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24 Oct

October 24, 2012 |

Dinner in Mandeville with Harold and MaryAnne Hancock (left), Owen, Frances and Sasha Gordon (right), and Donna Hollopeter (at the rail).

Malvern Camp as it stands currently. The first floor was used during camp. Jamaica is raising funds and volunteers before we proceed with this 50/50 project.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

At the end of August, Donna Hollopeter and I traveled to Jamaica and met with the leadership there. Here are a few notes from that visit.

Jamaica Bible College is now called Regent College of the Caribbean. The president of Regent is Owen Gordon, a UB pastor in Jamaica Conference. The school now accommodates a high school program for delinquent teens, business, education, and trade school programming.

Harold and MaryAnne Hancock arrived in August as Global Ministries staff serving at the college, and were settling in well and ready to start the semester.

Regent is building a new dining commons. The current facility is outdated and far too small to accommodate students for meals and chapel services. Up until now, they have been working on the project without any requests for assistance from Global Ministries. However, I’m sure they would accept any volunteer assistance.

Owen Gordon continues to coordinate building projects for Jamaica Conference. All projects are submitted to conference leadership, whether they include Regent projects or not, so there is no concern regarding potential conflicts of interest.

We visited Malvern Camp. More work needs to be done, but the conference was able to hold three weeks of camp using the new (but incomplete) building. At this point, Jamaica Conference needs to determine costs to complete the project, and the preparedness of their people to contribute funds and volunteers before we can make plans for more work teams.

We discussed various issues with Bishop Isaac Nugent and other Jamaica leaders, including the idea of church-to-church partnerships between Jamaican and North American churches. Such partnerships would be limited to no more than 3 years and a partnering agreement should be signed indicating roles, responsibilities, and specific goals.

23 Oct

October 23, 2012 |
Blue Rock's winning softball team.

Blue Rock’s winning softball team.

Greg Helman (right), senior pastor, Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.)

The softball team at Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.) has only lost 1 regular season game in the last 2 years. This year we won our division and then the tournament championship.

This is a co-ed league that requires people to attend church in order to play. Blue Rock has used it to reach out to a number of young people, and in fact has seen salvation and baptisms amongst the team members. Also, 2 couples got married during the season.

The team is coached by Jim Bakner and Brian Bitner. At age 52, I’m still playing the outfield regularly.

23 Oct

October 23, 2012 |
Dan Paternoster, serving as a greeter at the 2011 US National Conference.

Dan Paternoster, serving as a greeter at the 2011 US National Conference.

We’ve not updated you on Dan Paternoster in a while. Dan, a veterinarian from Fowlerville, Mich., was hit by a car on August 28 while he was riding his bike. He has been a member of the Executive Leadership Team since 2001. Dan’s wife, Nancy, posts regular updates about Dan. Here are some from the past week.

Monday, October 15. These are Dan’s words tonight. His eyes still do not allow him to see well enough to use the computer yet, so I’m typing for him. “I thank people for their interest. I thank the Lord for all the people who’ve helped me. And I look forward to being a help and blessing to people again. Right now I’m looking to the Lord for healing from the accident and the cancer.”

Wednesday, October 17. Dan’s progress has been very quick lately, although he still feels it is slow. Problem is, he doesn’t know where he started at less than 2 months ago. Yesterday he walked on a low balance beam as well as having some therapy in the pool. His left eye is improving slowly, but he still sees double much of the time.

Today we’re venturing out to the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in the afternoon WITHOUT THE WHEELCHAIR! We may have many rest breaks during our time there. This is a test for both of us to see how we do in the real world again.

Thursday, October 18. We’re both tired after yesterday’s outing, but we survived quite well. Today we were given a release date of October 30th. Yay! Dan is happy that the feeding tube will be removed next week and the bladder stent the week after. All this just before we return home. Then on to some outpatient rehabilitation therapy.

Sunday, October 21. Dan is continuing to get better and knows that it is true now when someone tells him so. We ask for continued prayer for his left eye to move properly and his vision to be restored to normal. Dan needs patience, as he has another 5 weeks before x-rays will be done on his neck and back to determine if his braces can be removed.

Tuesday, October 23. On Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, I’ll be touring 2 rehab facilities for outpatient care for Dan. Please pray that the best choice for his further care would be obvious to all involved.

19 Oct

October 19, 2012 |
Dr. G. Blair Dowden

Dr. G. Blair Dowden

After 22 years as president of Huntington University, Dr. G. Blair Dowden today (October 19, 2012) announced that he plans to retire. Dowden, 60, informed the Board of Trustees, during their October 18-19 meeting at the college, that he will retire at the conclusion of the current academic year.

“President Dowden has been quietly considering retirement from Huntington University for some time. He initiated this transition now to give the Board plenty of notice, assure an effective transition of leadership, and to maintain institutional momentum,” said Kelly Savage, chair of the Board of Trustees. The firm Carter-Baldwin Executive Search has been retained by the Board to begin a national search for Dowden’s successor.

“Huntington University has experienced remarkable growth and success under President Dowden’s leadership, and we are very grateful for his 22 years at the helm,” said Savage (left).

Dowden became the 12th president of Huntington University in 1991.

“Blair’s interest has been, and continues to be, others,” said former bishop C. Ray Miller (right), Board of Trustees chairman emeritus. Miller was bishop when Dowden was selected in 1991 to succeed Dr. Eugene Habecker. “When we first interviewed Blair Dowden, I saw him as a people-person. After 20 years, he continues to send cards and best wishes. Blair has been God’s man for HU at this time, and we have been extremely fortunate to have him stay with us for 20 years.”

Dowden came to Huntington at a key moment in its history. Most campus facilities were new, and a well-credentialed faculty was in place. But with only 614 students enrolled, Huntington struggled for name recognition and financial sustainability.

In his first report to the Board of Trustees, Dowden laid out a vision for making Huntington one of the top Christian colleges in the country. The plan called for “increased integration of Christianity in…all areas of institutional life.” Aggressive enrollment goals were based on the development of distinctive academic programs. The plan included increased financial support and greater public awareness of what Huntington had to offer. This vision was not about building an institution, but rather about equipping students to change the world.

Under Dr. Dowden’s leadership at Huntington University:

  • Enrollment has doubled.
  • The endowment has tripled.
  • Eight buildings have been constructed or remodeled.
  • The school has attracted a well-credentialed faculty.
  • The student body has become more ethnically diverse.
  • Academic programs were significantly expanded at all levels.
  • The EXCEL adult degree program started.
  • Some of the university’s largest and fastest-growing degree programs were launched during Dowden’s presidency, including nursing and digital media arts.
  • The institution transitioned from “college” to “university” in 2005.

“Huntington University has a very bright future,” Dowden said. “The university has a compelling mission in Christ-centered higher education and a strategic vision for the future. Current initiatives — from the development of an occupational therapy doctoral program in Fort Wayne to the exploration of a branch campus in Arizona — demonstrate that Huntington University is nimble, entrepreneurial, and poised for further growth.”

Under Dowden’s leadership, Huntington University achieved a reputation for academic excellence, moving from the second tier to the Top 15 among Midwestern baccalaureate colleges ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Huntington was recognized five times on the magazine’s list of best values in the region. Huntington University has also earned recognition from The Princeton Review as a “Best Midwestern College.” Forbes includes Huntington on its elite list of “America’s Top Colleges.”

18 Oct

October 18, 2012 |

A recent Church-Based Theological Education seminar that took place in La Cieba, Honduras.

Juanita Chavez (right), superintendent of Honduras Conference, recently attended COICOM–the Confederation Iberoamerican of Communicators, Media, Pastors and Christian Leaders. She was joined by several other UBs from Honduras. There were more than 5000 participants, domestic and foreign, in attendance during the five days of the conference.

The conference also continues its program of continuing studies ETBIL (Local Church-Based Theological Education). They just came through an intensive week of studies from 7 am to 8 pm each day. This has become a model for the theological education and training of both pastors and lay leaders throughout the conference and is proving to be quite successful.

Although a specific date has not been set for their annual conference in January, they are planning to conduct 100 hours of prayer throughout their churches prior to the event.

18 Oct

October 18, 2012 |
Hermmy watched a DVD of the August convention at the Delmas 33 church in Haiti. She sang along and (right) looked at a French Bible as a speaker addressed the crowd. (click to enlarge)

Hermmy watched a DVD of the August convention at the Delmas 33 church in Haiti. She sang along and (right) looked at a French Bible as a speaker addressed the crowd. (click to enlarge)

Audrey Fiederlein showed Hermmy how to knit...only to discover that Hermmy already knew how to do this quite well.

Audrey Fiederlein showed Hermmy how to knit…only to discover that Hermmy already knew how to do this quite well.

Joan Sider sent this update on Hermmy on October 17. Hermmy, a Haitian girl, was brought to Canada by the UB churches of Canada so that she could undergo an operation to repair a hole in her heart. That operation occurred October 10, and she came “home” to Joan’s place on Monday, October 15.

Joan Sider (right), New Hope Church, Toronto, Ontario

Hermmy has all her bandages off, and her wounds are healing nicely. She is eating well, and we’ve been able to cut her medicines down.

She fills her days with watching Barbie movies and playing games on the iPad, watching other DVDs, and watching TV’s treehouse and toon channels. We fit walking in there, too.

Hermmy had a happy time talking to her family on the phone last night. Her face was like a lightbulb the whole time. I believe she was speaking to all her family members–dad, mom, and sisters. Since she was using my phone, I didn’t get a pic of this delightful time.

Audrey Fiederlein was here today and she brought many meals for Hermmy and myself. Audrey also brought a DVD of the August convention at the Delmas 33 church in Haiti. Hermmy enjoyed singing along and listening to something from home. I enjoyed seeing people that I’ve met while there. Audrey brought some more cards from the ladies in New Dundee–each were able to write something in French for Hermmy to read. We have a jigsaw puzzle out on the dining room table, so hopefully we’ll be able to do some work on that–if I can keep my cats from scattering the pieces.

Note: Cards can be sent to Hermmy at this address:

Joan Sider
#405-15 La Rose Avenue
Weston, ON  M9P 1A7
Canada

17 Oct

October 17, 2012 |

Bishop Phil Whipple, in his October 2012 report to the Executive Leadership Team, noted that three churches have withdrawn from the denomination during 2012:

  • Lighthouse Community Church in Williamston, Mich. This was a church plant, spearheaded by the Fowlerville UB church (Fowlerville, Mich.), which started in 1998. Their most recent annual report, from 2010, showed an average attendance of 81.
  • Rugby UB church in Hope, Ind. This church, the southern-most UB church in Indiana (south of Indianapolis), was founded in 1896. The most recent annual report they submitted, in 2008, showed an attendance of 16 people.
  • NorthPointe Church in Toledo, Ohio. This congregation is a continuation of the former Harvest Lane UB church, which began in 1954. The most recent annual report this church submitted, back in 2008, showed an attendance of 500, but the current number may be around 300.

16 Oct

October 16, 2012 |

Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.) recently baptized an additional four people in a hot tub. Prior to that, they had baptized 12 people. Pastor Marshall Woods (right) and associate pastor Mike Charlton performed most of the baptisms. In another case, John Wyatt baptized his two sons.

Also, Mill Chapel promoted “National Back to Church Sunday” on September 16. Though they average 170 in attendance, that day the attendance hit 240.

16 Oct

October 16, 2012 |

In October 2011, Matt McKeown (right), associate pastor of First UB in Holly Hill, Fla., wrote a song for the city of Palm Coast for their marketing campaign called “Discover Palm Coast: Find your Florida.” The campaign was launched in February 2012, and the song was put with an accompanying video showing life in Palm Coast.

Since then, Matt’s song has won six national awards. Most recently, it received three awards from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). Here are the awards:

  • First place: NATOA Promotion of a City/County
  • First place: NATOA Visual Arts (Operating Budget Under $300,000)
  • Second place: NATOA Public Service Announcement (Operating Budget Under $200,000)
  • Bronze Telly Award: “Find Your Florida” (Non-broadcast production/Direct Marketing)
  • Bronze Telly Award: “Find Your Florida” (Branded Content/Promotional Branding)
  • Silver Communicator Award of Distinction: “Find Your Florida” (Promotional Branding)

16 Oct

October 16, 2012 |
The ROCKtoberfest Tent (click to enlarge)

The ROCKtoberfest Tent (click to enlarge)

Inside the ROCKtoberfest Tent

Inside the ROCKtoberfest Tent (click to enlarge)

Teddy Fairchild (right), senior pastor, The Rock (Findlay, Ohio)

The tent went up, the bouncy house went up, the food tables quickly found themselves piled high with goodies of every kind, but the temperatures just kept going down!

October 6 was a chilly night, but that did not stop the Rock Church from hosting its first fall festival. ROCKtoberfest kicked off with food, fun, and fellowship while the bands took their places for a night of entertaining and uplifting music. The lineup included:

  • The Rock worship team.
  • The bluegrass gospel band Living Water.
  • Solo artists Jennie Walter, Elijah Cunningham, and Molly Pickett.

For a small little church with an average attendance of 60, we were excited to see God bring in 134 people to join the celebration! We are already looking forward to next year’s festival, but may change the name to get some warmer weather for the outdoor event! Mark your calendars for ROCKtember!