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25 Sep

September 25, 2019 |

Abdul Mustapha

by Michelle Harris, Associate Director of UB Global

Abdul Karim Mustapha is the Administrator of UB Mattru Hospital and of UBC Hospital Enterprises. He talked recently about his story with Michelle Harris, associate director of UB Global.

Sierra Leone United Brethren in Christ

Abdul grew up in a Muslim family and began studies at Bumpe UB school in 1980. There he became friends with many believing students and started following them to church. One year at the church’s New Year’s Celebration, his friend James Barnett stood, and instead of giving his own testimony, presented Abdul as his gift, calling him up to the altar. Initially, Abdul didn’t know if he was joking, but he went to the altar, where John Jusu (current dean of Education and Social Sciences at African International University) prayed and Abdul gave his life to Jesus.

UB missionaries June Brown and Shirley Fritz served at Bumpe during those years. Abdul attended weekly evening Bible classes with them and worked through monthly Bible correspondence classes.

Currently, Abdul serves in leadership in the Sierra Leone Conference as an Executive Member of the UB Masters International Conference and is a member of Kissy UB Church in Freetown.

Family

Abdul met Hawanatu Mary when she was doing an internship in the company he worked for. They married and have two children: Gloria, who is fifteen years old, and Natacha, who is 12. Both are doing well in school.

Abdul’s family has stayed in Freetown as he works in Mattru. Abdul takes long weekends in Freetown, and Hawanatu comes for longer stays in Mattru.

The Work in Mattru

Abdul was working at another job when he heard of the urgent need for a business manager for the solar and water project. His previous experience in logistics and administration led to his applying and being hired by the conference.

As business manager, he has brought order and clear direction to the projects. The solar and water projects not only provide electricity and clean water, but are a source of regular income to support hospital salaries. Thanks to a gift from the Huntington Rotary (Huntington, Ind.), 60 customers are now metered. The next steps of care and expansion for the system will involve a back-up generator to produce cash flow and dependable electricity during the rainy season, and additional meters for larger customers.

In May of 2019, Pamela McKee, who served as hospital administrator, needed to leave earlier than expected to receive medical attention in the US. Abdul stepped in to help, much as he did in 2018 when the need for a business manager was urgent. Pamela recuperated and traveled to Mattru in August to pass the baton, pack up, and celebrate with hospital staff her time there before returning to a new position in Ohio. God has been faithful in opening a door for her to travel twice a year to the hospital to continue her work of training and encouraging staff.

Abdul is taking his time to understand the hospital staff and learn the situation of the hospital. He likes the job. He says, “Let us all work together. We need prayers for all who are working, that we will be as one. When we have a problem, in good faith, that we will find a solution together.”

Abdul asks for prayers for unity for the staff.

We are thankful for Abdul and the many others who serve at Mattru Hospital.

19 Sep

September 19, 2019 |

As you examine health insurance plans for your church staff, you might want to consider three plans offered through the United Brethren Association for Church Development, based at Rhodes Grove Camp in Chambersburg, Pa. This is our denomination’s voluntary insurance program. About 35 UB people, including the staff of the UB National Office in Indiana, are enrolled in the plan.

The UB Association offers three programs with Capital Blue Cross. The policies are effective December 1, 2019 through November 30, 2020. Open enrollment for new subscribers is during the month of October.

Also, feel free to contact the office with any questions about open enrollment or eligibility.

16 Sep

September 16, 2019 |

Rev. Milan and Margaret Maybee

Rev. Milan Maybee, 86, a longtime United Brethren minister, passed away September 14, 2019.

Visitation: 4-8 pm Friday, September 20, 2019
Funeral: 11 am Saturday, September 21, 2019.
Visitation and funeral location: Heart O’ the Lakes UB church, 7301 Jefferson Road, Brooklyn, MI 49230.

Rev. Maybee pastored three United Brethren churches in Michigan. He served two years at the church in Caledonia (1958-1960), followed by 12 years at the Eden church in Mason (1960-1972). He was ordained in 1968.

In 1972, Rev. Maybee started the Heart O’ the Lakes church in Brooklyn, and remained its pastor until 1991. He was then elected fulltime superintendent of Michigan Conference, and served in that role until 1998.

Margaret, to whom he was married for 65 years, passed away July 26, 2019.

For more information, view the listing on the funeral home site.

16 Sep

September 16, 2019 |

Rev. Milan Maybee, a longtime United Brethren pastor and fulltime superintendent in Michigan, passed away September 14, 2019. Visitation and funeral information will be posted when available.

10 Sep

September 10, 2019 |

Stephen Clymer was appointed senior pastor of Victory Chapel (Liberty Center, Ohio) on August 4, 2019. He replaced Don Ross, who retired after serving as senior pastor of Victory Chapel since 2009. Clymer graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 1982 with a degree in Bible/Theology, and received a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministries in 2002 from the Huntington University Graduate School of Christian Ministries. He has been in pastoral ministry since 1982, including 1991-2000 as pastor of the former Harvest Lane UB church (Toledo, Ohio), and two previous stints at Victory Chapel: 2001-2005 and 2007-2009.

Dr. Jody Fleming was appointed senior pastor of Strinestown UB church (Strinestown, Pa.), effective September 8, 2019. She holds a Master of Divinity from Evangelical Seminary (Myerstown, Pa.), and a Ph.D. in Theological Studies/Global Christianity from Regent University School of Divinity. She takes the place of Rev. Dawn Spangler, who had pastored the church since 2012.

10 Sep

September 10, 2019 |

Alan DeCristoforo, an ordained United Brethren minister, passed away September 9, 2019. He was the former senior pastor of Highland Heights UB church, and later Pastor of Spiritual Care at First UB Church; both churches are located in New Castle, Pa).

Viewing: 4-6pm Thursday, September 11, and 9:30-10:30 am Thursday, September 12.
Funeral: 11am Thursday, September 12.
Viewing and Funeral Location: First UB Church, 1900 Eastbrook Road, New Castle, PA 16101,

31 Aug

August 31, 2019 |

Faith UB church in Port Orange, Fla., is boarded up in preparation for the hurricane.

Faith UB church in Port Orange, Fla., is all boarded up as they await the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, which is expected to hit the Port Orange/Daytona area on Tuesday. First UB church of Holly Hill, located just up the road, will be making similar preparations. Pray for Pastor Josh McKeown and the Faith UB congregation, and for his father, Pastor Chuck McKeown, and the congregation at First UB.

28 Aug

August 28, 2019 |

Evan Towne

Evan T. Towne, 94, a former United Brethren missionary in Sierra Leone, passed away August 26, 2019, at his residence in Van Buren, Ind. He was the son of Rev. Jerry and Nella Town, who pastored UB churches in California, Ontario, and North Ohio Conference (which spanned southern Michigan, northern Indiana, and northwest Ohio).

Visitation :: 5-8 pm on Friday, August 30, 2019.
Funeral: 11:00 am on Saturday, August 31, 2019. Visitation one hour beforehand.
Visitation and funeral location: Myers Funeral Home, Huntington Chapel, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, Ind. 46750.

Evan graduated from high school in Huntington, Ind., in 1946. After a tour of service as a sergeant with the US Army Corp, he attended Huntington University and went on to earn a masters in education from Ball State University.

He and his family served two terms in Sierra Leone. Their first term, 1953-1956, was spent at the boys home in Ggangbaia. Their first child, Linda Gail, was born there. Back in the States, another daughter was born, Leora Komeh. During their second term, 1964-1967, Evan started an Industrial Arts department at Centennial High School in Mattru.

For 27 years, Evan taught junior high industrial arts in Huntington County. He retired in 1989. He was a member of College Park UB church in Huntington, where he taught Sunday school and served in leadership.

He is survived by his wife, Mary, and daughters Linda Schweikhardt and Komeh Zilka.

Memorial donations should be made out to United Brethren Missions in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

Complete obituary information is located here.

22 Aug

August 22, 2019 |

L-r: Greg Voight, Joni Michaud, Victor Mojica, Dale Perry.

The 2019-2021 Executive Leadership Team is now complete. Four members were elected by this summer’s US National Conference, to join four others with continuing terms. That left four persons to be appointed for the next two years. Bishop Todd Fetters has now chosen those persons, and they were unanimously approved by the ELT.

The appointees include one person from each region—two laypersons, two clergy. Three of the appointees are serving on the ELT for the first time. The fourth, Greg Voight, has been an ELT member since 2013. Here is information about each of them.

Greg Voight has been senior pastor of Lancaster UB church in Lancaster, Ohio, since 2006. Before that, he served two years as an intern at what is now Shoreline UB church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. He is a 2006 graduate of Findlay University (Findlay, Ohio), and was ordained in 2011. Greg and his wife, Debbie, were married in 1995 and have three children.

Joni Michaud is a member of Pleasant Valley UB church in Lake Odessa, Mich. She currently serves there as administrative board chair and lay leader, and teaches junior church and Sunday school. Joni has been a lay delegate from her church to the last four meetings of the US National Conference, and served on the Human Sexuality Task Force 2015-2017. Joni works as an attorney in Grand Rapids, Mich., practicing immigration law, family law, and criminal defense. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Huntington University in 2005 and her juris doctor from Notre Dame Law School in 2008.

Victor Mojica and his wife, Margarita, have been members of Clearview UB church (Goshen, Ind.) since 1994. He has been serving as a part-time pastor at Clearview since 1998. Currently, Clearview is made up of an English-speaking congregation pastored by Jim Gillette, and a Spanish-speaking congregation pastored by Victor. He also works in his family business.

Dale Perry served 25 years as an employee of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, from which he recently retired as Manager of the Department’s Land Acquisition Program for highway and bridge construction projects. Dale has since joined consulting firm Arrow Land Solutions, LLC, as Director of Training and Development. He and his wife, Shirley, have been members of Mount Pleasant UB church (Chambersburg, Pa.) for 27 years. Dale is currently chairperson of the Governance Board (since 2016), teaches an adult Sunday school class, and serves on the church Personnel Relations Commission and Worship Media Team.

You can view the complete ELT here. There are three persons from each region, for a total of 12 members. Six are clergy, six are laypersons. The bishop is the 13th member, and he chairs the Executive Leadership Team, which meets twice a year.

13 Aug

August 13, 2019 |

Gregory M. Sweetland, 67, of Huntington, Ind., went home to be with Jesus on Thursday, July 11, 2019. Greg’s life goal was that others would know Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with him. Greg accomplished this by leading his wife, children, and five grandchildren in growing relationships with Jesus Christ. In addition, he developed and taught curriculum for children’s Sunday school.

Greg also volunteered and served in various capacities at different churches, and he reached out to the international community with the Gospel. Greg knew that the only way to be sure of Heaven was to believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one can come to God the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6).

A memorial service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, August 17, 2019, at College Park United Brethren Church, 1936 College Ave., Huntington, Indiana.

Memorial donations can be made out to the “By the Book” Bible Trailer or the TESOL Program at Huntington University. Both can be sent in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford Street, Huntington, IN 46750.