2026 | Daytona Beach, Florida

Associate staff serving in United Brethren churches are invited to the Ministry Leader Summit, a biennial gathering created to help ministry leaders step away, slow down, and be refreshed. The summit will be held at the Best Western Aku Tiki Inn in Daytona Beach.

It begins Monday evening, April 27, and concludes Thursday evening, April 30, with hotel check-out on Friday, May 1. If you serve in any ministry staff role other than senior pastor, then this summit is for you.

Byron Spear, senior pastor of Banner Church will we with us to discuss Modern Ministry in any ministry context aimed at engaging the next generation and moving from attractional to missional ministry.

The cost is $75 per person, plus 3 night’s lodging. Monday night’s hotel stay is covered with your registration.

Licensed ministers will earn 6 continuing education credit hours. Spouses are welcome but must be registered.

Registration deadline: March 25, 2026

Pastor and Spouse Summit

Register Here

October 26–29, 2026 | Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Senior pastors and their spouses are invited to the Pastor and Spouse Summit, a relaxed and encouraging week in the Great Smoky Mountains. The summit will be held at The Ramsey Hotel & Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The gathering begins Monday evening, October 26, and concludes Thursday morning, October 29. Sessions will take place in the mornings, with free afternoons and evenings to rest or explore the area.

A $10 registration fee is due at sign-up. Attendees are responsible for one night of lodging at $170 per room, with hotel arrangements coordinated by the UB National Office. Optional early arrival or late departure is available at the conference rate.

Payment deadline: October 2, 2026

The post first appeared on UBCentral.

• Visitation: 2-7 pm Friday, January 9, 2026, at Adkins Bailey-Love Mortuary, 35 West Park Drive, Huntington, Ind.
• Funeral: 10am Saturday, January 10, at College Park UB church, 1945 College Ave., Huntington, Ind. There will be an hour of visitation prior to the service.

Lynn Mefferd was born in 1939, and was converted in 1946 at age 7. He cited his home church as Wren UB in Wren, Ohio, near Van Wert. In 1961 he married Betty Jean Myers, and that year they began pastoring the Zion UB church near Wilshire, Ohio. In 1963 they began five years at the Fairview and Convoy UB churches.

Mefferd graduated from Huntington College in 1965 and from the HC Seminary in 1968. He was ordained as a UB minister in 1968. That year, he and Betty were appointed as missionaries to Sierra Leone, serving in Freetown–Lynn as business manager, Betty as hostess for the many missionaries who stayed at the mission house. During one furlough, Lynn took a year of training at the School of World Missions and the Institute of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in California.

After leaving missionary service, Mefferd resume pastoral ministry:

• 1978-1984 at Prescott Avenue UB church (now Lighthouse Community UB in Dayton, Ohio).
• 1984-1989 at Decatur UB (Decatur, Ind.).
• 1989-1991 at Convoy UB (Convoy, Ohio).
• 1991-2004 at Dillman UB (Warren, Ind.).
• 2004-2015 as pastor of Congregational Care at New Hope UB church in Huntington, Ind., serving alongside senior pastor Ray Seilhamer.

Mefferd was granted retired status in 2018. At the time of his death, he was a member of College Park UB in Huntington, Ind.

Mefferd’s online obituary says, “He had a servant’s heart and especially enjoyed caring for the people of his church congregations….He enjoyed reading books and singing songs to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He also enjoyed fishing, golfing, watching sports on TV, camping, traveling, doing puzzles, and eating ice cream. Pastor Lynn loved to sing in church and he enjoyed waking his daughters in the mornings with song.”

Mefferd is survived by his wife Betty, three daughters (Deborah, Joanne, and Cheryl), nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Preferred memorials may be made in memory of Lynn Mefferd to:

• UB Global, 302 Lake Street, Huntington, Ind.
• College Park United Brethren in Christ Church, Huntington, Ind.

(Written by Steve Dennie)

The post Rev. Lynn E. Mefferd Obituary first appeared on UBCentral.

Her funeral service will be held December 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Myers Funeral Home Huntington Chapel.

Read more about Mary and her family in her official obituary.

The post Mary L. Towne Obituary first appeared on UBCentral.