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30 Dec

December 30, 2019 |

Rev. Dr. Harold R. Cherry, age 94, passed away on December 27, 2019, at his nursing home facility in Huntington, Indiana.

Visitation: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Tuesday, December 31, 2019.
Funeral: 1:30 pm.
Location: Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home, East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Avenue, East Lansing, MI 48912

Following the funeral service, burial will be beside his wife Ruby at Maple Hill Cemetery in Charlotte, Mich.

Dr. Cherry and his wife, Ruby, served nine churches over a 44-year period in central and western Michigan. His other leadership roles include:

  • Nine times elected as a delegate to General Conference.
  • Eight years on the Huntington University board of trustees.
  • 54 years as recording secretary for Michigan Conference.
  • 31 years as treasurer for Michigan Conference.
  • 39 years on the conference council for Michigan Conference.
  • 30 years on the board of directors for the Lane Dulcenia Memorial Home.
  • Many years as dual pastor and conference superintendent.

He also served on the Michigan Conference boards of Publications, Missions, and Preacher’s Aid.

The full obituary can be read here.

Harold was born October 1, 1925, at Charlotte, Mich., the second son of Richard R. Cherry and Ruth L. (Snore) Cherry. He graduated from Charlotte High School in 1942 as class valedictorian. He went on to graduate twice from Huntington College (Huntington, Ind.) with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1945 and a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1947.

He was converted to Christ at age 13 and immediately experienced the call to Christian ministry. He married his college sweetheart, Ruby M. Rawley, July 8, 1948, in Virginia. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2008. Harold and Ruby had four children. He lived most of his life in Michigan except for his last few years in Huntington, Ind.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruby, his parents, and his three brothers Maurice, Howard, and Herbert. He is survived by son Judge Paul (Kristi), daughter Dr. Constance, son Rev. R. Kevin (Sharon), son Ronald (Debbie), daughter-in-law Jeanette, 11 grandchildren, and several great grandchildren.

Having a life-long strong interest in education, he earned two Masters degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary and Western Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Rhetoric and Public Address.

He devoted his life to fulltime Christian ministry. He was ordained a minister by the Michigan Conference of the United Brethren in Christ denomination in 1949.

He wrote published commentary for adult Sunday School books for 10 publications over 20 years. He edited a sections of the UB history book, Trials and Triumphs, and wrote a chapter in the UB theology book, Theological Perspectives.

As a committed Bible believer, Harold read his Bible daily from age 11 for 83 years to the time of his death. He enjoyed Christian music, gardening, and watching college football and basketball, especially the MSU games. He enjoyed traveling with his wife Ruby, twice to the Holy Land, and three other trips to Europe and the British Isles. Years ago Harold and Ruby established an endowed scholarship fund at Huntington University for aspiring ministerial students.

Suggested memorial contributions are to Lane Dulcenia Memorial Home or to Huntington University.

04 Dec

December 4, 2019 |

Doyle Paul Clark (right), 79, passed away Sunday, December 1, 2019. He was a graduate of Huntington University and of the HU seminary, and was founding pastor of New Hope UB church in Camden, Mich. Memorial services will be held at a later date at New Hope church.

21 Nov

November 21, 2019 |

Rev. John Mark Rutledge, 78, passed away just before midnight on November 19, 2019, at Parkview Regional Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Viewing: 1-4 pm Sunday, November 24, 2019.
Memorial service: 4pm Sunday, November 24, 2019.
Location: Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home in Rockford, Ohio.

Mark grew up in Van Wert, Ohio, and graduated from Huntington College and later St. Francis College in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he earned his Master’s degree. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and their two sons. He and Kathleen were married October 19, 1963.

Mark worked in public education for many years–as a high school guidance counselor, principal, and superintendent. He also held various pastoral positions at United Brethren churches, going back to 1962: the Willshire and Zion churches in Willshire, Ohio; Otterbein (now New Horizons) in Rockford, Ohio; and Mt. Victory in Decatur, Ind. His most recent UB position was associate pastor of Praise Point church in Willshire. He was most recently pastor of Rockford Belle Community Church in Rockford.

Memorials may be directed to The Rockford Belle Community Church. You can view his online obituary here.

20 Nov

November 20, 2019 |

Tomorrow, November 21, is Day of Giving for Huntington University. The goal is to raise $100,000 on this one day. The Forester Fund supports 93% of students with scholarship assistance.

Keep these matching gift challenges in mind when you make your gift to Huntington University.

Dollar for Dollar: The first $5,000 in total gifts will unlock a matching gift of equal amount. Double your gift by giving early in the day!

First 50: Start the day off right by being one of the first 50 gift-givers. The 50th gift of the day will unlock a $15,000 matching gift!

Foresters Across the Country: Turn your part of the United States green by being the first from your state to make a gift. Every time five states turn green, we’ll unlock $1,500 in matching gifts.

Brand New: New to the Forester Fund? This is the challenge for you! The first 20 first-time gifts on Day of Giving will unlock a $5,000 matching gift.

Set the Pace: Lead the way by making a gift of $1,000 or more. Your gift will set the pace for Day of Giving and grant you membership to the Pacesetter Society, complete with special perks throughout the year. Even better, the first 10 Pacesetter-level gifts will unlock a $10,000 matching gift.

Tomorrow, November 21, a giving form will be available on this page.

16 Nov

November 16, 2019 |

Rev. Chuck McKeown (right) praying for the persons being ordained during the 2019 US National Conference, including (on the left) his son Josh and his wife, Julie.

We need to mobilize prayer for Rev. Josh McKeown, pastor of Faith UB church in Port Orange, Fla.

Josh was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2010, and went through an experimental clinical trial at the M. D. Anderson cancer center in Houston. For the past nine years, he has been taking the same chemo drug, and the cancer has been held in remission. But in August, their insurance company said they would no longer cover the cost of that particular drug, and required that he switch to a cheaper alternative chemotherapy. The result, his wife Julie explains, is that he began experiencing certain symptoms and tests show that the number of cancer cells in his body increased for the first time in nine years.

Julie wrote, “His symptoms are horrible, and his oncologist has never seen an increase of this amount while still taking chemo, which may indicate that his cancer has mutated and grown resistant to the chemotherapy.” He did lab work this week to determine if he developed this mutation, and hope to have the results in a week or so. “If Josh hasn’t developed the mutation, then they will try to get him back on his old chemo. But then we have to figure out a way to pay for it. His chemo is $12-14,000 a month depending on the dose.”

Julie continues, “I can’t event put into words how much pain Josh is in. It breaks my heart.”

Please keep Josh and Julie in your prayers. Josh was among the four men ordained in July 2019 at the US National Conference. He has been doing good work at Faith UB church since being stationed there in August 2017.

Cards can be send to:
Josh McKeown
1650 Center Ave
Holly Hill, FL 32117-1514

05 Nov

November 5, 2019 |

L-r: Randy Magnus, Mark Wallace, Matthew Robertshaw, Brian Magnus, Neil Cudney, Jeff Bleijerveld.

Christian Horizons presented Excellence in Action Awards to the United Brethren of Canada and the United States. It recognizes their sponsorship of children in Haiti and participation in ministry to special needs children and adults. The awards were presented by Mark Wallace and Neil Cudney, both leaders of Christian Horizons and United Brethren ministers

05 Nov

November 5, 2019 |

The US Thanksgiving is just around the corner. By now, all UB churches should have received bulletin inserts and any additional materials requested in advance of this year’s missions offering.

The focus this year is on raising funds to help our international partners join us for General Conference. The meeting will be held March 14-18, 2020, in Jamaica. Each country does all it can to raise as much, if not all, of what’s needed to pay their way. Your gifts will serve to supplement what may be lacking.

This conference becomes increasingly strategic as more of our fellow United Brethren engage in mission ministry beyond their borders and in some cases beyond their continent.

Use this link to download a short video that describes the project. It can be used in the weeks prior to and including Thanksgiving Sunday.

19 Oct

October 19, 2019 |

Rhonda Mudge, 53, passed away October 15, 2019, after a lengthy battle with cancer. She is the wife of Rev. Michael Mudge, pastor of Bethany House of the Lord in Cumberland, Md., and was a UB missionary to Macau 1992-1993.

Funeral arrangements:

Viewing: 3-6 pm Friday, October 25, 2019.
Funeral: 11 am Saturday, October 26, 2019. Viewing 10-10:45 prior to the service.
Location: Both the viewing and funeral will be held at the Scarpelli Funeral Home, 108 Virginia Avenue, Cumberland, MD 21502.

Rhonda was among our early missionaries in Macau, serving two years beginning in 1992. She and Michael were married in 1994, and they have served in pastoral ministry together since then.

Please keep the Mudge family in your prayers. Rev. Mudge wrote, “I’d say my family is finding an inner strength we didn’t know we had, and we’re working together to put together a service worthy of our daughter, wife, and mother. Truly, we covet your continued prayers.”

16 Oct

October 16, 2019 |

The October 15 night CNN Democratic debate was held at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. That was the very first United Brethren college, started back in 1847 and named after founding bishop William Otterbein.

From the start, Otterbein University admitted women and people of color, which was a bit revolutionary for the time. It was also co-educational, with men and women taking the same classes (not a watered-down track for women). Of the first 81 students, 29 were women, and women served on the faculty. So we were quite progressive for the time.

Lewis Davis became president in 1850 and served in that role for 21 years before departing to start the first United Brethren seminary (now United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio). He’s the namesake for Davis Hall at Huntington University.

16 Oct

October 16, 2019 |

Rev. Michael Mudge, pastor of Bethany House of the Lord in Cumberland, Md., sent this sad note on Tuesday afternoon:

“My wife Rhonda passed away this afternoon at 1:03 p.m., at home, just 24 hours after being told she had one week to live. We were able to have a really nice talk with our five children last night. We have been extraordinarily blessed in our time together, and she and I have cherished your prayers and pray that our Lord richly blesses you for your love and support.

“A Service of Christian Burial will be set for ten days down the road, for Saturday, October 26, 2019, at Scarpelli Funeral Home, 108 Virginia Avenue, Cumberland, MD 21502. Time and details are pending.”

Please keep the Mudge family in your prayers. Rhonda was among our early missionaries in Macau, serving two years beginning in 1992. She and Michael were married in 1994, and they have served in pastoral ministry together since then. Rhonda has been battling leukemia for some time.