January 2000 News Archive

01/28/00

"From 15-20 of "our own" did not make it out that night, mostly due to the weather. Twenty-five or so were guests (friends/family). We are also humbled that we made the front page of the local paper, and a full article on the second page of another paper. We are grateful for both the great coverage, and the many open doors to community service--particularly with the schools--that gave additional credibility with the papers.

"God 'showed up,' as many now like to say. Wonderful worship, powerful drama, effective and creative technology, a message thru which He spoke. It's very likely that a good number who intended to come, and did not due to weather, will check us out over the next week or so. I'm believing for at least 50 more. The lesser number than we expected made it possible for very good connecting over refreshments, and most stayed. Eight individuals or couples expressed interest in getting involved in a Home Group (on their first visit!)."

Check out the NorthPointe web site.

01/24/00

A Death in the Family: Karen Klassen. Karren Klassen of Kitchener, Ontario, died January 20 of kidney failuare. She was the wife of John Klassen, the half-time Children's Pastor at Stanley Park UB in Kitchener. She had had three unsuccessful kidney transplants. Superintendent Brian Magnus sent this note: "Karen went into hospital on Thursday morning (January 20). Many family and friends were able to meet with her throughout the day and evening. She was fully alert, laughing and talking with those who visited. After all of the visitors except her husband John had left, she fell asleep at about 9:30 PM. She never awoke. She died at about 11:15 PM. John was with her at the time." The Klassens have two children, Amanda and Danielle (ages 10 and 9).

Two Honors for Cliff Miller. The CEO of Michindoh Camp and Conference Center, Cliff Miller, received two noteworthy accolades during 1999:

• The Centennial Alumni Award from his alma mater, Azusas Pacific College. He is among the 100 men and women, selected from over 20,000 graduates, to receive this award for their service to Christ. (Awarded in October 1999.)
• Faculty of the Year in adult studies at Spring Arbor College, where he teaches part-time in Management and Organizational Development. (Awarded in February 1999.)

01/20/00

A Bible for People Who Previously Didn't Have One. Roger and Marilyn Reeck, partial support UB missionaries serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators, spent over 20 years translating the Bible into the Zapotec language, spoken by an Indian group in southern Mexico. It was dedicated last July, and the event was a huge celebration for the Zapotec people--and a day of enormous significant and joy to the Reecks.

01/19/00

Macau Goes Back to China. On December 20, Portugal turned over the city of Macau to China. Jana Hoobler sent this brief note: "Ceremonies for the handover of Macau to China were held at midnight on December 19. A variety of celebrations were held throughout the city for several days in honor of this event. The streets were packed with local citizens and reporters from around the world. Our team attended many of the celebrations, including a parade and a Chinese cultural performance."

Ways You Can Help STUMP. Youth and adults are needed for this summer’s edition of STUMP (the Summer Teen United Ministry Program). You can obtain an application by calling Susan Hoopingarner at the UB Headquarters: 1-888-622-3019.

Every year, UB churches help provide various items needed for STUMP. This year, we need money to buy 400 Bibles (to be given to each Jamaican student), enough 600 Polaroid film to photograph each student (60 cartridges with 10 pictures each), plus notebooks, pens, markers, crayons, construction paper, craft beads, and pipe cleaners.

If your church would like to help out, contact Susan at the number above. This is always a great help to the overall program.

Twenty-three persons from Heart O the Lakes UB (Brooklyn, Mich.) are going to Honduras on January 22 for a work project–the eighth from this church since 1992. Their efforts have resulted in the construction of a parsonage, a cistern cleaned and capped, and, with help from workers in Sandusky Conference, extensive work on the dorm facilities.

Hillsdale UB (Hillsdale, Mich.) set a Faith Promise goal of $10,000 for the year 2000. The first commitments, received October 24, nearly doubled the goal. Additional commitments in the following weeks took the pledges to $25,000. An additional $2,000 was then received for Thank Offering. Kudos for this mission-minded church.

Curt Dennie, from the UB church in Convoy, Ohio (his father, Stu, is co-pastor), went to Russia in October to serve at the Moscow Training Center, operated by the Bill Gothard organization. This is his second tour, having spent his senior year of high school (1998-1999) there. They run an orphanage, do Bible distribution, teach English, and many other things. Curt’s younger sister, Paula, spent December working at the Center.

A work crew from Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.) will travel to Haiti February 29—March 7 to help build a new radio studio for Radio 4VEH. This is the OMS station that Aldean Saufley has been ministering at since the mid-1950s (Aldean is a member of Salem UB). He and his wife Ellen receive their support through UB Missions. Salem will present and name one of the studios in honor of the Saufleys.

Central Conference Work Crew. Randy Fennig, pastor of Prince of Peace UB (Springfield, Ohio), will lead a team of 19 persons from four Central Conference churches in Ohio on a work trip to Honduras March 4-13. Ten of the members are from Prince of Peace. These persons and their churches are raising $1050 per person for the trip.

Kids Club in Dayton, Ohio. As part of the Wednesday night Kids Club at Prescott Avenue UB (Dayton, Ohio), Emma Payne focuses the children on the Robert and Joanne Brannon family, who are missionaries in Chad (Central Africa). Joanne’s father, Pastor Lynn Mefferd of Dillman UB (Warren, Ind.), formerly pastored Prescott UB. The children give an offering on Wednesday nights, which is sent to The Evangelical Alliance Mission for the Brannons.

Edenville, Pa. On November 21, the youth group of Mt. Olivet UB (Edenville, Pa.) participated in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. They went to Mt. Joy, Pa., to load shoeboxes of Christmas presents to be sent overseas to needy children. "We realized that these were the only Christmas presents that these children would get this year," says Youth Pastor Stan Becker. "It made us count our blessings and realize how good we actually have it here in the United States. We also wished that we could see the children’s faces when they opened the presents; we could imagine a big smile across their faces."

Wilber and Mossie Sites in Jamaica. Bishop Emeritus Wilber Sites retired in December 1998 as part-time Minister of Visitation at Otterbein UB in Waynesboro, Pa. He and his wife, Mossie, wanted to do short-term mission work.

On September 9, 1999, they went to Jamaica Bible College to teach for a term and do some preaching. Rev. Owen Gordon, a former Jamaica Conference pastor and superintendent, is now president of Jamaica Bible College, and many of the UB pastors are graduates.

Bishop Sites taught Homiletics, the Book of Romans, and Equipping the Laity for Ministry. Mossie taught Practical Christian Education and Women’s Role in Ministry. They also helped speak in the daily chapels. The school has 22 students in the Bible department, 11 of them first-year students (14 men, 8 women). They found the students responsive and eager to learn.

They wrote, "We enjoyed a very positive experience. We are looking forward to returning possibly in the year 2001. Being involved in ministry for the Lord is rewarding no matter where one serves. Persons like ourselves who are retired could use their gifts and talents to serve as short-term missionaries in many areas. Prayer is an effective way to begin to become involved. As one prays for need, often the Lord burdens them to assist in fulfilling those needs. This has been a blessing for us. Each time we have gone to a mission field, God has touched our hearts with a greater desire to minister wherever God leads."

Other Retirees in Missions

• Girve Fretz, a retiree from Garrison Road UB of Fort Erie, Ontario, was in Myanmar during part of the time Emmett and Shirley Cox were there.
• Milan and Margaret Maybee, from Michigan Conference, plan to go to Macau as volunteers this spring.
• Macau volunteers Russ and Nellie Birdsall, along with Jayne Mote, returned to the States in December. It was the third tour for the Birdsalls, the second for Jayne.

Philadelphia Church Gets New Location. Mt. Zion United African Church of west Philadelphia, Pa., moved into a new worship center, the first building they’ve actually owned. It’s a store-front about four blocks from the smaller storefront they rented previously. This Sierra Leonean congregation is part of Mid-Atlantic Conference.

New Sierra Leonean Church in Boston. Mid-Atlantic Conference adopted New Life United African Church of Boston, Mass. Through contacts with people in the Bethel United African Church in Somerset, New Jersey (which is a full member congregation of the conference), the New Life ministers became aware of the growing UB ministry to West Africans on the East Coast. The congregation is led by Senior Pastor Osman Mansaray, Christian Education director Amidu Kamara, and youth minister Kashope Wellington. Billy Simbo, senior pastor of Bethel, serves as District Elder.

Ron Anderson Writes from Spain: We just came back from Cordoba, where we lived for the first 17 years on ministry in Spain. While in Montilla, each member of the family visited our respective friends and renewed both the friendship as well as the message of God's love. While walking downtown I met the man who used to be the mayor. I asked him if he still had the Bible we had given him. He said yes and added, "I read it every night." He is now a senator in the regional parliament.

We were also very excited to learn that their are some 150 believers in 5 churches in the town of Puente Genil. That was the town of 30,000 where we started 21 years ago, and it had only a handful of believers.

01/18/00

New Bible Translation Presented to the Zapotec Indians. Roger and Marilyn Reeck, along with their four daughters, traveled to southern Mexico for a big celebration on July 17. On that day, the Zapotec Bible, for which the Reecks spearheaded the translation, was presented to the Zapotec people--the first Bible in their language. It was a huge day, a joyous, day for the Reecks as they saw the result of two decades of work.

01/12/00

New Missionaries Appointed to Honduras. Matt and Sheyanne Armstrong have been appointed as missionaries to Honduras, where they will teach English in the Bethel UB school in La Ceiba. Honduras Conference had asked the Missions Commission for missionaries to teach English, so the school could remain competitive with other private schools that have Anglos teaching English.

Matt and Sheyanne, who were married on October 9, 1999, are from the King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. For the past five years, Matt has worked with the youth group at King Street, including an internship in 1995 and a trip to Honduras in 1998. They are both graduates of Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Sheyanne graduated in 1997 with a degree in English, and has worked as a writer and editor. She spent a semester living in England, and traveled throughout Europe. Matt graduated this past year with a degree in Christian Ministries.

HC Auxiliary Breakfast. The Huntington College Auxiliary announces its Spring Semester Breakfast for Saturday, March 25, 9 AM, Habecker Dining Commons. "Singing Through Europe" will feature Drs. Janice Fulbright and Patricia Spedden of the HC music department. Make reservations by calling Mrs. Pat Jones, 219-359-4061, for the $5.50 buffet by Thursday, March 23.

The HC Auxiliary reports that new study tables and chairs for Baker Hall will arrive for use second semester. Thanks to all of the individuals, women's groups, and conferences who so faithfully send gifts to enhance residence halls at HC.

Fort Erie, Ont. The Adult Christian Endeavor alumnae of Grace UB shared Christmas love with residents of a senior citizens home in Fort Erie. May Fretz, 92, mother of former UB missionary Shirley Fretz, joined the "parade of carols" in her wheelchair as they went from place to place.

310 Years of Service. On October 31, Grace UB (Manlius, Ill.) recognized several members who had spent most of the century serving and worshiping at the church. Mr. and Mrs. Homer Kepner, Leona Berry, Margaret Nelson, and Mildred Schuneman were honored with certificates and a coffee hour in their honor. Together, they have spent 310 years at Grace.

New Church Ready to Start in Columbus. NorthPointe UB, in northwest Columbus, Ohio, will hold its official launch service on January 22. A series of first-rate mailers preceded the service for this new church, led by Pastor Dan Kopp.

Conch Shell Baptisms. After the November 28 service, the Bradenton, Fla., congregation went to the Manatee River to baptize four persons. Three of them were between 79 and 82 years old. "I am told that not many churches have this many octogenarian baptismal candidates," says Pastor Gary Brooks. "We baptized all four by taking them to the water’s edge and pouring river water from a conch shell over their heads. The baptism took place in this manner at the request of the candidates."

"How the Grinch Found Christmas," a children’s musical, drew 645 people to Faith Community (Findlay, Ohio) for morning and evening performances on Sunday, December 19. Over 70 people were involved in this Broadway-style musical, which featured 25 children ages 6-12 as the main cast, 13 children ages 2-5 as the Cherub Company, a 13-member puppet team, and many behind-the-scenes workers. The musical had a complete set, costumes, and choreography. Faith opened auditions to community kids, and 17 responded, some of them from unchurched families.

Allentown, Pa. International Church, a new multi-ethnic congregation in downtown Allentown, received a 15-passenger van from Mid-Atlantic Conference to expand the church’s children’s ministry, the foundation upon which this church planting project is being built.

Reedsville, W. Va. The ladies of Mill Chapel have been serving dinner once a month to guests at the Ronald McDonald house in Morgantown, W.Va.

Burbank, Calif. On October 31, Victory Celebration Center held a Harvest Festival and called it Wild, Wild, Fest. "We invited the entire neighborhood to our facility for free food, games, prizes, and an old fashioned melodrama," reports Pastor Paul Baird.

The 40-minute drama, called "The Real Deal," was written and directed by Patrick Thompson, a member. Afterwards, youth pastor Charles Matthews presented the Gospel, and at least 20 people, including two adults, responded to the message. "The evening was a glorious success," says Pastor Baird. "We saw somewhere between 400 and 600 people go through our facility in the span of about three hours, and at least 150-200 people were exposed to the melodrama and message of Christ."

Waynesboro, Pa. Margaretta Manchey, 87, has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records for playing the organ at Otterbein UB since 1929, "a world record for the longest time for a church organist to play at one church."

Pastor Appreciation Month

• Fulks Run, Va. Mt. Carmel UB used Pastor Richard Reed’s birthday to honor him on Pastor Appreciation Month–a generous money tree in the morning service, a surprise birthday party at night.
• Oak Harbor, Ohio. Pastor Randy Carpenter of Oak Harbor UB was given a card shower, a money gift, a computer Bible program, and gift certificates as part of Pastor Appreciation Month. He was also given a duck hunting license, which enabled him to bring down his first duck.

Auburn, Ind. Hopewell UB collected over 100 pairs of socks, underclothing, and pantyhose to be sent to Florida to help needy people. The idea arose when members of Daytona UB visited last fall.

Jerry City, Ohio. On October 24, Jerry City UB combined its annual homecoming with a rededication of the church building, which was done to recognize a number of improvements made to the facility–carpeting, windows, a completely refurbished nursery, new drapes and blinds, and siding on the outside….Jerry City also recently had five baptisms and four new members.