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Ruth Benner, a former missionary in Sierra Leone, has been struggling with serious health problems for several weeks. Dan Nickless, pastor of Grace UB church (Sherkston, Ontario) where Ruth attends, reported that on Friday night, June 21, Ruth was taken by ambulance to Welland Hospital with a blood clot in her lung. Continued prayers for Ruth are encouraged.
It’s only a few days away–the 2013 US National Conference. Registrations now stand at 834 (147 of them children and youth). Preparations are in high gear. We’re looking forward to a wonderful time together in fellowship, learning, fun, and worship.
Here is some information registrants will be interested in.
Reports for Delegates
All business reports have now been posted on the conference website. Most can be viewed online. All can be downloaded in PDF format. Make sure your church’s delegates have copies of the reports for the business sessions. You can download them from the conference website, and print out enough copies for your ministerial and lay delegate(s).
It will be especially important to have a copy of Report 31, “Discipline Revision Proposals.” Much of the business will revolve around this report. Without it to refer to, you’ll be a bit lost. You can also print a copy of the Discipline, which might be helpful, too.
We were going to mail packets of reports to persons who lack internet access, but circumstances prevented this from happening. However, those delegates will be able to request a packet of reports when they register at conference.
You’ll also find ballots and biographical information regarding candidates for the two elections that will be held on Thursday: for bishop, and for the 2013-2015 Executive Leadership Team.
The business session will be preceded by a breakfast at 8am. Anyone can attend the breakfast (not just delegates).
Networking Reception
We’re trying something new on Thursday night–a “Networking Reception.” It’ll be a way to meet fellow UBs who share the same interests or life experiences. Each table in the room will have a theme of some kind–bikers, youth workers, NASCAR fans, movie buffs, guitarists, military vets, schoolteachers, “The Voice” fans, children’s workers, drummers…about 50 in all. If you have something you want to showcase–a ministry or something else–we welcome you to set-up at an unused table.
Friday Afternoon in Huntington
Everyone heads to Huntington on Friday afternoon. Figure on 2:30 or later. Much is happening at the Huntington University campus–tours in the afternoon, a picnic at 4:30, the Todd Agnew concert at 7pm, and balloon rides after the concert.
You’ll also be able to tour the UB National Office, located adjacent to the university at 302 Lake Street.
The three UB churches in Huntington will also be open for tours 2:30 – 4 pm.
Don’t want to drive to Huntington? We’ll have a signup at registration for shuttles back and forth. More information will be available at registration.
Visit Local UB Churches on Sunday
Some delegates will no doubt stay Saturday night and attend church in the Fort Wayne area. There are several excellent choices:
In addition, we have several churches in nearby towns:
Several churches are located in Huntington, about 26 miles away: College Park, The Well, and New Hope.
So if you’re sticking around, check out one of the local UB churches. They’ll appreciate seeing you.
The Nominating Committee has submitted the ballot for bishop. It has one name on it: Phillip Whipple (right).
In 2009, the US National Conference elected Phil Whipple as bishop. He has now served in that position for four years.
Phil Whipple was born on June 23, 1957, and named Walter Phillip Whipple. However, he has gone by his middle name since birth. When Phil was very young, his father died. His mother remarried, and they moved to Illinois, where he spent his school days.
Phil grew up in a strong Christian family where he learned the importance of prayer and obedience. He sensed God’s call into ministry at the age of 17, and began an educational journey through two Bible colleges before graduating from Liberty University. He attended Huntington University for graduate school.
Phil took his first pastorate in 1984. In 1990, he joined the United Brethren Church as an as- sociate at Richfield Road UB church in Flint, Mich. In 1991, he was stationed as pastor of Pleasant Valley UB in Lake Odessa, Mich., and remained there for seven years.
Phil became pastor of Colwood UB church (Caro, Mich.) in 1998 and stayed there 11 years. During that time, the church’s morning attendance grew from 200 to over 500, and they baptized over 130 people.
Phil and his wife, Sandy, have been married for almost 30 years. They have two sons, Josh and Mike, both of whom serve on staff at Colwood UB church (Caro, Mich.).
The election of the bishop will occur on Thursday morning, June 27, during the business session of the 2013 UB National Conference. As always, nominations will be allowed from the floor.
Registrations for the US National Conference have surged well past the 800 mark, with 822 persons registered as of Monday, June 17. Of those, 151 are children and youth.
Registration starts at noon. The first conference event is the Wednesday evening (June 26) evening service, which starts at 6:30 pm.
Reports for Delegates
Make sure your church’s delegates have copies of the reports for the business sessions. You can download them from the conference website, and print out enough copies for your ministerial and lay delegate(s).
It’s especially important to have a copy of the “Discipline Revision Proposals” report. Much of the business session will focus on those proposals. Without it to refer to, you’ll be a bit lost. So make sure all of your delegates have a copy. You can also print a copy of the Discipline, which might be helpful, too.
Randy and Crystal Carpenter
After nearly a year in Qatar with her national guard unit, Crystal Carpenter returned home on May 2. She is now reunited with her husband, Pastor Randy Carpenter, and her church family at Sunfield UB church (Sunfield, Mich.).
The Yellow Ribbon ceremony was held at the Cedar Creek church in Perrysburg, Ohio, escorted in by the Patriot Riders and Law Enforcement.
We just received confirmation that the United Brethren churches in El Salvador will host a medical mission team this fall. Rev. Gonzalo Alas (right), superintendent in El Salvador, has recommended the trip for November 1-9, 2013.
The team will hold five clinics–one in each of the UB churches in El Salvador.
Cost: $700 per person, plus airfare.
The trip is open to nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and support staff. The team size is being limited to 12 persons.
If you’re interested in participating on this team, please contact Donna Hollopeter in Global Ministries:
Email: donna@ub.org
Phone: 888-622-3019.
The Anchor congregation around the Stillwater lake.
Pastor Tim Hallman (right) and associate pastor Matt Kennedy (left) with one of the baptism candidates.
Baptisms at Anchor
On Sunday, June 2, Anchor Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) held its annual baptismal service at the Stillwater Retreat just south of Fort Wayne. They’ve been doing this since soon after Anchor began in 1998. Instead of meeting at the church, everyone gathers at Stillwater, bringing along a covered dish and perhaps a chair.
The day began with an outdoor service, with singing and a message from Pastor Tim Hallman. Then everyone walked down to the lake for the baptisms–14 of them. Pastor Hallman conducted the baptisms, with help from associate pastor Tim Hallman and others.
Then it was back to the lodge for lunch, followed by fun and fellowship around the camp. Many more photos are available on Anchor’s Facebook page.
Russell Wagner has been appointed senior pastor of Mount Zion UB church (also known as Bobo) outside of Decatur, Ind. Wagner previously pastored Eagle Quest UB church in Columbia City, Ind., 1997-2001. He has been granted a provisional ministerial license.
L-r: Audrey Federlein, Kathy Jones, and Shirley Fretz.
Steve Dennie, Communications Director
On the second night of General Conference–Thursday, May 30–the evening service was held at the Grace UB church in Sherkston, Ontario. It was a good place for an international gathering. Grace has been a strong missions-minded church over the years, producing a number of missionaries and faithfully supporting the work of United Brethren missions. Pastor Dan Nickless said they view themselves as a sending church, having raised up so many missionaries and pastors since the church began in 1897.
In the congregation that night were three former missionaries in Sierra Leone:
Back in 1985, after she concluded her missionary service, I interviewed Shirley Fretz and wrote an article for the United Brethren magazine. I tracked it down.
Growing up at Grace UB, Shirley Fretz dreamed of being a missionary, like two other women from the church who were then serving in Sierra Leone–Olive Weaver and Ruth Benner. She spent ten years working for law firms, but couldn’t escape the missionary call. She eventually responded to an altar call by Bishop Clyde W. Meadows, a call to serve Christ wherever he wanted.
Before she knew it, she was contacted by the UB missions office. They needed someone to oversee the Minnie Mull school boarding home in Sierra Leone. Was she interested?
She arrived at Minnie Mull in April 1967. The school had over 400 primary-age girls with 104 staying in the boarding home. Shirley procured supplies, kept financial records, helped supervise cooking and laundry, counseled children, and generally served as a mother to over 100 youngsters.
Her second term, which began in August 1971, found her in a whole new role: business manager of Mattru Hospital. She spent the next ten years at Mattru handling the payroll, bookkeeping, banking, and other non-medical responsibilities. After the October 1974 arrival of Dr. Ron Baker, Shirley watched Mattru develop into a thriving hospital.
In 1981, Shirley decided the hospital needed a male administrator, especially since the culture favored having men in supervisory positions. Shirley returned to Canada to find a job, but the UB Missions office had a different idea. They asked her to work with Sierra Leone churches in Christian education. So she returned for two more terms.
This time, Shirley lived in Bumpe. For four years, she devoted much of her time to the Bumpe Primary School children. After school, kids walked to her house for Bible classes, and she also had the opportunity to provide one-on-one spiritual counsel. Later, her job was placed under the direction of the national church’s Christian Education Department. They held clinics and workshops in various distrusts, helped with the camping program, and emphasized Christian Endeavor.
Shirley’s mother wrote her a letter nearly every week during those 18 missionary years. The letters often arrived three or four at a time. Shirley tried to be just as faithful in writing back.
“She was very happy when I became a missionary,” Shirley said of her mother. “She had been praying for Sierra Leone before I was even born. Tears came every time I left for Africa, but she knew the Lord wanted me there.”
Shirley’s father died in December 1983. He had been hospitalized almost continuously since July 1982 with cancer. Several times, when his condition appeared especially bad, the family was called to the hospital. Shirley, on furlough at the time, had a difficult decision to make: should she stay home, or return to Sierra Leone in December as scheduled?
“My dad was very alert right up to the end,” she recalled. “He knew exactly what was going on, and I’m sure that if I had visited him the day I was supposed to leave for Africa, he’d have said, ‘What happened? Why didn’t you go?’ I knew he would be gone soon, and it would be good for me to be there, but you can’t just stay home and wait for something to happen.”
So she left at the end of November and arrived in Bumpe on December 6, 1983. The next day she received a telegram saying her father had passed away on December 6.
“Bishop Datema was in Sierra Leone at the time, and he asked me if I wanted a memorial service. It was held the same day as the funeral at home. The Bumpe church was full. Many people came, even though they didn’t know Dad. The Bumpe primary children sang a couple of Dad’s favorite songs, and then Bishop Datema preached a very meaningful message which I greatly appreciated. It was almost like being home for the funeral.”
Although Shirley fully supported the nationalization process, it brought an end to her position.
Everyone knew Shirley was leaving the country–this time for good–on Monday, August 19. The stream of constant good-byes began on Saturday. “I must have had 50 people visit my house between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning. To Sierra Leoneans, people are important. When they know you are leaving, everybody wants to come and spend time with you. It was rather hard saying good-bye to all the people I had grown close to during my 18 years there, knowing I might not see them again.”
Shirley wanted to remain in some kind of mission work. She had invitations to interview with a variety of mission agencies, and accepted a position as receptionist-bookkeeper for the Brethren in Christ missions office in Stevensville, Ontario. She started on December 2, 1985.
