01 Jun 30 Years – Yeah, That’s a Long Time

They said they needed my camera in the break room. Something was going on, something apparently newsworthy. So I grabbed it and went in, and there sat an ice cream cake. And it was for…me?

Indeed. Bishop Ron Ramsey instructed that the occasion appear on the Bishopblog–whether I wrote it, or somebody else. Since I don’t trust any of my coworkers, I thought I better do the deed. Besides, everyone is crazy-busy with National Conference preparations.

The occasion: June 1 marks 30 years of working fulltime at the United Brethren national office. I actually started on June 1, 1978, after my junior year at Huntington University, but I didn’t go fulltime until graduating in 1979. Back then, my title was assistant editor. I worked on the monthly United Brethren magazine, edited a weekly Sunday school take-home paper, and did some work on the adult Sunday school quarterlies.

We discontinued the Sunday school curriculum in 1982 and closed the printshop. At that point, I became editor of the United Brethren magazine. And the position has evolved from there. I took the title Communications Director in 1993, when we centralized all of our communications. And from there, this and that has happened, yada yada yada, you’re really not that interested.

Along with the ice cream cake, my coworkers gave me a card (of sorts) with comments like these:

• Way to go! Your endurance is amazing.
• You are a great asset here. Old and musty, but still a good asset.
• People who stay in one place for so long usually are honored with a statue. Have you posed for yours yet?
• 30 years! Most marriages last less time than that!
• Congrats! Putting up with everyone who has come and gone. Wow!
• You must have started here at the office when you were a child!
• Wow! 30 years! You must be older than I thought!
• How many Macs or models of Macs have you had in those 30 years? [I think 7, plus 2 laptops.]
• Amazing! You have worked here almost my whole life!
• I know that cars are considered vintage or antique after 20 years, so….

Now you know why I thought I better write this.

It’s been a joy working here and serving our churches. I’ve never NOT attended a United Brethren church. I’ve basically ordered the entire UB menu: grew up UB in four different states, attended our camps, participated in Bible quizzing, UB preacher’s kid, graduated from our college, and have now spent my entire career in the service of my denomination. No regrets. Unless you count eating that too-big piece of ice cream cake this morning.

01 Jun Book About the Pelley Murders

A new book, “The Prom Night Murders,” tells about the 1989 murders of United Brethren minister Robert Pelley, his wife, and two young daughters. They were found shotgunned in the parsonage on Sunday morning, just after the local high school prom.

Rev. Pelley’s son from a previous marriage, Jeff, was convicted of the murders in 2006 (the result of a cold case investigation). The story is that Jeff was grounded from participating in prom weekend activities, and that led to the murders.

Jeff Pelley, 37, is serving a 160-year sentence. His conviction was reversed by a Court of Apopeals, but this spring the Indiana Supreme Court reversed the reversal.

28 May The UB Youth Team is There for You

Bobby Culler, Youth Pastor, Mt. Pleasant UB (Chambersburg, Pa.)

Greetings from the UB Youth Lead Team. We are fresh off our amazing week of refreshment and refueling in Daytona Beach during the 2009 Youth Summit. It was an awesome time together, and God certainly did some neat things in us and among us during our time together. We were hoping to become more deeply “Rooted” in Christ and scriptures and in our relationships with each other, and that definitely happened.

Perfect weather and some great spiritual discipline experiences led by our speaker for the week, Dr. Jerry Davis (Huntington University), made for a fantastic week of connecting and reconnecting.

This is an annual event planned and organized by our team–a bunch of youth pastors who are and have been in the trenches of youth ministry for several years.

And speaking of the team–we would love to come alongside you and help you become better equipped and more effective in youth ministry as together we work to make an eternal difference in this generation of teenagers. If there is ever anything we can do for you and/or the leaders of your youth ministry, please do not hesitate to email us.

The names and photos of team members can be found on the UB website. It would be an honor for us to help you in any way we can. Also, keep an eye on the UB website for future youth ministry events and training opportunities. Together…let’s work hard to make teenage disciples for Jesus Christ.”

26 May Bad News About Your Wireless Mics

You may need to replace your wireless microphone, if it operates in the 700 MHz band. Here’s why.

On June 12, TV transitions from analog to digital. This move freed up space in the 700 MHz band, which the government auctioned off. Verizon, AT&T, and other companies spent billions of dollars buying the rights to this spectrum. And they’re going to use it for new services–cell phones, data services, emergency services, and more.

As a result, your 700 MHz mic system will encounter interference. The Federal Communications Commission didn’t set a date for when churches (and others) must stop using their 700 MHz systems, but you can bet that churches will be forced out at some point. Verizon and the others spent too much money to allow encroachers.

Christianity Today published an excellent article called “Understanding New Wireless Microphone Restrictions.” (Thanks to Tom Datema for notifying us about it.) Some points made in the article:

• Your 700 MHz mics won’t suddenly stop working. However, you’ll be at risk of interference from other services.
• Churches in cities will probably notice interference before churches in small towns and rural areas.
• The most efficient and cost-effective option is to replace the 700 MHz mics with mics in the 500 MHz band.
• Churches can donate their 700 MHz  equipment to churches in countries not affected by the US changes.