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08 Mar

March 8, 2006 |

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Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries, reporting to the Executive Leadership Team

The Executive Leadership Team met March 6-7 at the United Brethren Headquarters in Huntington, Ind. Bishop Ron Ramsey presented his report covering his first six months in office, August 15-2005 to February 28, 2006. Here are excerpts:

These first 6 months were spent generally:

  • In getting moved and settled in Huntington.
  • Becoming involved in a steep learning curve as to the status of the various areas of emphasis.
  • Becoming acquainted with the condition of churches and pastors.
  • Picking up stationing committee duties for churches needing pastors.
  • Learning the routines and procedures of the office and staff.

The transition has gone well. There are always some bumps and surprises along the way, but all in all it was a good initial beginning. Pat Jones and I have formed a solid team and positive working relationship. Along with Gary Dilley, Steve Dennie, and Marci Hammel, we have a strong administrative team in place. Adding Tom Blaylock as a part time Director of Church Multiplication was a good decision and we will see benefits from that decision.

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08 Mar

March 8, 2006 |

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The Fall 2005 HTV News team
Every Thursday, Huntington University’s HTV airs a news broadcast which focuses on happenings at the university. You can now view those broadcasts via the internet if you have the free Quicktime 7 player installed, and can even download the video clips. The news program is written, directed,produced, and performed by HU students.
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HTV News recently won first-place for TV Studio Production from the Intercollegiate National Religious Broadcasters. The station’s website, HTVNews.net, also won first place for Web Site Content and Design. HU placed in five of the 11 categories in the awards contest. The other first-place award came in TV Field Production for the film “Love is a four Letter Word.” HU students also took third-place honors for a radio drama, “He Walks With Me,” and for a music video, “Good Thing.”

08 Mar

March 8, 2006 |

The following story is about the Living Hope UB church in our Canadian conference. The story appeared in the Shoreline Beacon of Port Elgin, Ontario, on January 25.
What started out as a modest spaghetti dinner shared with the community, has blossomed into one of the biggest showings of community spirit in Saugeen Shores, with more than 150 people turning out each week.

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07 Mar

March 7, 2006 |

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The PMLT meeting in February. Chairman Tom Brodbeck is on the right.
The Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team was created by the 2005 US National Conference to oversee the licensing and ordination process and give leadership to the professional development of our ministers. Bishop Ron Ramsey appointed Tom Brodbeck as chairperson.
This group has met twice, most recently on February 27-28, 2006. Tom Brodbeck reports the following:
Summary of Decisions Made.

  • We reaffirmed the action of the US National Conference that the sections on “Ministry” from the 2001-2005 Discipline, plus the denomination’s official statements on theological issues, will constitute the Pastoral Ministry Handbook. Theological issues included so far are: Depravity, Divine Foreknowledge, Destiny of the Unevangelized, the 1974 statement on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and an 1977 statement on the Word of God. We are in the process of editing the sections from Discipline for posting on the website.
  • We appointed PMLT team members as chairmen of regional Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Teams. With this format, we will be able to have up to ten regional teams trained and ready to interview and assess ministerial candidates, with a consistency in interview style and outcome. Each chairman is submitting names to the bishop for approval as additional team members. Each team will establish two interview dates (one in May, one in October) to be announced to the church.

“To Do” List

  • Review the delivery system and expected outcomes for United Brethren Church history.
  • Review and confirm the names of the ministers who are in licensing process from each of the conferences
  • Re-think all of the licensing options provided within the US church.
  • Review and revise recruitment materials and develop (with the Bishop) a comprehensive strategy for recruiting new ministers.
  • Design and develop ways of tracking and advertising quality continuing education opportunities for elders.
  • Review and revise the current roll of ministers

02 Mar

March 2, 2006 |

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
Shocking statement, isn’t it? But stick with me. The Scriptures remind us that we must approach each day as if we are dead to yesterday. Jesus said, “Whoever will not take up his cross daily and follow me is not worthy of me.” Paul, in speaking of what was valuable in life, said, “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching out toward what lies ahead, I press on. . .” This forgetting of what has happened yesterday includes the good, the bad and the neutral. If you speak of great things that happened in the UB church in the past, they are gone. If you dwell on the failures of the past, those too are dead. So what should we value as we look to today and the future?
We must have the heart of God. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus did not consider His equality with God something to be grasped or held onto (Phil. 2). He left the glory that was His in heaven, the adoration, the praise. He set aside all that was His in order to take on the form of a servant and be obedient, even to the extent of the cross. He did this for the sole, eternal purpose of saving us. How can we not have as our number one priority the seeking out and engaging of unsaved people to lead them to Jesus?
In making these choices, Jesus strictly and strongly held to the truth of the Scriptures. Not the religious and tradition-tainted interpretations of the Scriptures, but the uncompromised, pure, Spirit-inspired Word of God. “I say only what my Father tells Me.” He perfectly fulfilled the Word. This was a high value to Him. Unquestionably, we must hold this as a high value as well.
At the same time, Jesus took on a human body, spoke the language of the people and used metaphors and stories they understood, was identified as a friend to sinners and took great pain to communicate clearly to the people of His day and to us. This clear communication was also a high value to Jesus. It seems that we must also value using whatever means we must to communicate relevantly to the culture around us.
Jesus clearly valued servanthood. “He who would be the greatest among you must be the servant of all.” He set the ultimate example of this and told His disciples to do likewise. Saved to serve, this should be our theme. Serving keeps the focus off us and on others. Jesus valued this and so should we.
Generosity is one other value that is on God’s heart. “Freely you have received, freely give.” Generosity toward God and others is evidence of us being maturing disciples of Christ.
This is not an exhaustive list. But these are some of the highest values that are near to the heart of God. Now, how near to the heart of your congregation are they? Do we merely claim that these are values, or are there strategic actions and identifiable patterns that testify to the truth of these values in your church?
According to the Revelation, lukewarmness, doctrinal purity without love, compromise of the truth, turning a blind eye to sin in the camp, or living on some past reputation but being spiritually dead are not acceptable conditions for churches. In fact, Jesus pledges to come and remove the ministry of churches like this.
Values drive us. If someone were to come into your church and observe it over a period of time, what would be the evident values they would conclude drive your church?

27 Feb

February 27, 2006 |

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
When EJ and I were first married we bought a used TV. It was in a nice large (and heavy) cabinet and we thought it would look nice in our apartment. Well, we soon found out the reason it was traded in…the picture wouldn’t remain still. It would flip over and over, either vertical flips or horizontal flips. It had some adjustment knobs to correct the vertical and horizontal hold and it worked some. But I would get up, go to the TV, make the adjustment, get the flipping stopped–only to have it begin again before I got back to my chair. It was very frustrating to say the least. We had it worked on by the TV repair man. He put in new tubes (this was when TVs and radios had tubes) and it helped for a little while, but soon it was back to its old tricks.
I thought about this old TV the other day while reading the passages in 1 John about love for God and love for the brothers. Especially 4:20, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, who he has not seen” (NIV). John talks about a vertical love for God and a horizontal love for our brothers and sisters in the faith. Notice that if we sever our love for God, we also sever the love for our fellow man; and if we sever our love for our fellow man, we automatically sever our relationship with God. Both our vertical (with God) and horizontal (with our fellow beliervers) must remain intact.
I guess all this comes to my mind when I see how shabbly we Christians treat one another. Jesus, in John 17, says that if believers are one with Him and with one another, then the world will be able to make the judgment that Jesus was sent by God to this world. It just seems to me that we struggle with this “love business.” It doesn’t mean that believers can’t disagree over issues, but it does mean that their interpersonal disagreements are handled differently than the world handles them. I am amazed how believers talk to one another with such anger. Where is God in all of this?
Sometimes we treat our fellow believers as if they are the enemy. They are not the enemy! Satan is the enemy and he has a field day when he can influence us to turn on one another. Christians that don’t speak to other Christians–this cannot be in the Body of Christ. Christians who carry bitterness toward another Christan–this cannot be in the Body of Christ. If Jesus, while hanging on the cross, could forgive those who put Him there, surely we ought to be able to forgive one another.
How many churches have lost their testimony in their community because the members harbor bitterness against other believers in their church? If the love of Christ compels, then the anger/bitterness of Christians for one another certainly repels.
Let’s take some time to check our vertical and horizontal holds (relationships). You may not like me (an emotion), but you have to love me (an act of faith)!

24 Feb

February 24, 2006 |

Jacob Stover, a long-time minister in Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic conferences, passed away Thursday morning, February 24, at 11:15 a.m. There will be no public viewing and service. Instead, the family has chosen to have only a private memorial service. However, this service is open to Rev. Stover’s ministerial colleagues.

23 Feb

February 23, 2006 |

Faith Church in Port Orange, Florida lost their multipurpose building in one of the hurricanes last year. They currently have approved plans, and even have a local contractor who will pull permits on his number, but neither he nor others in the area have time to send a crew to build it. They are either already committed to other projects or are on the Gulf Coast assisting rebuilding efforts there.
They are looking for a General Contractor who will either bring a crew to do the construction or a retired or semi-retired GC who would come supervise and allow them to hire subs and a crew there. The building is a straightforward 2500 square foot concrete block building, single story.
If you have anyone in your churches or community who would like to assist them, the contact persons are:
Pastor Paul Hallett
email: faithub@bellsouth.net
Phone: 386-761-5482
Mr. Ernie Pyle, Plumbing contractor and member of the church
Phone: 386-290-7091 (this is his business phone)
Cluster leaders, please make sure all your churches are aware of this opportunity. Thanks.

21 Feb

February 21, 2006 |

To be licensed in the UB Church, every candidate needs to take the UB History course. It is being offered this summer at Huntington University. Please get this info to every person associated with your cluster’s churches who needs to take the course.
UB HISTORY SURVEY
June 5-8, 2006
Huntington University
COST: $250 for course. Housing on-campus provided at a nominal cost.
Course will be completed that week. No papers or projects to complete afterward.
For more information or to apply for the course, contact Lori Garde at the Graduate School of Christian Ministries.

16 Feb

February 16, 2006 |

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
Recently I was challenged to a full orbed view of the Great Commission. Since we are covenanting together to be “Great Commission” churches, we must have a full view of what that entails. The front side of the commission is to make disciples. We know that this is the dominant verb in the sentence. It is also a command. Disciples are not “converts” if by converts we simply imply an evangelistic decision by someone. Disciples are on a life pursuit. Disciples are learners who are growing in grace and knowledge of the truth. Disciples are lovers of God and people. Disciples are passionate about doing what Jesus did, invading the world to “seek and to save that which was lost.” The “going”, “baptizing” and “teaching” are all supportive parts of the making of disciples.
Some churches practice an evangelistic thrust that emphasizes people who make a “decision,” but they are left to fend for themselves about what it all means to follow Jesus. They would be like a seed that springs up quickly but is either taken away or burned away by the sun fairly quickly. Other churches seem focused on teaching, believing that if you teach your people truth, they will evangelize. Without an intentional plan to go “make new disciples,” these folks can become like the leaders of Jesus day who were ever hearing but not understanding. Right teaching which leads to right action will also lead to the giving away of truth.
Is your ministry “full orbed?” What do you do to intentionally speak into the community and culture around you with the Gospel of Jesus? Who have you spoken to personally in the past weeks? And are you continuing to “teach everything He has commanded?” Are your people maturing in their faith to where they can’t help speak of what they have seen and heard? Holding onto the Gospel of Jesus Christ (revelation) and intentionally seeking to save that which was lost (relevance) will help keep our ministries aligned with the Great Commission in all its fullness.