South Scipio UB church (Harlan, Ind.)

Brad North, newly appointed senior pastor of South Scipio UB church (Harlan, Ind.), sent this note:

“What an amazing morning we had celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. An added celebration was this being my first Sunday as the pastor of this church.”

Fill out my online form.

Mary Ann Goldsmith, 86, wife of UB minister Rev. Wayne Goldsmith, passed away on March 31, 2018. She was a pastor’s wife for 66 years.

Viewing: 5-8pm Wednesday, April 4, 2018.
Viewing location: D.O. McComb & Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home, 4017 Maplecrest Rd., Fort Wayne, Ind.
Funeral: 3pm Thursday, April 5, 2018.
Funeral location: Central Church, 5801 Schwartz Rd, Ft Wayne, Ind.

Read the online funeral notice.

Chris Augustat, alongside her husband, Tom, being ordained by Bishop Todd Fetters.

Chris Augustat was ordained as a United Brethren elder on Saturday, March 24, by Bishop Todd Fetters. She is the children’s pastor at Fowlerville UB church (Fowlerville, Mich.). The ordination service was conducted at Fowlerville during the 6 pm Saturday night service.

Participating in the ordination were Mark Wilson, senior pastor of the Fowlerville church, and Dan Bentz, senior pastor of Eden UB church (Mason, Mich.).

Phil and Sandy Whipple with Patsy Burelison Nelson (center).

Patsy Burelison Nelson, the mother of former bishop Phil Whipple, passed away on March 21. Phil wrote on Tuesday: “My mom has decided to move to a new address. She left for her permanent home this afternoon. She decided that this Easter would be spent in heaven with Jesus himself. It is a wonderful blessing to have the hope that we have in Christ. Today is not the end, but rather the beginning. No more pain, no more confusion, and no more limitations.”

Viewing: 5-8 pm Monday, March 26.
Funeral: 11 am Tuesday, March 27.
Viewing and funeral location: Grace Point Church of the Nazarene, 8611 Mayhew Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46835.

Phil and Sandy Whipple pastor a Missionary Church congregation in Yale, Mich. Address:

Phil Whipple
14840 Jeddo Rd.
Brown City, MI 48416

L-r: Josh Good, Lester Smith, Darrel Bosworth, Jerald Jones.

Josh Good has been appointed pastor of Hillsdale UB church (Hillsdale, Mich.) effective June 10, 2018. He has been senior pastor of Homefront UB church (Grandville, Mich.) since 2012, and has served in United Brethren ministry since 1998.

Lester Smith, senior pastor of Hillsdale UB church since 1998, is retiring effective June 1, 2018. He has been a United Brethren minister since 1980, serving four different UB churches in Michigan: Pennfield (Battle Creek), Maple Hill (Grandville), Richfield Road (Flint, 11 years), and Hillsdale.

Darrel Bosworth has been appointed senior pastor of Sunfield UB church (Sunfield, Mich.) effective April 2, 2018. He began his ministry at Sunfield as associate pastor in 1999, was senior pastor of Kilpatrick UB church (Woodland, Mich.) 2002-2016, and for the past year has been interim pastor of McCallum UB church (Delton, Mich.).

Jerald Jones has been appointed pastor of McCallum UB church (Delton, Mich.) effective March 18, 2018.

The United Brethren Association’s Annual Ministry Leadership Resource Day is coming up. Anyone in any leadership position at your church is invited to attend. (This event was formerly known as “Pastor Resource Day.”)

Date: Monday, April 23rd
Time: 9 am – Noon
Location: Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center.
Address: 7693 Browns Mill Road, Chambersburg, PA 17202

Mike Dean, pastor of Living Water UB church (Winchester, Va.) will unpack II Corinthians 10:3-5. What is a “stronghold”? What does it mean to “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ”? Learn Scriptural principles for healing, wrong thinking, and damaged emotions.

There is no cost to attend the seminar. Fees associated with lunch and Sunday night lodging are on the brochure.

You can register here.

The 2nd Annual Integrate for Life Conference will be held Saturday, March 24, 2018. This conference is designed to help individuals and families in our churches and communities live a more healthy, balanced life spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Location: Emmanuel Community Church, 12222 US 24 West, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Time: on Saturday, March 24, 2018. Registration begins at 7:30 am.

Early Registration: $25 by February 24
Registration after February 24: $35

The conference, provided by area counselors and health professionals, will teach practical ways to find healing and hope when facing the stresses of life and hurts in relationships.

Keynote Speakers and Workshops

Dr. Peter Jakacki & Dr. Gregory Sowles will lead keynote sessions at the beginning and end of the day (8-9am and 2-3 pm). In between will be three breakout sessions, with a total of 18 workshops being offered.

  1. Suicide Prevention- saving those who are hurting.
  2. Breaking out of the bondage of over-control in marital relationships.
  3. Same-Sex Attraction/Homosexuality: Walk a Mile in Their Shoes.
  4. Same-Sex Attraction/Homosexuality: A Gracious Response.
  5. Boundaries in Relationships.
  6. Nutritional Deficiency: Hype or Reality? Exploring options and utilizing diagnostic tools and lab testing on Micronutrients, MTHFR, and beyond.
  7. The Dance of Marriage: New Steps to Understanding and Collaboration.
  8. Making the Connection: Understanding how Social Media is Changing Relationships.
  9. Refreshed or Stressed?- Harnessing awareness to live well in a chaotic world.
  10. Aging, Dementia and Living Forward.
  11. Brain Health: Moving Beyond Epigenetics of the Integrated-Self into a thriving life.
  12. Connecting With Kids: Parenting Towards Secure Attachment.
  13. Forgiveness: Letting loose the bondage of living a wounded lifestyle.
  14. Emotional Freedom Techniques: EFT to Relieve Distress and Trauma Responses.
  15. Out of the Ashes: How the Holocaust Birthed the Feuerstein Program and its Applications Today.
  16. Burnout: Under the Broom Tree.
  17. Living Well with Chronic Pain.
  18. There’s NO SUCH THING as a Superman (woman) Cape – How to Really Care for Yourself.

Go here for details, bios on speakers and workshops leaders, and registration.

If you would like to partner with us as a vendor or underwriter click this link. For vendor or underwriter questions, contact Andrew Ott or Bonnie Kiser.

If you have questions or need more information, call Emmanuel Community Church, 260-672-3377.

Demonstrating 1968 phone technology are Mayor Brooks Fetters (right) with Indiana state treasurer Kelly Mitchell and AT&T Indiana president William Soards.

Brooks Fetters (left) with Ken and Kay Sunseri at the commemoration in Washington, DC. Ken is the current mayor of Haleyville, Ala., and Kay’s father was mayor when the first 911 call was placed in 1968.

During February and March, events were held to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Emergency 911 call system. Congressman J. Edward Roush (right), a Huntington University graduate and United Brethren member, led the crusade to implement the system.

Brooks Fetters, mayor of Huntington (as well as an ordained United Brethren minister), was part of a group from Huntington that traveled to Washington DC for a commemoration of the 911 system. Also participating was a large contingent from Haleyville, Alabama, where the first 911 call was made on February 16, 1968.

Huntington was the first US city for which Bell Telephone (owned by AT&T) instituted 911 service. Congressman Roush placed the first 911 call to a local policeman on March 1, 1968, placing a call to a local police officer. During that first week, 13 calls to 911 were made by Huntington residents. Prior to that, people had to dial “O” for the operator or look up the specific number for the various emergency services (ambulance, fire, police, etc.). Now, thanks to the efforts of Congressman Roush, 240 million emergency calls are placed to 911 every year across the country.

A recognition was held to mark the March 1 anniversary in Huntington. Participating were Indiana State Treasurer Kelly Mitchell and William Soards, president of AT&T Indiana, along with Mayor Brooks Fetters. A US flag which had flown over the US Capitol was presented in honor of Congressman Roush (made possible by Jim Banks, who now represents the Indiana 3rd District in Congress).

Dr. Roush graduated from Huntington University in 1942, and then served as an officer in the US Army in the European theater during World War II. He served six terms as a Democratic Congressman, followed by several years as director of the Environmental Protection Agency. He was an avid supporter of Huntington University, and even served as interim president in 1989 while President Eugene Habecker was on sabbatical. He was also the denominational legal counsel and served the denomination in other capacities. Ed and Polly Roush were longtime members of College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind. He passed away on March 26, 2004. Roush was the subject of this “On This Day in UB History” post.

The first city in North America to use an emergency number was Winnipeg, in Canada. They used the number 999, which had been used in England since 1937. They switched to 911 after the United States proposed using that number. Mexico used the number 066, but in June 2017 the entire country switched to 911.

Huntington University is on the 14th season of NBC’s The Voice. Christiana Danielle Hicks, a 2017 graduate in sociology, was the first contestant in the March 5 blind auditions. Three of the coaches buzzed in on her–Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, and Alicia Keys. She chose to be coached by Alicia Keys.

On campus at Huntington University, students gathered in the HUB for a watch party with each broadcast (the blind auditions were also held February 26 and 27).

2016 Homecoming king and queen Christiana Danielle Hicks and Andrew Dean.

Christiana was an outstanding student and athlete at Huntington University. She was a member of Joyful Noise, the worship team that led chapel services. She was the 2016 Homecoming Queen. And she represented HU as a Frontline Forester, a select group of students who represent the university in various contexts.

Christiana holds several HU track-and-field records. She was an NAIA All-American in the triple jump in both 2016 and 2017. She holds the school record in the triple jump (indoor and outdoor), and the indoor record in the 60 meters and 200 meters. She competed in the NAIA national meet all four years.

For the blind audition on The Voice, Christiana sang Drake’s “Hotline Bling.” Adam Levine, Alicia Keys, and Kelly Clarkson all praised her as they pled to be her coach. Levine, who buzzed in almost immediately, described Danielle as “one of the greatest gifts we have been given on this show.”

Said Keys, “I cannot even contain myself from the way that you make us feel. It is crazy. What you just did was so exciting for music. I feel like you just brought Ella Fitzgerald in with you through Drake….I would love to be your coach. It would be a dream come true.”

Clarkson said, “It does not matter who you pick, you can win this show.” Christiana chose Alicia Keys, who was also a coach on seasons 11 and 12 (and won season 12 with Chris Blue).

There’s still a week of blind auditions, so Christiana won’t be seen for a couple of weeks. If she keeps advancing, viewers will eventually be able to cast votes for her.

Christiana is from Fort Wayne, Ind., as was Addison Agen, the previous season’s runner-up.