26 Sep Resignation in Rockford, Ohio
Marvin Schwartz resigned as senior pastor of New Horizons UB church (Rockford, Ohio) effective August 24, 2013. He had pastored the church since May 2008.
25 Sep Don Gentry Resigns from Camden, Mich., Church
Don Gentry resigned as senior pastor of New Hope UB church (Camden, Mich.) effective July 15, 2013. After eight years of successful ministry at New Hope, Don and Stacy Gentry and children relocated to North Carolina to pursue opportunities there.
25 Sep With Supt. Chavez in Western Honduras
Juanita Chavez amidst a group of praying Hondurans.
Juanita Chavez and a Honduran young man.
A circle of Hondurans praying in an outside location.
Juanita Chavez, superintendent of Honduras Conference, recently traveled through the regions of El Copan and Santa Barbara in Honduras. The intent was to bring encouragement to a number of church planters. She and her fellow workers also held a number of church-based theological classes for pastors and church leaders.
During their time, they participated in a number of worship services. On one such occasion, three teenage girls decided to become followers of Jesus. They also met a 20-year-old man in a mountain village who gave a parcel of land that is part of his inheritance so that a new church could be built.
Continue to pray for the work of Honduras Conference. With more than 100 churches, they have only just begun to multiply churches throughout the country. Pray, too, as they consider how God might be calling Hondurans to become engage in foreign missions.
23 Sep Scott Hardaway Resigns from Pathway UB
Scott Hardaway, senior pastor of Pathway UB church (Jackson, Mich.) since 2001, announced his resignation on September 22. It will take effect November 15, 2013.
Scott explained on Facebook, “I’ve known a few single pastors, and lots of pastors with kids, but I’ve never met a pastor who was a single parent. Now I know why. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but I am saying I can’t do it. Thank you, Pathway Community Church, for all your love and support. I will miss serving you in this way.”
Scott’s wife, Tanya, died of cancer on October 29, 2012, leaving behind two young sons.
23 Sep Oct 3: Christian College Fair at Fort Wayne UB Church
On October 3, high school students can meet with representatives from nearly 40 Christian colleges during a college fair in Fort Wayne, Ind. The fair is sponsored by the North American Coalition for Christian Admission Professionals (NACCAP) and is hosted by Huntington University.
Date: October 3, 2013
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
Location: Emmanuel Community Church, 12222 U.S. Highway 24 West, Fort Wayne, IN 46814.
Cost: free.
Workshops on the financial aid process will be held at 6:45 and 7:45. These will provide the latest information on making college feasible and affordable.
For more information about the fair, including the participating schools, visit myblueprintstory.com, or contact Amy Mattox, coordinator of the Fort Wayne Christian College Fair. On the website, students can fill out information to print or download a barcode to be scanned by representatives at the fair.
23 Sep Death of Alan Wright, UB Missionary in Sierra Leone
Alan Wright, a former UB missionary in Sierra Leone, passed away on September 18. He was a former physics teacher at Centennial Secondary School in Mattru during the 1960s.
Alan Wright was born in London, England, and graduated from Exeter University. He felt called to serve as a teacher in Sierra Leone. He taught for one year at a boys’ high school in Freetown, and in 1964 joined the staff at Centennial.
At Centennial, he met Marilyn Saufley, a nurse at Mattru. She was the daughter of Charles and Ruth Saufley, who had served as UB missionaries in Sierra Leone 1928-1932. She wrote, “Having been reared by faithful Christian parents, I cannot recall the time when I did not believe in the Lord. I considered mission work a way to come closer to the Lord. Perhaps this fact and an early impression that I should serve as a nurse in the country where my parents served, led me to my present position.”
Alan and Marilyn were married in July 1963, with Rev. Jerry Datema officiating. The Wrights became members of Salem UB church near Chambersburg, Pa. At the time of Alan’s death, he and Marilyn were living in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
19 Sep Ankle Surgery in Store for Roger Reeck
Marilyn Reeck, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Honduras
A UBCentral article on August 13 requested for Roger Reeck, who was experiencing great pain in his ankle yet needed to make a lengthy trip to Mozambique. Roger’s wife, Marilyn, sent an update on September 19.
A sincere thank you to all for your prayers for Roger. He returned to Honduras two days ago rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness, protection and grace. Praise the Lord!
Yesterday, Roger was examined at a mission hospital by a visiting orthopedic surgeon from Oregon. He concludef that Roger has several conditions in the left ankle area including arthritis due to the progression of flat feet and injuries. The major one is Posterior Tibia Tendon Dysfunction.
His recommendation is to fuse three of the bones, which could relieve up to 80% of the problem. The doctor returns for a week in February and will schedule the operation for then. This is the same diagnosis made by a doctor in Dallas when he saw him a few months ago.
After the operation, Roger will have to keep his foot immobile for three months. We will now be rearranging and rescheduling the activities that he had planned for the fall and for the spring. He is juggling trips to Guinea Bissau, Venezuela, Mozambique, and possibly to Bolivia.
Roger leaves for meetings in Dallas in two more weeks.
Another item for praise is that Marilyn had cataract surgery on one eye a few weeks ago and it did not seem to be healing correctly. She sought a second opinion and feels more confident that her vision will improve soon.
19 Sep HU Alum Sets Training for 2016 Olympics
Nick and Lauren Johnson with Dr. Sherilyn Emberton (middle), president of Huntington University.
After graduating from Huntington University in 2009 with degrees in exercise science, Nick and Lauren (Davenport) Johnson graduated moved to Eugene, Ore. There, Lauren turned her running talent into a career…and has set her sights on the US Olympic team.
After a few months of training, Lauren competed in the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She also enticed Nike to become her sponsor. Her main event has been the mile. At HU her events included the 400 meter hurdles, 400 meter dash and 4×400 relay, and she set the HU record in the 800 meter run.
Lauren began running with the Oregon Track Club, an elite track and field team sponsored by Nike and comprised of Olympic competitors and medal winners. It was simply a good career move.
“I had missed being part of a team and wanted to surround myself with other elite athletes with the same focus and goals as myself,” she said.
But joining the team opened other doors. Nick, an accomplished runner himself, began volunteering with the team as much as possible, and those connections helped him become director of operations and assistant coach for the Oregon Track Club. Nick now manages the budget, arranges travel plans, organizes medical care, and maintains community relations. He also assists the head coach in creating workout plans for each athlete.
“I can’t think of a better way to make a living than by participating in the sport that my wife and I share a passion for,” he said.
Lauren is working to be in the best shape possible for the approaching season.
“I have had some bad luck with injuries the last two seasons and have yet to be able to race to my full potential,” she said. “Right now, I am beginning my preparation for the 2014 indoor track season, and hope to stay healthy and race a full 2014 schedule.”
Lauren Davenport was recruited out of Huntington North High School to play basketball for Huntington University, and went on to a stellar career there. She was named to the All America Third Team in NAIA Division II. She says she always viewed herself as a basketball player who also ran track and cross country to stay in shape. But now, running is first.
The former Foresters’ plans for the future are all focused on the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. To make the USA Olympic team, Lauren must finish in the top three at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held in June 2016 in their hometown, Eugene, Ore.
19 Sep Nov 2013: UB History Course in Ohio and Pennsylvania
The United Brethren History Course is a requirement for ministerial licensing in the United Brethren denomination. However, people who just want to learn more about United Brethren history are free to take the course. The course is held periodically in regional settings.
During the past two years, 91 people have attended the course in 10 different locations. Of those, 74 took it for credit (for ministerial licensing) and 17 took the course just for fun.
On November 11-12, 2013, the course will be offered simultaneously in two locations.
Chambersburg, Pa.
Date: November 11-12, 2013 (Monday and Tuesday)
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Location: King Street UB church.
Address: 162 East King Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201
Phone: (717) 264-4651
Instructor: Dr. Daryl Elliott (right), senior pastor, Fountain UB church (Keyser, W. Va.)
Bryan, Ohio.
Date: November 11-12, 2013 (Monday and Tuesday)
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Location: New Hope UB church.
Address: 15627 US Hwy 127 E/W, Bryan, OH 43506
Phone: (419) 636-1362
Instructor: Rev. Robert Bruce (right), Pastor of Caring Ministries, Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
Attend Remotely
We strongly recommend and prefer that you attend the course in person. However, remote attendance is possible with the Chambersburg course, assuming that you have a high-speed internet connection. Permission may be granted to attend remotely, but only in situations where it’s absolutely necessary.
Registration Cost
The cost is:
- $200, if you are seeking a ministerial license.
- $100 for everyone else.
- $19.90 for “Trials and Triumphs,” a history of the United Brethren church. ($14.95 for the book, $5.15 shipping for US, $12.95 international). The book will be sent from the national office. Or, stop by the office and pick up a copy, to save shipping. You MUST have a copy of the book for the class. Order a copy from Church Services by calling toll-free: 888-622-3019.
Additional information about payment and a registration form are available on the UB website.
17 Sep 150 Years for McCallum UB Church
At the McCallum 150th anniversary service.
Ron Watterly (right), senior pastor, McCallum UB church (Delton, Mich.)
On September 15, the folks at McCallum UB church, aka The Church in the Wildwood, celebrated 150 years of serving Christ.
The church was started by Rev. Michael Morthland and was part of the Yankee Springs circuit for many years. The group held meetings in a one-room schoolhouse .2 miles south of the current location until a building was finally obtained. The land was donated by the McCallum family (hence the name) in 1921. A building was disassembled, moved from Charlotte, Mich., by rail, and reassembled in 1922 and 1923. It was dedicated by Bishop C. A. Mummart on July 8, 1923.
The church has had 44 pastors. The current pastor, Ron Watterly, has served there since 2004.
The day of celebration began at 10am with the singing of Sunday school songs, special music, and scripture read by special guest Rev. Morthland (Pastor Ron). There was a reading of old minutes concerning the acquisition of land and the building.
At 11am there was more singing, history, special music, and a challenge by Pastor Ron on “What It Means to be United Brethren.” The service closed with the baptism of Helen Osgood and the reception of Helen and her husband, David, into the membership of the church.
There was a carry-in at noon followed by a Gospel sing and ice cream and pie afterward.