11 Nov Obituary: Rev. Thomas L. Brodbeck, 1935-2021

Rev. Thomas L. Brodbeck, 85, passed away on November 9, 2021. He served 19 years in United Brethren ministry in Indiana, Ohio, and Idaho.

Viewing: 9:00 am Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Funeral: 10:30 am Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Location: Glancy-H.Brown & Son Funeral Home, Warren, Ind.

Brodbeck graduated from high school in 1953 in his hometown of St. Mary’s, Ohio, served in Korea with the US Army, and worked for the city of St. Mary’s until sensing God’s call to the ministry. He was 35 when he moved his family to Huntington, Ind., so he could enter college. He graduated from Huntington University with a bachelor’s degree, and in 1975 received the Master of Christian Ministries. He was ordained in 1975.

Brodbeck served 19 years in United Brethren ministry: 1972-1979 at the UB church in Van Buren, Ind.; 1979-1983 as director of Camp Cotubic in Bellefontaine, Ohio; 1985-1988 as pastor of Log Cabin UB church in Boise, Idaho; and 1988-1993 as pastor of Third Street (now Anchor) UB church in Fort Wayne, Ind. He then served a Wesleyan congregation in Waldron, Mich., until 2017.

At the time of his death, Brodbeck was living with his wife Cathy in Van Buren, Ind. (609 E 3rd St, Warren, IN 46792-9410). He is the father of Rev. Thomas M. Brodbeck, who served 27 years in United Brethren ministry, including as fulltime superintendent of Central Conference.

Memorial contributions should be directed to Camp Cotubic, 2158 Road 25 North, Bellefontaine, OH 43311.

You can read the online obituary here.

24 Sep Obituary: Emma Evans, Pastor’s Wife in Ohio and Indiana

Emma Lou Evans, 75, passed away September 23, 2021, in Coldwater, Mich. after a battle with cancer. She and her husband of 51 years, Ron Evans, served 28 years in United Brethren pastoral ministry in Indiana and Ohio.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 27, at Lockwood Community Church, 202 E Lockwood Rd, Coldwater, MI 49036. Officiating will be Rev. Mike Arnold and Rev. Ron Evans. Visitation will be held 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, September 26, at Dutcher Funeral Home in Coldwater.

Condolences can be sent to Ron Evans at:
233 Prairie River Dr
Coldwater, MI 49036-8064

17 Aug Obituary: Rev. Tom Tarpley (Fowlerville, Mich.)

Rev. Tom Tarpley, Care Pastor at Fowlerville UB church (Fowlerville, Mich.), passed away August 15, 2021. He was 79 years old.

Visitation: 4-8 pm Thursday, August 19, 2021.
Visitation location: Hermann Funeral home, 1005 E Grand River, Fowlerville, MI 48836.
Funeral: 11 am Friday, August 20, with visitation one hour beforehand.
Funeral location: visitation and the funeral will be held at Fowlerville UB church, 9300 W Grand River Road, Fowlerville, MI 48836.

The funeral service will be livestreamed at 11am on on Facebook, Youtube, or at fowlervilleub.org.

02 Jun Death of Rev. Steve Henry (Franklin, Pa.)

Rev. Steve and Amanda Henry and children.

Rev. Steve Henry passed away the evening of May 31. He has been pastor of Victory Heights UB church (Franklin, Pa.), since 2006, and was ordained as a United Brethren minister in 2014. Steve leaves behind a wife, Amanda, to whom he has been married since 2001, and five children.

Amanda posted the following on June 1: “I got a call last night with news I never wanted to hear. Steve had a massive brain hemorrhage. It caused fluid to back up in his brain and did irreparable damage. The surgeon said he was brain dead and that surgery wouldn’t be able to correct it. Steve passed away last night. He now is the presence of his Savior and rejoicing without pain or struggle.”

A funeral service will be held sometime Friday afternoon, June 4, at Atlantic Avenue UB church in Franklin, Pa. Bishop Todd Fetters will officiate. The exact time and other details are still being worked out.

According to Facebook posts from Steve and Amanda, Steve tested positive for Covid on May 8, was hospitalized the next day, was moved to ICU and placed on a ventilator on May 13, and was transferred to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh on May 15, where he remained until his death.

19 Apr Obituary: Rev. Wayne Goldsmith, Longtime UB Minister

Rev. Wayne Goldsmith, 91, passed away April 16, 2021. He and his wife, Mary, who died in 2018, enjoyed 66 years of marriage together. A celebration of life service will be held June 12, 2021, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Details below.

For 45 years, Wayne served congregations fulltime in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Ontario. After retiring, he spent another 15 years serving many congregations as an interim minister, including in Fountain Hills, Ariz., in 2002.

The first United Brethren church he pastored was Parkwood Gardens UB church in Guelph, Ontario, 1985-1988. He went on to pastor churches in the former Michindoh Conference, which included churches in southern Michigan, northwest Ohio, and northern Indiana. He also served a number of stints as an interim pastor for UB churches.

Visitation: Friday, June 11, 2021, from 1-3 pm and 5-7 pm.
Visitation location: D.O. McComb and Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home, 4017 Maplecrest Rd., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Celebration of Life service: 10:30 am Saturday, June 12, 2021. Visitation one hour beforehand.
Location: Central Ministries, 5801 Schwartz Road, Fort Wayne, IN.

Online obituary here.

30 Mar Obituary: Rev. Bill Miller, Former Pastor in California

William Miller

Rev. Bill Miller, 75, passed away Saturday, March 27, 2021. He was pastor of the Burbank UB church (Burbank, Calif.) 1984-1994, and had been secretary of the former California Conference. After leaving the fulltime ministry, he returned to the business world and worked as a management consultant. He held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration from Biola University.

Bill and his wife, Mary, were in the planning stages of their 50th anniversary. They retained membership at the UB church in Pixley, Calif.

A memorial service will be held May 29 at the Congregational Church of Northridge, 9659 Balboa Blvd., Northridge, CA 91325. Condolences can be sent to Mary at her home: 17431 Tulsa St, Granada Hills Ca 91344.

16 Mar Obituary: Rev. John Wiseman, 95

Rev. John Wiseman

Rev. John Wiseman, 95, a former UB minister in western Pennsylvania, passed away March 7, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pa. He was a navy veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, after which he went into the ministry. A private funeral service will be held at the convenience of the family with Marc Stephenson, pastor of First UB Church of New Castle, Pa.

11 Mar Obituary: Dr. Paul B. Baker, Longtime UB Pastor and Leader

Dr. Paul B. Baker

Dr. Paul B. Baker, a former United Brethren pastor in Pennsylvania, passed away Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Visitation: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 12, 2021.
Funeral service: 1:00 pm Saturday, March 13, 2021.
Location for both: King Street UB church, 162 East King Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201

Paul Baker grew up around Chambersburg, Pa., and became a Christian at age 13 in the Mt. Pleasant UB church in Chambersburg. He graduated from Huntington University in 1955, and then served two years as associate pastor of King Street UB church in Chambersburg under Dr. Clyde W. Meadows. He went on to pastor the Otterbein UB in Greencastle for four years, then returned to King Street as senior pastor in 1961 when Meadows was elected bishop. He continued as pastor of King Street until 1991.

During most of that period, beginning in 1967, Dr. Baker served as a conference superintendent in Pennsylvania Conference, and as the senior superintendent beginning in 1977. He was elected to many General Conferences, served on the denominational executive committee, joined the Huntington University Board of Trustees in 1970, and provided leadership on various other denominational boards and committees. He also served ten years on the board of the National Association of Evangelicals.

At the local level there in Chambersburg, Dr. Baker gave leadership to the UB ministries at Rhodes Grove camp and Piney Mountain Home, as well as to such organizations as the YMCA, Kiwanis, and the ministerial association.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Geisel Funeral Home in Chambersburg.

04 Mar Obituary: Dr. Kent Maxwell

Dr. Kent Maxwell passed away March 1, 2021, in Warren, Ind.

Maxwell grew up in the UB church in Dayton, Wash. He graduated from Huntington University in 1961 with a degree in Psychology, and received a Master of Divinity in 1964 from the Huntington College seminary. He was ordained as a UB minister.

Maxwell went on to earn a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1980, and followed that with an MA in Counseling from Liberty University in 1991.

Dr. Maxwell served 1964-1978 as pastor of Crestview UB church in Lafayette, Ind. He then taught for four years at Winebrenner Theological Seminary (Findlay, Ohio). In 1982, he was appointed senior pastor of College Park UB church (Huntington, Ind.), serving there until 1989, and followed that with three years as pastor of New Hope UB church in Huntington. He taught at the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology 2002-2005, and he also pastored United Methodist Churches part-time.

Along the way, Dr. Maxwell served on UB boards and study committees at the conference and denominational level. His was a long and varied career in ministry.

He is survived by his wife Carol, with whom he was united in marriage in 1963, and their three children.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by D. O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes-—Pine Valley.