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When you submit a ministerial or local church report, you should automatically receive, by email, a copy of the report.
However, this function wasn’t working with the local church report. It’s fixed now. So if you previously submitted a local church report and want a copy, contact Cathy Reich, administrative assistant to Bishop Phil Whipple, and she’ll send you a copy of the one you submitted.
Gary Gates (right), director of Ministerial Licensing, will represent the United Brethren denomination in January at a meeting of the Denominational Prayer Leaders Network. He’ll report on the prayer emphases in the United Brethren Church.
Gary prepared a simple survey. He would greatly appreciate it if you’d take a few minutes to give some of your feedback. You can use this survey form.
Thanks!
Steve Jones was elected on Tuesday, July 16, as the new president of the Missionary Church USA. Jones has been a church planter, pastor, and more recently, district superintendent in the Missionary Church.
The United Brethren denomination has had much affinity with the Missionary Church over the years. We occasionally trade pastors, and our ministers and laypersons have been trained at each others’ colleges.
The Missionary Church USA is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind. Today (July 18) they conclude their biennial national conference, using the same facility we used just two weeks ago–the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne.
Brian Magnus (right), Chairman of the General Conference
At the close of the 51st General Conference, the delegates and observers were excused and the International Executive Committee (IEC) met. This group consists of the bishop or general superintendent of each United Brethren national conference.
The meeting included several items:
1. We evaluated the General Conference and its current format. It was agreed that the 51st General Conference was a success and that the format is valuable and worth continuing. It was felt that the camaraderie, inspiration, and encouragement are worth keeping
2. We discussed some large issues in multiple national conferences, including the stationing of pastors who have been divorced and the issue of homosexuality in the church. The IEC agreed unanimously that no person in an active homosexual relationship could be a pastor in any United Brethren church around the world.
3. We agreed that future General Conferences will need to be held in locations where it is cost effective, and where delegates from various countries have a greater likelihood of being admitted into the country. Jamaica is one country that would meet these criteria.
4. At the end of the IEC meeting, Brian Magnus, Bishop of the United Brethren Church in Canada, was elected to anther term as chairman of the IEC. Since the chairman is also the chair of the next General Conference, this term goes until the election of the next chairman after the next General Conference. Brian has chaired the IEC since it was formed in 2002.
The United Brethren denomination has had a long relationship with Brotherhood Mutual, and many of our local churches are insured through Brotherhood.
Brotherhood Mutual has developed MinistryWorks, a church-specific payroll service provider, affordable for all sizes churches with staff numbering one and up. The cost is as little as $2.50 or less per person/payroll, plus a yearly fee of $10 per W2. You don’t need to be a Brotherhood customer to use MinistryWorks.
Call Tonya Birkey at 866-215-5540 ext. 5335 or Tonya Miller at 866-215-5540 ext. 5356. You can also visit their website at Ministryworks.com for more information, or download this PDF.
April 24 was Administrative Professionals at the national office. Bishop Phil Whipple took the staff to an Asian restaurant in Fort Wayne which has quite a variety–Korean, Thai, Chinese, etc.
The congregation of Olive Branch UB church in Lakeville, Ind., is quite proud of their new church sign. Very nice.
Note the use of the brand new logo for the US National Conference (in the upper left of the sign). Olive Branch may be the first church to incorporate the new logo. All UB logos can be downloaded from the UB website.
Charles and Doris Malson
Charles Malson, Sr., a retired minister now living in Carson City, Mich., is currently in an induced coma at Sparrow Hospital in Carson City. His wife, Doris, found him unresponsive on Wednesday morning (Jan. 23). He came around after treatment.
On Wednesday night, surgery was performed to remove some intestine that had lost blood flow due to a recent fall. He will have surgery again today (Thursday, Jan. 24) to reattach the intestine. He is stable, and will remain in an induced coma as he recovers. “Prognosis seems favorable,” says son Chuck Malson, senior pastor of Brown Corners UB church (Clare, Mich.).
Updates are being posted on the Brown Corners Facebook page.
The Malsons pastored the Brown Corners church 1952-1957, and then planted the Richfield Road UB church in Flint, Mich. In 1981, Rev. Malson was elected fulltime superintendent of Michigan Conference. He continued in that role until 1991, when he and Doris retired. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in November 2011.
Cards can be sent to:
Charles F. Malson, Sr.
10928 Easy Street
Carson City, MI 48811
Email: [email protected]
Steve with the Wright Brothers’ photos at the Air and Space Museum (but not quite in tune with the serious expressions required in photography back then).
(Sorry for the glare)
Steve Dennie, Communications Director
In October, Pam and I enjoyed a few days of vacation in Washington, DC. One of those days was spent mostly at the Air and Space Museum.
In the Wright Brothers exhibit, I was surprised, but delighted, to find the name “Church of the United Brethren in Christ” printed at least three times in connection with Wilbur and Orville and their father, Milton, who was a United Brethren bishop. I snapped some photos as proof. There was also a photo of the 1900 General Conference, with Bishop Wright standing front and center.
So, church and state–or at least our church–are not entirely separated at the Smithsonian.
The ONE80 car in the demolition derby.
The ONE80 car at the finish.
Ben Gladhill, associate pastor of Christian Education, Lake View Church (Camden, Mich.)
On September 25, ONE80 Student Ministries of Lake View Church helped sponsor a demolition derby car for the Hillsdale County fair in Hillsdale, Michigan.
Doug Faler, ONE80 adult leader, drove the ONE80 car in the derby. After a great showing in the second heat of the derby, Doug and the ONE80 car advanced to the Feature final along with 11 other cars. In the end, we finished sixth in the Feature!
It was a great opportunity to for our Student Ministries to get its name out to our surrounding community. As well as be a witness to others participating and at the fair.
A special thanks to all who supported ONE80 Students Ministries in this event and cheered Doug and our team to a great showing. Many youth and adults from Lake View Church came out to support our car at the derby. Also a special thanks goes to those who spent many hours working on the car and supported this project financially!
