Home About Us Resources Missions For Ministers News Links Other Stuff
UBIC Title

August 2005

August 31, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief. United Brethren people have a history of responding with funds and as volunteers when disaster strikes. When hurricanes hit Florida, we worked through our UB churches there providing relief. After the tsunami last December, we worked through our workers in India.

Several UB people have inquired about ways to help victims of Katrina. Because we do not have any close United Brethren connections in the area that has been hit by Katrina, we are referring people to other reputable organizations that are able to mobilize this relief effort.

Please contact the organization of your choice.

World Relief www.wr.org 800-535-5433
World Vision www.worldvision.org  
Samaritan's Purse www.samaritan.org  
Salvation Army www.salvationarmyusa.org contact your local group
Red Cross www.redcross.org contact your local group
AmeriCares www.americares.org 800-486-4357
International Aid www.internationalaid.org 800-968-7490

August 29, 2005

Among Ministers.

  • Rockford, Ohio. Jonathan Braunstein is the new Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship at New Horizons UB. He began his employment August 15. Jon is a 1997 graduate of Lancaster Bible College with a degree in Bible/Christian Education:Youth. During the past couple of years he has been a teacher at Victory Christian School in Niles, Ohio, teaching Bible, Technology, and PE. Prior to that, he was the Associate Pastor of Youth and Families for five years at Grace Baptist Church in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
  • Alexandria, Ind. Larry Schimmel resigned as pastor of the Innisdale Church effective July 31, 2005.
  • Lancaster, Ohio. Wayne Goldsmith concluded his work as the interim minister at Lancaster Church effective August 14, 2005.
  • Monroe, Ind. Wes Kuntzman resigned as pastor at Monroe Church effective November 27. His last day of service to the congregation was August 28. He will be on sabbatical until the end of November.
  • Van Wert, Ohio. Ryan Clark resigned as pastor at First Church in Van Wert effective September 11. Ryan will return to his native Oregon to plant a church.
  • Decatur, Ind. Robert Shook retired from the pastorate at Mt. Zion UB effective July 31, 2005.
  • Montpelier, Ohio. Jeff Davis resigned as pastor of Nettle Lake UB effective August 5. He accepted a pastorate with a different group.
  • Liberty Center, Ohio. Steve Clymer resigned as pastor of Victory Chapel UB (Liberty Center, Ohio) effective August 5. He is entering fulltime secular work.

Huntington, Ind.

  • Huntington College will officially re-open as Huntington University with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and special chapel service on Thursday, September 1. The public is invited to attend. The ribbon-cutting will take place at the campus' main entrance at the intersection of Guilford Street and Merillat Boulevard at 9:30 a.m. on September 1. The ceremony will be followed by an all-campus convocation at 10 a.m., in Zurcher Auditorium. Read more.
  • Ned Kiser, HU's Vice President of Advancement since 1995, has accepted a position with Asian Access, a mission agency that seeks to develop leaders for churches across Asia. Kiser's new position will allow him to continue living in Huntington. Read more.
  • Taking part in the Volunteer Plunge has become a rite of initiation for new students at Huntington University. For the past 12 years, Huntington University's new students have participated in the Joe Mertz Center Volunteer Plunge. This year 18 teams of freshmen and transfer students will volunteer at various places in the Huntington community, bringing to life HU's campus mission of impacting the world for Christ. The annual Volunteer Plunge is held in conjuction with the two-day new student orientation. Students will help clean, paint, participate in yard work and other various indoor and outdoor projects throughout the Huntington community. Service locations for the 2005 Volunteer Plunge include the Youth Services Bureau, the American Red Cross, Eastbrook Ranch, Connecting Friends, Love Inc., Horace Mann and Riverview Elementary Schools, Lincoln Elementary School, YMCA, Kid's Kampus, the Dan Quayle Center, Huntington Head Start, Lancaster Elementary School, the Boys and Girls Club, Huntington House, Good Shepherd Church, and the Park Department. Read more.

August 26, 2005

Huntington, Ind. The following was sent out to the UB email list by Pat Jones, the new Director of Healthy Church Ministries. He provides some information regarding what lies ahead as the United Brethren church embarks on radical transformation in how we operate, and as we begin implementing a new structure based on cluster group.

"An age of change has come for the United Brethren church. After a time of challenge, we have come together to look toward the future by copying a chapter from our past. Otterbein and Boehm were men who came from different backgrounds, but agreed on their purpose: reaching people with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"Bishop Ron Ramsey is preparing his first communique to be sent out after he finishes moving to Huntington. In it he will share his vision for the future and set the tone for the strategic steps we must take in the immediate days ahead. Until then, I wanted to send out a message to encourage us as we prepare to move ahead and also to answer some questions about the next steps.

"During the meeting of the US National Conference in June, we agreed to take drastic steps to bring transformation in the life of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, and to bring renewal in our efforts to reach people and establish new churches. Already, several conferences have taken the initial steps to begin the process. Central, Michigan, Sandusky and other conferences are moving ahead with plans to dissolve their conferences in 2006, preparing the way for a single US National Conference in 2007. We applaud their actions and thank the leadership for their direction.

"Through the years, as I have typed our name, I have inadvertently called us the "Untied" Brethren rather than "United" Brethren. This may be a reflection of what took place over the past two years. During the discussion and votes on the possible joining with the Missionary Church, we sometimes observed actions and attitudes that were not glorifying to our Lord. This took a toll on us. Many experienced personal hurts, disillusionment, questions, and pain.

"Now is a time for forgiveness, healing, and the restoration of relationships behind a common, single goal. God has placed us all in a position, for the time in which we live, to reach toward each other in the bonds of Christ. We must, again, become partners to effectively impact our world for Jesus Christ. Repentance, confession, forgiveness and restoration, all things that we value and preach, must rise up as personal and vital tools as we move into the future. Where there is need, we encourage each of us to get our hearts prepared and renewed.

"Pastors, we want to encourage you to watch your email and regular mail over the next two weeks. You will receive a packet that will include instructions and paperwork you will need to start forming your clusters. As you may know, an application for each cluster formed must be submitted to the Executive Leadership Team for final approval. This should be done for each church by the end of the year.

"Our goal is to have every church connected to others in clusters by the beginning of 2006. At this crucial time, I want to reiterate how vital it is that we work together for the common good and not just for what will benefit "me" or "my church." This is as much a question of how, for the sake of the Kingdom, we can invest in others as it is a question of how I and my church will benefit. Now, more that ever, we need to live up to our name, UNITED Brethren.

"I personally hope to be in nearly every conference in some way during September and October to share ideas and offer any organizational assistance to get the process moving ahead. I desperately need your help. You are vital to its success. Watch your mail for further details soon."

August 18, 2005

New Ministers, New Baptisms. The Underwood UB church (Oakland, Md.) has licensed two men as ministers: Mike Bernard and Marty Wilt. The church also baptized 15 people.

The Mill Chapel UB church (Reedsville, W. Va.) also licensed one new minister: Nick Bryan. In addition, 16 people have been baptized in recent months, and another 15 are to be baptized on August 21.

Both churches are looking at building projects, since they are becoming overcrowded. God is blessing and lives are being changed. Marshall Woods is the pastor of both churches.