(260) 356-2312

UB.orgUBGlobal.orgChurch Search

10 Feb

February 10, 2011 |

Do you have some of the old maroon 1973 United Brethren hymnals sitting around somewhere? We occasionally receive requests for that hymnal.

Most recently, The Village of Laurel Run (formerly Piney Mountain Home, once operated by Mid-Atlantic Conference) expressed interest in some. Lois Culler writes, “I go there and play the piano and I have found that some of these hymnals are in real bad shape. A group of us are going up to try to put masking tape on them to hold them together.” If they could get some donated hymnals in good condition, that would be great.

The Mount Zion United African Church in Philadelphia, Pa., pastored by Rev. Joe Abu, was also interested in obtaining hymnals.

If you have some hymals to donate, contact Steve Dennie.

10 Feb

February 10, 2011 |

A group of 11 persons from Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.) will travel to Honduras Friday 11-19, 2011. They plan to finish pouring the deck at the conference camp outside of La Ceiba, and to hold a Bible school.

10 Feb

February 10, 2011 |

Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio) is replacing its phone system, and wonders if another church or organization would like the previous system, which is 3-4 years old. They are switching to an IP Voice system. The phone system they are hoping to sell consists of:

  • Toshiba CIX40 Strata cabinet and Power Supply (CHSU40A)
  • CIX40 Processor Card (GCTU2A)
  • CIX40 4-Port TIS16 Voice Mail System
  • HPFB-6 Battery Backup Module for CIX40 and CTX28
  • Six (6) Toshiba DKT3220-SD 20 button digital Speakerphones
  • Two (2) Toshiba DKT3207-SD 7 button digital Speakerphones

If interested, contact:

Tom Caldwell, Pastor of Grouplife
Mainstreet Church
5465 Moline Martin Rd.
Walbridge, Ohio 43465
419-838-7600

08 Feb

February 8, 2011 |

Nick Woodall, pastor of Stryker UB Church (Stryker, Ohio), has experienced the loss of his father. Robert A. Woodall passed away Thursday, February 3, 2011, at age 82. He was a member of Mainstreet UB church in Walbridge, Ohio. The funeral was held Monday, February 7. You can send condolences to Rev. Woodall at:

Nick E. Woodall
P.O. Box 329
Stryker, OH 43557
Email:

08 Feb

February 8, 2011 |

The six living bishops. L-r: Ray Seilhamer, Paul Hirschy, Phil Whipple, Raymond Waldfogel, C. Ray Miller, and Ron Ramsey. (click to enlarge)

The six living bishops gathered for breakfast this morning in the new conference room at the national office in Huntington, Ind. Bishop Phil Whipple meets with them every couple of months; they are his accountability group. The original plan was to try to do a conference video hook-up with Wilber L. Sites, Jr., who lived in Pennsylvania; unfortunately, he passed away December 28.

04 Feb

February 4, 2011 |

On January 23, Hillsdale UB Church (Hillsdale, Mich.) dedicated an Activity Center. Bishop Phil Whipple gave a challenging address to the congregation before they went across the parking lot to enjoy a celebration meal in the new building.

Special guests included State Rep. Ken Kurtz, State Senator Bruce Caswell, and Congressman Tim Walberg. Rep. Kurtz, a member of Hillsdale UB, gave the dedication prayer to close the service.

The Activity Center was opened just in time to accomodate the explosive growth of the Upwards basketball/cheerleading ministry. In just its second year at Hillsdale, the number of children increased by over 100 and the number of teams grew from 19 to 30. Every Saturday, several hundred people pour in to watch the Upwards games. The majority do not yet attend services, but new families have been added to the congregation.

Even though Hillsdale County has had unemployment rates ranging from 15 to 20 per cent the last few years, an anonymous church member provided a check for $150,000 to purchase the building debt-free.

03 Feb

February 3, 2011 |

Tim and Christine Scroggs kneel as they are prayed over by (l-r) Bishop Phil Whipple, Robert Bruce, and Rick Pride.

Tim Scroggs was ordained January 31, 2011, at Eagle Quest UB church in Columbia City, Ind. Bishop Phil Whipple conducted the ordination during the Sunday morning service. Assisting him were Rick Pride, pastor of Eagle Quest, and Robert Bruce, associate pastor of Emmanuel UB in Fort Wayne, Ind. Tim has been Family Life Pastor at Eagle Quest.

31 Jan

January 31, 2011 |

The new conference room at the national office is now finished. Everything is brand new–tables (with A/C and ethernet plugins), swiveling chairs, indirect lighting, carpet, electronic projection system, and more. Very, very nice. Removing two closets even made the room a little bigger.

The previous conference room had remained basically the same since 1987. Cathy Reich, administrative assistant to Bishop Phil Whipple, oversaw the makeover.

31 Jan

January 31, 2011 |

Jeff Bleijerveld (left) praying for newly-elected Sierra Leone Bishop John Pessima (right) following his confirmation at Sierra Leone National Conference in December. Billy Simbo, now bishop emeritus, is in the middle.

On Sunday, January 16, John Momoh Pessima was consecrated as the new bishop of Sierra Leone Conference. The service was held at the AU Memorial church in Kissy, a neighborhood on the east end of Freetown. Rev. Pessima had been pastor of this church. Rev. Henry Allie, the first national superintendent of Sierra Leone Conference, also pastored this church when he was elected to that post in the 1980s.

The Council of Ordained Elders, which consists of all United Brethren ordained ministers in Sierra Leone Conference, recommended Rev. Pessima to become the new bishop. Their recommendation was referred to the National Conference meeting in December, where it was unanimously approved.

Bishop Pessima succeeds Billy Simbo, who now carries the title “bishop emeritus.” Rev. Simbo served three years in Sierra Leone under the umbrella of Global Ministries, during which time the conference began using the term “bishop” for its highest leader (the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Jamaica also use that title). Rev. Simbo has now returned to the United States.

Rev. Pessima is a graduate of The Evangelical College of Theology in Sierra Leone, where Rev. Simbo was once his professor. He just recently received his graduate degree in Religious Studies from the University of Sierra Leone.