The People at Headquarters
Dr. Ray A. Seilhamer
Bishop, 1993-2001
January 1997
What is your picture of the denominational headquarters in Huntington, Indiana?
Do you envision a large controlling corporate entity with a lot of people running
around and sending out edicts to churches?
The reality is that the UB Headquarters staff includes just 13 persons, a few
of them parttime. Three of us are elected by General Conference to four-year terms,
three hold associate-level administrative posts, and the rest are secretarial
and other support staff. The staff can be divided into three groups:
- Missions Department. Director Kyle McQuillen is joined by WMF director
Donna Hollopeter and two secretaries: Mabel Mundy and Linda Krieger.
- Church Services Department. Paul Hirschy has headed this department
since 1981. Marilyn Waters manages the bookstore and curriculum operation, which
sends Sunday school materials to over 500 churches (some non-UB) every quarter.
Phylis Stouder works parttime as secretary.
- Administration. This catch-all group includes three administrative
persons—myself, Marda Hoffman (the office manager and denominational treasurer),
and Communications Manager Steve Dennie. We are joined by Sue Cherry, the receptionist;
Janet Bilyew, who helps Marda with a variety of accounting chores; and Phyllis
Lahr, my executive secretary (who also fills that role for Paul Hirschy).
Every year, the six administrative staffers go to Camp Michindoh for a couple
days of planning, evaluation, and reflection. This past August, we spent some
time developing about a dozen core values for the UB Headquarters. I’d like
to comment on some of them.
We exist to serve our churches.
In some denominations, the headquarters takes a front-and-center role, dreaming
up programs and initiatives and inflicting them on churches. Everything revolves
around the central headquarters.
We take a much different approach, philosophically. Be believe everything revolves
around the local church, and around the people—like you—who carry out
the ministry of your church.
Our job is not to sit around thinking up things for churches to do and setting
an agenda which we expect everyone to follow. The real work of our denomination
occurs at the local church level. Planning and decision-making need to be kept
as close to the grassroots as possible, rather than centralized in Huntington,
Ind.
We see our job as helping churches be successful in accomplishing their own goals.
We do that in many ways, usually by providing resources or expertise (print materials,
speakers, consultants, financial services, etc.). Rather than draw attention to
Huntington, we prefer staying in the background, letting churches and conferences
take the lead in setting their own vision, and coming alongside to help.
Our work facilitates connectedness between churches.
As a denomination, none of our churches stand alone. We are networked—united—with
fellow churches and members across North America and around the world. As a Headquarters,
we manage aspects of that network—facilitating interaction between churches,
maintaining a sense of corporate identity, and overseeing ministries which we
can best do cooperatively (such as missions and the pastors’ pension program).
We operate as a team, not erecting barriers between departments.
In the past, when the Headquarters staff was larger (as many as 27 people in
1980, and 23 in 1988), each department was pretty much self-sufficient, taking
care of its own needs. There were pretty distinct boundaries between departments.
But today, we operate more as a team, with people helping out where needed, regardless
of what department claims them. It works well.
Our service to the church springs from personal
spiritual vitality, and is reflected in prayer for the church.
Here at the UB Headquarters, we start every day with devotions. At the beginning
of the week, Sue Cherry writes the names of five churches and pastors on the board,
and we pray for those churches during the week, focusing on one church each day.
A few weeks in advance, Sue sends letters to the selected churches, inviting pastors
to send prayer requests. Many respond.
So every morning, we start the day with our hearts and attention where they
belong: on you, the people we exist to serve.
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