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18 Jun

June 18, 2009 |

Some of you may remember Phyllis Lahr, who was executive secretary for nearly 20 years to bishops C. Ray Miller, Wilber L. Sites, Clarence Kopp, and Ray Seilhamer. Phyllis’s husband, Mert, passed away June 8, and the funeral was held last Friday. They had been married since 1963.

Mert had been in a nursing home in Markle, Ind., but Phyllis wasn’t content with the care he was receiving. So she sold their home in Markle, bought a place in Fort Wayne, and moved Mert into this new home where she could take care of him herself. That’s what she did for the past several years.

17 Jun

June 17, 2009 |

Two denominational mission teams are beginning their trips.

  • A group of 18 people left for Poland on Wednesday, June 17. They will conduct an English camp for young people in the city of Kutno. Arek and Donna Delik, UB missionaries serving with Operation Mobilization, minister in Kutno. The trip will conclude with two days of sight-seeing in Krakow before they return to the States on July 1.
  • A medical team is leaving Thursday, June 18, on a ten-day trip to Honduras. They will conduct five medical clinics before returning on June 27.

17 Jun

June 17, 2009 |

The Center Hill UB church (Mt. Carroll, Ill.) held its closing celebration service on Sunday, June 14. Bishop Ron Ramsey attended this final service. He writes, “It went well, with about 50 persons attending. There were only 10 members still listed, and many of them had not contacted the church in years. Only 3 members attended regularly. There were about 10 or so others who were not members who attended. The congregation voted to sell the building to another ministry. June 14 was the last UB service at the church.”

Bishop Ramsey is working with a lawyer to transfer property ownership to the new ministry, and hopes to complete the transfer before he leaves office in August. He notes that some funds from Center Hill will be coming to both Global Ministries and Huntington University.

17 Jun

June 17, 2009 |

datema

On May 6, we noted that Dave Datema had been named to succeed Dr. Ralph Winter as General Director of Frontier Mission Fellowship, the umbrella organization for the US Center for World Mission and the William Carey International University. Dave officially assumed that role on May 5.

Dr. Winter passed away on Wednesday, May 20. In their newsletter, Dave and Cathie wrote:

Dave had spent Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday on a retreat with the Frontier Mission Fellowship executive team. After fasting for three days, going through 16 hours of meetings on the retreat, and then coming back to find that Dr. Winter had passed away 30 minutes after we returned, Dave was physically and emotionally spent. Yet God’s goodness and grace were very evident in the meetings and in the circumstances surrounding Dr. Winter’s death.

For all of us on staff, we have lost our leader, the one whose vision drew us here, for many of us a journey of thousands of miles away from home and family. These are somber but hope-filled days. Dr. Winter leaves a rich legacy behind.

Dave has discovered the “tyranny of the inbox” as he begins his new role. Within the next couple weeks, he will move his office to a different building on campus. Between now and our Staff Conference in July, Dave plans to meet face to face with the bulk of our members, part of which will involve a trip to one of our regional offices in Philadelphia. Much time will also be spent coming to grips with the policies and practices of the FMF’s multiple projects. Pray for Dave! Also, remember Cathie and our children as Dave will be out of town for 12 days in June.

Dave Datema is an ordained United Brethren minister, and a member of the Global Ministries Leadership Team. As a UB missionary kid, he spent a good chunk of his childhood in both Sierra Leone and Jamaica. He attended the recent US National Conference in Huron, Ohio.

17 Jun

June 17, 2009 |

At Corunna UB, the church my husband Jason pastors, we started Vacation Bible School last night. I am co-teaching with another person.

During the lesson, as I talked about what sin is, I asked the young children, “How many of you have never sinned?”

One little five-year-old girl shot her hand up.

“You’ve never sinned?” I asked her.

She answered, “I’ve been naughty, but I’ve never sinned.”

16 Jun

June 16, 2009 |

Jeff_BabysittingMacau500.jpg

Jeff Bleijerveld was in Macau last week, visiting our missionaries, and he spent some time at the home of David and Melissa Kline. Dave Kline sent the above photo, showing Jeff with the Kline kids, with this subject line: “The work of Jeff Bleijerveld in Macau. There was some other stuff, too.”

15 Jun

June 15, 2009 |

Award-winning Christian radio station Star 88.3 WLAB-FM and Huntington University have formed a strategic alliance. Huntington University will extend financial support to the newly-established Star Educational Media Network, a non-profit formed to purchase Star 88.3 in May. In return, the college will receive:

  • A significant stake in the enterprise,.
  • Several positions on the board of directors.
  • On-air and off-air promotion.
  • Expanded learning opportunities for students.

In addition:

  • Star 88.3 is involved in many kinds of community outreach. This new relationship will provide numerous opportunities for collaborative volunteer service in the greater Fort Wayne area.
  • HU’s campus radio station (The FUSE 105.5 FM) will benefit from the Christian broadcasting expertise of Star 88.3 staff and national consultants.
  • Star 88.3 receives many benefits from record labels and recording artists nationwide. These relationships will create opportunities for on-campus and off-campus performances.

Star 88.3 has 70,000 weekly listeners, and in 2009 was named Gospel Music Association’s Radio Station of the Year at the Dove Awards.

You can read more on Huntington University’s news page.

15 Jun

June 15, 2009 |

Andrew Atkins, pastor of Monticello UB (Spencerville, Ohio), sent us this testimony. It happened on Saturday night, June 6, after the evening service at the US National Conference. Andrew said we could publish the story, but emphasized, “I just want to make sure that the focus is about the fact that God provides opportunity when we are obedient to Him.”

My wife and I arrived back at our hotel around 11 pm, and in the parking lot were the “Bikers.” There were guys doing burnouts, drinking, and basically kickin back. As I walked back to my van to get some pop that I had forgotten, God began to break my heart for these guys and ask me what I was willing to do to reach them with the Gospel.

I walked into our hotel room and told my wife that we needed to go out and bless some bikes.

About three years ago at Monticello, we started doing a Biker Sunday. At the end of the day we have guys pull through on their motorcylces and we pray for them to be safe and encourage them to follow Christ on the highway of life. I never realized how important that was to guys that ride, but because of our Biker Sundays, I have learned that.

So at about 11:15 pm, my wife and I headed into the parking lot to the first group of guys. I asked them if they had been prayed for, that they would ride safely. They said, “You mean, blessed? No, we haven’t had that yet.” I told them I was a pastor and I would love to do that for them.

Immediately they said, “That would be awesome, but go down there and ask those guys too!”

So in two separate locations, my wife and I watched bikers stand by and even kneel at their bikes as we prayed that God would keep them safe, and that they would know the joy that comes from riding with Christ as their Saviour. We went back to our hotel room knowing that the reason we were at National Conference during bike week was to reach out to those guys.

The following morning before the closing service, we went down to check out of our room. One guy that we prayed for was looking at the back tire of his bike; it was in pretty bad shape. I asked if it was rideable, and he said it was. Then, as I turned to walk away, he said, “Hey hold on.” Then a very big, bald biker came over and wrapped his arms around me and said, “Thanks so much for praying for us last night. We won’t forget it.”

13 Jun

June 13, 2009 |

The Center Hill church of Mt. Carroll, Ill., will hold a closing celebration service tomorrow (June 14) afternoon at 2 p.m. The attendance has dwindled to only a few people, and the remaining members voted in April to close the church. Center Hill dates back to 1856, and officially organized in 1870.