Highland Avenue UB church in Chanute, Kansas, has a new name: New Life Church. Michael Longfellow is the pastor.

Pennfield UB church of Battle Creek, Mich., has been closed. The building has been sold and the funds will be forwarded for use in church planting.

Marvin Schwartz has been assigned as the new senior pastor of New Horizons UB (Rockford, Ohio) effective May 25. Wes Kuntzman will continue to fill the pulpit until May 18. Marvin is currently working towards his Masters degree at Huntington University. He was ordained in 2005 in the Church of the Brethren.

The following update came from Jana Hoobler on April 15. 

• A leadership team has been elected at Living Stone Church. This is a significant step in moving leadership away from missionaries toward local believers. Pray for this group as they make decisions concerning the church's future. Thank God for their willingness to make this commitment.
• I just got back from a vacation to KunMing, China, with a friend of mine. I enjoyed seeing a part of China I hadn't seen before. Since we joined a China tour group, it was a sort of multi-cultural adventure for me! My Mandarin skills (which are very few and far between at this point) definitely got a workout. Several of the older couples in the group spent a lot of time just smiling and nodding at me, and I spent a lot of time just smiling and nodding back. I'm thankful for "times away" that God provides.
• The Global Ministries Leadership Team will be meeting this week in the States. They'll be discussing the proposals that came out of our vision-casting meetings held in January. Pray for God's clear direction for them as they consider future ministry opportunities in the Pearl River Delta (the Macau, Hong Kong, and Zhuhai area of China).
• Continue praying pray for people from Living Stone Church to take leadership of children's ministry after I leave on furlough. The church leadership team will be discussing this issue during the next month.
• Several women I've been discipling over the past year are struggling with spiritual issues. Pray for wisdom as I talk with them. Pray that I'll know how to show them God's grace and speak His Truth into their lives. Pray that God will have victory as Satan attempts to draw them away.

Ruby Parent, who served a total of 11 years as a missionary in Sierra Leone, passed away on Sunday, April 13, at the Evergreen Nursing Home in Pioneer, Ohio.

Here are the funeral details:

• Visitation: Thursday, April 17, 2-8 p.m. at the Thompson Funeral Home in Pioneer, Ohio.
• Memorial service: Friday, April 18, 11 a.m. at Lake View UB church in Camden, Mich. Rev. Stephen Smith will officiate.

Rubert Parent was born in Sherwood, Ohio, and graduated from Huntington University. She first went to Sierra Leone in 1958, where she served successively as teacher, principal, and matron at the Bonthe Girls' School and Home in Bonthe. After six years in the States, she returned to Sierra Leone in 1971 for her final term of service.

Dr. George Fleming, in his history of the UB work in Sierra Leone, writes, "Being manager of a school of 400 girls staggers the imagination....Surely scores of the girls and young women under Ruby's training will 'rise up and call her blessed.' When I ponder over the tremendous responsibility which rests upon the shoulders of this one young lady, and our many missionaries, how faithful we in the homeland should be in our backing of these ambassadors of the Lord through our prayers and by our gifts."

Shiloh UB church (Tiverton, Ontario) held its fourth annual wild game dinner. The event raised $1043 to help support David and Melissa Kline, missionaries in Macau, surpassing the church’s 2008 commitment to the Klines.

Almost 100 people attended, compared to 50-60 people in previous years. Donna Doern of Shiloh wrote, “The people just kept on coming in and coming in. It was a little overwhelming at first, but we soon learned to go with the flow. We did have lots of wild meat and lots of regular food as well. It was a great night.”

The people watched a CD from the Christian Deer Hunters Association which presented many testimonies from hunters. The speaker was a well-known Wildlife Management associate who has his own business trapping and moving animals.

The speaker even donated a turkey cooker, which they used to fry wild turkey.

And here was the menu:

On March 30, while conducting services at Avlon UB in Junction City, Ohio, Bishop Ron Ramsey:

• Ordained Peter Martindale, the pastor of Mount Hermon UB church in Pomeroy, Ohio.
• Granted a national conference license to Jason Sheets, associate pastor of West Pleasant Hill UB (Rockbridge, Ohio).
• Granted a national conference license to Allen R. Layne.

Also coming up:

• Milt Herrold, Jr., senior pastor of Orrstown UB (Orrstown, Pa.), will be ordained on April 6 by Pat Jones, standing in for Bishop Ramsey.
• Art Page, pastor of Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.), will be ordained on April 20 by Bishop Emeritus Wilber Sites, Jr., standing in for Bishop Ramsey.

On Saturday, March 15, Franklin UB church in New Albany, Ohio, held its first annual Breakfast of Champions. The purpose was to bring as many unchurched men as possible to hear the gospel presented and give men an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ. Six men responded, giving their life to Christ.

The church has developed a friendship with the local Athletes In Action ministry at Ohio State University. Using that contact, they secured Roy Hall, former Buckeye and current Indianapolis Colts wide receiver. Roy was the featured speaker, with Tom Rode of Athletes in Action the host. Roy shared that his faith in Christ never became real until he learned that football was not the most important thing in life. Of the 30 people who attended the breakfast, 55% were not from Franklin.

In addition to Breakfast of Champions, Franklin has held Fall Football Sunday the last four years with Buckeye players Vernon Gholston, David Patterson, and Marcus Freeman sharing their testimony. Gholston and Patterson are now on NFL teams making an impact for Christ; Freeman is a senior this year for OSU and is expected to be a Defensive Captain.