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21 Dec Heart O’ the Lakes Becomes One Church with Two Locations

December 21, 2021 |0 Comments

L-r: Bishop Todd Fetters, Rev. Todd Frederick, Rev. Cyle Young.

The Pathway congregation.

The new “Jackson Campus” sign of Heart O’ the Lakes.

Heart O’ the Lakes UB church now has two locations in Michigan–Brooklyn and Jackson. As of December 6, Pathway UB church in Jackson is now officially Heart O’ the Lakes – Jackson.

Pathway, known as Gethsemane until 2006, was founded in 1970 by Rev. Herb Cherry. In 1972, Gethsemane helped support Rev. Milan Maybee in planting a new UB church in Brooklyn. Now those two congregations have come together under the same banner.

Rev. Cyle Young has been lead pastor of Heart O’ the Lakes since 2016. He will continue in that role with both congregations. Rev. Todd Frederick, who was assigned as senior pastor of Pathway in 2017, will now join Cody Morehead as associate pastors of Heart O’ the Lakes—one church with two locations.

21 Dec Retirement of Rev. Ted and Linda Doolittle

December 21, 2021 |0 Comments

Rev. Ted and Linda Doolittle

On December 19, the Calvary UB church of Saginaw, Mich., held a retirement celebration for Rev. Ted and Linda Doolittle, who have served the church for the past 14 years, and a total of 41 years in United Brethren ministry.

Ted and Linda both grew up in United Brethren churches–Ted at First UB in Findlay, Ohio, and Linda at Richfield Road in Flint, Mich. They graduated together from Huntington University in 1979 and were married in March 1980. Ted graduated from the HU Graduate School of Christian Ministries in 1981 and was ordained that year.

Ted began his ministry in 1980 with two years on staff at Mainstreet UB church in Walbridge, Ohio. That was followed by four years at the UB church in Steubenville, Ohio; eight years at what is now Shoreline UB church in Oak Harbor, Ohio; five years at Ted’s home church of First UB in Findlay, Ohio; and then eight years as an associate pastor at Mount Zion UB church in Wayne, Ohio. In 2008, they were assigned to Calvary Community Church.

16 Dec Death of Rev. H. Dean VanderVeen

December 16, 2021 |0 Comments

Rev. H. Dean VanderVeen, 93, a retired UB minister in Michigan, passed away in his sleep on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. He was at home, with family at his side.

Both visitation and the funeral will occur on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at Calvary United Brethren church in Saginaw, Mich. (2895 E. Moore Road, Saginaw, MI 48601).

Visitation: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.
Funeral: 1:00 pm.

Dean’s son, Rev. Gary VanderVeen, and Rev. Ted Doolittle, the current pastor of Calvary UB, will officiate.

Dean was ordained as a United Brethren minister in 1965. He founded Calvary Community Church in Saginaw in 1971 and served as its pastor until 1992.

Dean and Annabelle, who survives, were married in 1951. Her address:

Annabelle VanderVeen
4620 McIntosh Rd
Birch Run, MI 48415-8704

16 Dec Dec 20 Funeral for Bishop Paul Hirschy

December 16, 2021 |0 Comments

The memorial service for former bishop Paul Hirschy will be held at 11:00 am Monday, December 20, 2021. Location: College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind.

Visitation is 2-7 pm Sunday, December 19, at Myers Funeral Home in Huntington (2901 Guilford St, Huntington, IN 46750). Visitation will also occur one hour before the service on Monday.

The memorial service will be livestreamed on Youtube at this address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkNtTZVUvYI

Bishop Todd Fetters will give the memorial message. Former bishop Ray Seilhamer will also give some remarks.

04 Dec Death of Former Bishop Paul Hirschy

December 4, 2021 |0 Comments

Former Bishop Paul E. Hirschy, 75, passed away December 1, 2021. The viewing and funeral will be held December 19-20 in Huntington, Ind.

Viewing: 2-7 pm Sunday, December 19, 2021
Viewing location: Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford St, Huntington, IN 46750
Funeral: 11 am Monday, December 20, 2021
Funeral location: College Park UB church, 1945 College Avenue,
Huntington, IN 46750.

Bishop Todd Fetters will officiate at the funeral service, which will be streamed online on Youtube.

Paul graduated from Huntington University in 1968, and from the HU Seminary in 1972. In 1968 he began ten years of pastoral ministry–initially in Convoy, Ohio, followed by nine years at Park UB church in Bluffton, Ind. He managed the denominational printshop 1978-1981, and then was elected by General Conference to the first of five terms as Director of Church Services at the UB national office.

In 2001, Paul was elected bishop of the US National Conference. He served in that role until 2005. He worked the next seven years as a development officer at Huntington University, and since 2012 has been associate pastor at College Park UB church in Huntington.

On October 1, 2021, Huntington University awarded Paul the Distinguished Alumni Citation, which recognizes exceptional service over an extended period of time. “Service” is, indeed, what Paul is most known for—a man with a true servant’s heart.

Paul is survived by his wife Barbara, to whom he was married in 1969, and their three children: Jason Hirschy (Thornton, Colo.), Heather Gonzales (Washington, D. C.), and Amber Kaushik (Alexandria, Va.).

Condolences can be sent to Barbara Hirschy at:

Barbara Hirschy
5493 N Goshen Road
Huntington, IN 46750-8940

Memorial donations may be made to Huntington University or College Park UB Church, both in care of Myers Funeral Home, 2901 Guilford St., Huntington, IN 46750.

You can read the official obituary on the Myers Funeral Home website.

02 Dec Death of Paul Hirschy, Bishop 2001-2005

December 2, 2021 |5 Comments

Former Bishop Paul E. Hirschy, 75, passed away December 1, 2021, after a long battle with cancer. Funeral arrangements are being made through the Myers Funeral Home in Huntington.

Paul graduated from Huntington University in 1968, and that year began ten years of pastoral ministry–initially in Convoy, Ohio, followed by nine years at Park UB church in Bluffton, Ind. He managed the denominational printshop 1978-1981, and then was elected by General Conference to the first of five terms as Director of Church Services at the UB national office.

Condolences can be sent to Paul’s wife, Barbara, at:

Barbara Hirschy
5493 N Goshen Road
Huntington, IN 46750-8940

16 Nov All for Christ Now Available in Epub format

November 16, 2021 |0 Comments

Both volumes of All for Christ are now available as epubs for $6.99 each on Amazon. These books, published in 2017, focus on UB history 1981-2017, but go back to the beginning to tell the complete story of our various mission fields, and of our evolving stands on various issues (alcohol, women in ministry, abortion, assigning pastors, and more). Now you can read them on your tablet or smartphone.

Go here to order either the print or epub versions: All for Christ 1 | All for Christ 2.

16 Nov HU Day of Giving: Thursday November 18

November 16, 2021 |0 Comments

Thursday, November 18, is the annual Huntington University Day of Giving. Every gift goes toward student scholarships. Day of Giving is all about helping current and future students experience HU. They’ve arranged a variety of matching grants to make your gift go further. For more information and to donate, go to www.huntington.edu/DayOfGiving.

15 Nov Death of Randy Fennig, former UB Pastor and Missionary

November 15, 2021 |0 Comments

Randy and Toni Fennig

Randy Fennig, 67, passed away November 11, 2021, at his home in Portland, Ind. He had served as a UB pastor for ten years, as a UB missionary in Sierra Leone for three years, and as a member of the UB Global Leadership Team.

Visitation: 4-7 pm Monday, November 15, at Williamson-Spencer and Penrod Funeral Home in Portland, Ind.
Funeral: 11:00 am Tuesday, November 16.
Funeral location: Westchester United Methodist Church, 4487 E. 400 N. Portland, Ind.

Randy grew up on a farm in Indiana and earned a degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. He and Toni had served for a time with Africa Inland Mission in Mozambique.

Randy was senior pastor of Prince of Peace UB church (Springfield, Ohio) from 1998-2008. He was ordained as a United Brethren minister in 2002.

In 2008, Randy and his wife, Toni, moved to Sierra Leone. Randy taught at Evangelical College of Theology in the Freetown area, a seminary which trains many of the UB pastors in Sierra Leone Conference, and also engaged in agricultural development.

The Fennigs concluded their ministry in Sierra Leone in 2011, and returned to the States in August of that year.

11 Nov Obituary: Rev. Thomas L. Brodbeck, 1935-2021

November 11, 2021 |0 Comments

Rev. Thomas L. Brodbeck, 85, passed away on November 9, 2021. He served 19 years in United Brethren ministry in Indiana, Ohio, and Idaho.

Viewing: 9:00 am Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Funeral: 10:30 am Saturday, November 13, 2021.
Location: Glancy-H.Brown & Son Funeral Home, Warren, Ind.

Brodbeck graduated from high school in 1953 in his hometown of St. Mary’s, Ohio, served in Korea with the US Army, and worked for the city of St. Mary’s until sensing God’s call to the ministry. He was 35 when he moved his family to Huntington, Ind., so he could enter college. He graduated from Huntington University with a bachelor’s degree, and in 1975 received the Master of Christian Ministries. He was ordained in 1975.

Brodbeck served 19 years in United Brethren ministry: 1927-1979 at the UB church in Van Buren, Ind.; 1979-1983 as director of Camp Cotubic in Bellefontaine, Ohio; 1985-1988 as pastor of Log Cabin UB church in Boise, Idaho; and 1988-1993 as pastor of Third Street (now Anchor) UB church in Fort Wayne, Ind. He then served a Wesleyan congregation in Waldron, Mich., until 2017.

At the time of his death, Brodbeck was living with his wife Cathy in Van Buren, Ind. (609 E 3rd St, Warren, IN 46792-9410). He is the father of Rev. Thomas M. Brodbeck, who served 27 years in United Brethren ministry, including as fulltime superintendent of Central Conference.

Memorial contributions should be directed to Camp Cotubic, 2158 Road 25 North, Bellefontaine, OH 43311.

You can read the online obituary here.