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13 Mar

March 13, 2008 |

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L-r: The Bible quiz teams from Blue Rock UB (Waynesboro, Pa.), and Fountain UB (Keyser, W. Va.).

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L-r: The Bible quiz team from Mount Pleasant UB in Chambersburg, Pa.

You don’t hear much about Bible quizzing anymore, but it’s still going on. Every year, church teams in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia compete.

Here are photos of three senior teams competing this year in the former Mid-Atlantic Conference. The team from Fountain UB won the January quiz, and Salem won in February.

13 Mar

March 13, 2008 |

2007_HU_plate_small.jpgThe Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has released a special recognition motorcycle license plate for Huntington University. The design features the university’s athletic logo.

An authorization form is needed to purchase the plate from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles office.

Specialty plates are available for a number of organizations within the state, and all require some additional fees. The Huntington University plate is being offered with the minimum required $15 administrative fee assessed by the BMV. No extra fee will be collected by Huntington University.

Many people already own the license plate available for passenger cars, trucks, and recreational vehicles.

13 Mar

March 13, 2008 |

Huntington University‘s Graduate School will consolidate two programs into one new program. The Master of Arts programs in pastoral ministries and discipling ministries will be merged to form the new Master of Arts in ministry leadership program.

In addition, the university’s Graduate School of Christian Ministries will now be referred to as the Graduate School and will encompass the new program, the online Master of Arts program in youth ministry leadership, the new graduate counseling program, the Master of Education program, a diploma in pastoral leadership program, and continuing education courses.

Beginning in the fall of 2008, the Ministry Leadership program will prepare graduate students for healthy and balanced pastoral leadership and train them to equip, teach, mentor and lead others to grow and serve as disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Master of Arts in ministry leadership is recognized by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ as the basic standard for ordination.

13 Mar

March 13, 2008 |

This summer, the Huntington University will host its third Summer Theatre Youth Camp. From June 25-July 20, campers entering grades kindergarten through 12 in the fall will learn basic theatrical training from theatre professionals and perform a fully produced musical theatre production. This summer’s performance will be “Guys and Dolls Jr.,” and every camper will have a part.

The camp will run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Huntington University Merillat Centre for the Arts with performances on July 20. Camp will not be held on July 4.

The cost is $175 per camper with a late registration fee of $25 after May 1. Space is limited to 50 campers.

In 2006, the first camp of 16 children performed “Music Man Jr.” In 2007, the camp’s enrollment for “Annie Jr.” more than doubled from the previous year.

David and Kristi Shamburger, Huntington University theatre faculty, serve as co-camp directors. The Shamburgers created and directed summer youth musical theatre camps in Georgia and have experience with the Nevada School of the Arts youth theatre programming.

David most enjoys the enthusiasm and passion of the young actors. “To them it is magic,” he said. “I always try to get my actors to return to a sense of play. The children still have that, and it’s nice to work with.”

10 Mar

March 10, 2008 |

I’m just finishing the book Band of Brothers, by Stephen Ambrose, which Pat Jones told me about. It is about a group of soldiers in World War 2 who were led by Dick Winters, who was a tremendous leader. They were sent to the front lines, the first to go in, and they lost people. But they had a mission. They were a “band of brothers” because they had this mission. They weren’t a family–families don’t necessarily have a mission. But these were soldiers with a mission–to take an objective and win the war. I find that fascinating.

Isn’t that exactly what the Lord told us to do? We talk about being the family of God and get all gushy about it. But we are the army of the Lord. William Booth knew that; it’s why he called his organization the Salvation Army. If we had the same kind of desire to accomplish at all costs the mission that our leader has given us, I think our churches would look different. I would look different.

06 Mar

March 6, 2008 |

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The 22 young men who accepted Christ during the camp.

During the weekend of February 16-17, a camp for young men in Jamaica was held the weekend of February 16-17, with 22 young men attending. Male students from Jamaica Bible College served as mentors/counselors for the event. The speakers included Danville Colquhoun, (retired guidance counselor from the Ministry of Education), Angelo Laurence (Gleaner & PACE tv), Dr. Winston Morgan (lecturer at JBC), Darren Larmond (camp director), and Dr. Bryan Wallace (JBC lecturer).

Owen Gordon, President of Jamaica Bible College, writes:

“Sunday mid-day, was the first time we gave an invitation, and when we did, all 22 of the boys responded positively, without any coercion or long drawn-out appeal.They all wanted to embrace the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Yes, all 22 of the young men with one accord responded positively. Don’t get me wrong, because I am a little bit skeptical of mass responses. Sometimes I think that many of us are too quick to count raised hands as salvation.

“Later at the wrap-up session, we asked for those who benefited from the camp, and several said the greatest benefit was that they accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. We then asked for those who would like others to know that they accepted the Lord and are committed to walk with him and are not afraid for others to know. We asked those persons to come for a photograph.” The photo above shows that group of new Christians.

“I came to campus this morning and I was greeting by a bunch of smiling, happy young men who are beaming with joy. They greeted me for the first time calling me Uncle Owen. The rest of the students and staff are remarking that they have noticed a change in behavior and attitude. (That is probably early, and time will tell!)

“Wow! We have a job cut out for follow up! Continue to pray for us. It’s not about church or denomination, it’s about Jesus Christ!”

He adds, “I am looking for persons who will pray personally for these young men. If you would like a name or two for your prayer group let me know and I will give you and a name and if you like a face too. Let us show the world that there is power in prayer and that Jesus does make a difference in ones life!”

06 Mar

March 6, 2008 |

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The ordinations of Courtney Morgan (left, kneeling) and Addasa Morgan (far right). Bishop Ron Ramsey (second from left in the left-hand photo) participated in both ordinations.

Jamaica National Conference held its annual meeting over the past weekend. Bishop Ron Ramsay preached on Sunday morning, and over 75 persons responded to the call to offer themselves to evangelize. Former Jamaica superintendent Rev. Lloyd Spencer preached in the Sunday evening service, challenging people to give toward the support of church extension.

Other highlights of the conference included:

  • Bishop Winston Smith was re-elected as Bishop for another four years.
  • Pastor Barrington Johnson, a young pastor coming out of the Saint Johns Road church, was received into the conference.
  • Two persons were ordained: Courtney Morgan and Addasa Morgan (no relationship). Courtney, a graduate of Jamaica Bible College, came out of the ministry of the Washington Gardens UB church. Addasa Morgan is the first female to be ordained in Jamaica Conference. She is from the York Town UB church.
  • Rev. Isaac Nugent, Rev. Lebert Thompson, and Rev. Owen Gordon were elected as superintendents.
  • Twenty-two pastors were stationed among the 29 churches and preaching points, with several laypersons commissioned as workers in church extension.

Rev. Owen Gordon, president of Jamaica Bible College, writes, “It was a great Conference with some 2000 people attending the Sunday worship.”

06 Mar

March 6, 2008 |

Roger and Marilyn Reeck, UB endorsed missionaries serving with Wycliffe in Honduras, sent an email report on February 25. It included these tidbits:

  • In January a construction group from Minnesota arrived. They put roofs on houses for two pastors and helped their daughter, Chrysti, and her husband, Rigo, add a large porch to their house to be used for Bible studies.
  • Marilyn and office helper Alina are finishing a video for a presentation that they will make at a conference in Bogota, Colombia, March 2-7. The main Garifuna leader, Bernardiino Amaya, will also attend. This conference is Wycliffe’s first Latin American Scripture Use Conference. “We feel honored to be attending,” they write. “We know that we will learn so much from all the talks and from others who doing the same job that we are doing.
  • Roger and Marilyn have been invited to a missions conference at a church in Pennsylvania March 5-9. They will return to Honduras the end of March.
  • They leave for Africa May 15–August 15.
  • Roger will teach in Brazil during the month of October.

06 Mar

March 6, 2008 |

Camp Cotubic in Bellefontaine, Ohio, has an all-new website. It’s very well done, and includes some neat features, like online giving and an interactive map of the camp.

You can also join their email list to receive periodic updates.

Camp Cotubic was the United Brethren camp for Central Conference. It now, like most of our other camps, has its own board of directors and is no longer owned by the denomination. However, the camp’s roots run deep in Central Conference, and many UB people in Ohio and Indiana will be interested in keeping up on what happens there.

Dave Stephens, a United Brethren minister, is director of Camp Cotubic.