doris-malson200Here are the funeral details for Doris Malson, who passed away on December 24.

Visitation: 3-6pm on Saturday, January 2, 2016,.
Visitation location: Mt. Hope UB church Fellowship Building, 5011 Mt. Hope Road, Carson City, Mich.
Memorial service: 3pm Sunday, January 3, 2016.
Memorial service location: East Washington UB church, 8051 S. Crapo Road, Ashley, Mich. (corner of Crapo and M 57 just west of Ashley). Visitation one hour prior to the service. Rev. Steve Malson, a son, will officiate.

Doris M. Malson was born August 17, 1923 in Lansing, Mich., the daughter of Fred and Bessie Crowl. She was a good student, athlete, and president of her class the last three years in high school. She and Charles F. Malson met and fell in love at Camden High and were married after graduation in the fall of 1941, a couple weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. They were married for 73 years. Charles preceded her in death in 2013.

Doris is survived by her children Beth and Lee Palmer, Cathie Kesler-Collins and Tom Collins, Chuck and Kate Malson, Patsy and Trent Bushnell, Steve and Jody Malson, Mary and Doug Streeter, by 19 grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren.

Doris’ life was manifested by her love for Jesus, her devotion to Charles, her family, and a host of those who loved her as family. She spent her life caring for others and was proud of how many were unofficially adopted into the Malson clan. She cooked for camps and conferences at the Carson City Christian Camping Center. She readily hosted people for meals. Visitors knew that they would be offered ice cream and her famous homemade chocolate topping and/or homemade donuts even if it were a drop-in visit.

charles-doris-malsonDoris and Charles farmed after marriage until Charles answered the call to Christian ministry. They moved to New York, where Charles attended Houghton College. To supplement their income, Doris did laundry for college men. One Monday she washed, starched, and ironed 58 white shirts along with the other laundry. (This was before dryers were common.)

She served alongside Charles at Brown Corners UB church in Clare, Mich., 1952-1957, and at Richfield Road UB church in Flint, 1957-1982. Dozens consider her to be Mom or Grandma. Doris traveled extensively with Charles, who was fulltime superintendent of Michigan Conference 1982-1991, when he retired.

Doris and Charles visited various countries while serving on the denominational Board of Missions. She was president of the Michigan Conference Women’s Missionary Association for several years. While in the Carson City area, they were faithful members of the Mt. Hope United Brethren in Christ Church.

She and Charles believed in giving back to the community where they lived. They volunteered at Carson City Hospital for more than 25 years, developing many community friends while helping to create a wonderfully welcoming atmosphere as people registered.

Memorial funds may be made to any of the following:

  • Carson City Christian Camping Center, 10890 Easy Street, Carson City, MI 48811.
  • Greater Lansing Youth for Christ, 5222 Dumond Dr, Lansing, MI 48917.
  • Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 48607.

Doris Malson passed away at 6:30pm on Christmas Eve. She had suffered a massive stroke on Friday, December 18.

Her son Chuck wrote, “At 6:30 tonight, Christmas eve, my Mom, Doris Malson said Merry Christmas to St. Peter at the gates of heaven, knelt at the feet of Jesus, and looked around for Pop, Charles Malson. At least, that’s how I imagine it. What a great time for a great woman. Thank you for all your prayers and love. No details yet on the visitation or Memorial services.”

nicaragua-bikes

Are you, or is your church, looking for a Christmas missions project? How about providing a bicycle to a pastor or church planter in Nicaragua?

Brown Corners UB church in Clare, Mich., has already made it possible for six pastors to receive bicycles so they can minister more effectively in their rural communities. Three more pastors would benefit from having a bicycle. The entire cost for three more bicycles is $500.

If you’d like to help, send your gift marked “Bicycles for Nicaragua” to:

Global Ministries
302 Lake Street
Huntington, IN 46750

macy_evalineEvaline M. Macy, 86, wife of Rev. Vernon Macy, passed away October 31, 2015, in Hastings, Mich. She and Vernon, a former UB missionary in Honduras, were married in 1986. For a brief time they pastored in Michigan.

The funeral was held November 4 at Hastings Baptist Church in Hasting, Mich.

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In 2016, we will hold summits for senior pastors and spouses of churches of all sizes (as was done in 2014). The denomination will cover all costs except for transportation and a few meals. All three summits will be held at the Hilton Daytona Beach Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Summit 1: March 28-31
For pastors of churches with an attendance of 300+.

Summit 2: April 11-14
For pastors of churches with attendance from 150-300.

Summit 3: April 25-28
For pastors of churches with attendance less than 150.

More information on the UB website.

Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.) honored military veterans during the service on Sunday, November 8. The guest speaker had been a Prisoner of War during World War 2. Forty veterans were among the 345 people who attended the service. A meal was held after the second worship service to honor all veterans.

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Sunday, November 1, was a joyful and momentous occasion at King Street Church. Dr. Jody Bowser was introduced and preached his first sermon as King Street’s new senior pastor. As a part of celebrating the beginning of the next chapter in King Street’s 137-year history, Jody and his wife, Caryn, were prayed for in each of the four services. Bishop Todd Fetters was on hand to participate in the services.

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BethelTemple1

Bethel Temple of Praise Church, now in its 11th year, has purchased the Yonkers Gospel Mission’s property located at 191 North Broadway in Yonkers, New York. Here are excerpts from a press release from the church:

On behalf of our pastor, Dr. Dalton Jenkins (right), and the Bethel Temple of Praise Church family, we express our gratitude to all those who have assisted financially and prayerful towards this purchase, especially Bishop Phil Whipple and the UB headquarters staff.

Our first Sunday service was held on Sunday, September 27 at 11:30 am.

The sanctuary and attached buildings will house the church’s ministry programs:

  • Soup kitchen/food pantry.
  • Housing for missionaries and pastors on sabbatical.
  • After-school/daycare program.

This purchase will allow us to fulfill our mission to reach the unsaved through the proclamation of the Gospel. We desire to make disciples through the teaching of the Word of God and to foster fellowship by strict adherence to biblical doctrines and ministries.

Bethel, an 11 year old church plant, offers a unique opportunity for global/urban ministry. Located in Yonkers, New York, it is only a 30-minute train ride from Grand Central Terminal, NYC. The church is much needed in this multicultural, multi-ethnic populated environment.

If you are planning your short term missions trip and need a place to go, please consider us at Bethel. We have several projects that can fulfill your plans. If you are led to help us please contact Dr. Jenkins.

Matt Kennedy with fellow team members and local people in Ethiopia.

Matt Kennedy with fellow team members and local people in Ethiopia.

In October, Matt Kennedy, pastor of Dillman Church (Warren, Ind.), spent two weeks in Ethiopia with Joni & Friends International and Christian Horizons Global. The team taught pastors and church planters how to minister to families and individuals with special needs. This trip was particularly meaningful to Matt because he and his wife, Jennifer, have a daughter with autism.

The team visited the cities of Asella, Hawassa, and Addis, conducting several days of disability ministry training with national church planters.

They were so blessed by the pastors’ desire to reach out to people with disabilities. The pastors desired not just to care for people with disabilities, but to empower those effected by disability to serve in the church.

The Ethiopian model churches are training people who are blind and deaf to serve in their churches. Repeatedly, the pastors said that this training had been beneficial in changing their attitudes toward people with disabilities.

One highlight for the team was making home visits to families impacted by special needs. This was such a blessing to those families, since the Ethiopian culture views disability as a curse or the result of parental sin being visited upon the children. They never hear that God loves them and views them as beautiful. They do not have people give them gifts and pray for them. Rejection and isolation is the common response to those with disability.

On the last day of the trip, the team visited the Center for Mentally Challenged Children. This program began in 1986 as a ministry of the Ethiopia Evangelical Church Mekena Yesus. It started with one child and now serves over 360 children and young adults. The team was deeply moved by the staff and their loving care and professional skills.

Through the Early Intervention program, parents are learning how to provide care at home and are seeing how much their children can learn. Their vision is to train their staff, who then transfer that knowledge to the parents. The Center brings disability awareness to the community and local churches.