BMH Editor's Blog

Ivy Tech Names Maxson Executive Dean

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  No Comments

Randy R. Maxson, a 1974 graduate of Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana, has been named Executive Dean of Ivy Tech Community College, Warsaw, Indiana, campus. He had been serving as Interim Executive Dean since September, 2005.

Maxson has been associate professor of English at Ivy Tech. His previous experience includes service on the pastoral staffs of Grace Brethren churches in Indiana and Pennsylvania. He has been full-time on the Ivy Tech faculty since 1993.

The Warsaw Ivy Tech campus serves over 1,000 students annually, many of whom are older than traditional college students and have greater demands on their time and financial resources. The median age of students is 26; two out of three are female, and nearly 90 percent attend on a part-time basis to accommodate work and family schedules.

In addition to his degree from Grace College, Maxson holds a master of education degree from Millersville University in Pennsylvania and is currently completing a doctorate in educational leadership at Indiana State University.

Randy and his wife, Lois, who is assistant to Ed Lewis at CE National, have three children and three grandchildren. Randy also teaches part-time at Grace College and serves as choir director at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.

Lititz Building Has Fire Incident

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  No Comments

Pastor Scott Distler of the Grace Brethren Church of Lititz, PA, gave the following fire-incident report today in his regular e-mail update to his congregation:

We did have some excitement of a different kind at the church Wednesday evening.

About 10 minutes prior to the Wednesday evening ministries beginning, the alarms went off inside the building. Usually, alarms going off means that we are having another safety drill or that there has been some type of system malfunction.

However, last night the cause was due to a small fire in a large garbage can down in the Tech Ed room of the school.

Jay Hall, who is our Maintenance Director here at Grace, was here at the time and was able to quickly read the alarm panel, find the fire and put it out with a dry chemical fire extinguisher. Due to the smoke and smell that lingered in the building afterwards, we had to cancel all regular Wednesday ministries.

The fire company did respond and help to decipher that the building was safe to return into and a restoration company was called in to ensure that the Tech Ed and all other rooms would be ready to go for school on Thursday.

The fire chief commended us on our response to the incident in the fact that are alarms worked properly; we were able to get everyone cleared out of the building; and he highly commended Jay Hall for his quick action in containing the fire.

We praise the Lord for His safety and watchful eye over our ministry and for the lessons we have learned that will make our facility and our ministry even safer.

Heartrending New Details in Taylor Accident

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  1 Comment

This blog requested prayer for Laura VanRyn, cousin of a member at Winona Lake, (IN) Grace Brethren Church, believed to be in a coma after the tragic accident. The following notice from the website of Taylor University gives details:

“All of us know the pain we have experienced over the past five weeks since that tragic evening during which we lost five members of our community – four students and one staff member – in an accident on I-69. As deeply as we have grieved these respective losses, the feelings of pain and sorrow we have experienced pale in comparison to the pain experienced by their respective families and loved ones.

“This morning, we learned from the Grant County Coroner’s Office that there has been a case of mistaken identity involving two of the young women involved in the accident. We had believed that Laura VanRyn was airlifted to Parkview Hospital and has recently begun to emerge from the coma she was in since the night of the accident. The Coroner’s office has notified us that Laura was instead one of the five people who died that evening and that it was Whitney Cerak who was airlifted to Parkview and is today convalescing at a hospital in Grand Rapids, MI.

“One can only imagine what impact this new development has had upon the VanRyn and Cerak families as they process this information. Taylor University is cooperating fully with the Coroner’s Office.

“We ask that prayers be offered for the VanRyn and Cerak families, and also for the families of Laurel Erb, Monica Felver, Brad Larson, Betsy Smith, as well as the Taylor Community including students, faculty, staff and administrators deeply affected by this development.”

GBIM Honors Retirees and Volunteers

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  No Comments

David Guiles, executive director of Grace Brethren International Missions in Winona Lake, Indiana, was the main speaker for today’s GBIM-sponsored “Retiree & Volunteer Luncheon” held at the 2517 Restaurant in Warsaw, Indiana, at noon.

Guiles, who has just returned from several weeks in Africa, gave updates from various fields where Grace Brethren missionaries are working. In beginning his remarks, he displayed a missionary contract from the early 1900’s with pioneer missionaries to Argentina, who at that time made a seven-year commitment to stay on the field and were paid $90 a month.

A number of volunteers and retired missionaries were honored before the approximately 100 people who attended. Among those honored were members of a Global Prayer Group from the Winona Lake, IN, Grace Brethren Church, who have been meeting every Wednesday night for a number of years to pray for Grace Brethren missionaries. Several missionary recruits currently attending orientation sessions were also present.

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  No Comments

Dr. and Mrs. Bill Walker (center) and Mrs. Harold Mason (second from left) were honored at today’s luncheon for their many years of bringing medical missionary expertise to the Central African Republic.

Dr. Walker and the late Dr. Mason for many years did a two-year alternating medical practice with one managing the practice while the other was in Africa, and then they would switch.

GBIM’s Ted Rondeau, at right, made the award, along with GBIM board member Miriam Pacheco, at left. Miriam and GBIM missionary Barb Wooler will be leaving tomorrow for the Central African Republic where Miriam will remain for a month, working with literacy, orphan care, and other ministries.

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  No Comments

Veteran missionary to Africa Roy Snyder (center, blue shirt) was honored today, along with his wife, Ruth, for their many years of missionary service and particularly for the “Veterans of Foreign Fields” newsletter which he produces monthly to keep abreast of the travels and lives of GBIM personnel.

Making the award at the “Retiree and Volunteer Luncheon” today at noon was Pastor John Teevan (right), GBIM board member.

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  No Comments

Phyllis Dunlap, right, was honored today for the 12 years she and her late husband, Russell, traveled among churches doing stewardship and estate planning.

Awarding the plaque (left) is Ted Rondeau, chief development officer for Grace Brethren International Missions. Phyllis continues to serve GBIM as a part-time front-desk receptionist.

Celebrating 82 With Charles Ashman

Posted by Terry White on May 31, 2006  |  5 Comments

Longtime Grace Brethren pastor and Assistant Fellowship Coordinator Charles Ashman was feted today in the FGBC offices in honor of his 82nd birthday.

Ashman, who continues his ministry of consulting with churches that are in difficulty or are in pastoral transition, has consulted with some 30 churches through the Paraclete Ministry which is coordinated through the Fellowship Coordinator’s office of the FGBC.

Grace Athletics Go World-Wide (Web)

Posted by Terry White on May 30, 2006  |  No Comments

The Grace College (Winona Lake, Indiana) Athletic Department has announced a two-year partnership with Stretch Internet to broadcast Lancer athletics over the web beginning this fall.

The Athletic Department is conservatively estimating that it will broadcast 50 athletic contests during the first year of the agreement. Grace fans will be able to tune into Lancer broadcasts through the Grace Web site at www.grace.edu.

Grace will announce the bulk of the men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as select volleyball, soccer, baseball, and softball contests. Also, plans are in the works to develop a weekly wrap-up show featuring coach/player comments, as well as highlights of Lancer games. A more concrete schedule will be available on the web this summer.

Fans will be able to listen to all games for free via their computer. No high speed internet needed as a 56k modem will work fine. In addition, all broadcasts will be archived.

Fans who sign up for eScore Instant Fan Messaging will be able to get text messages to their cell phone or e-mail with scores and highlights as soon as the game is over.

The Athletic Department will be looking for fans, students, and alumni with an interest in radio broadcasting to donate time to making this endeavor a success. If you are interested in broadcasting a game or games, please e-mail Sports Information Director Jason Knavel at knaveljm@grace.edu.

Or, if you would be interested in purchasing advertising time, please contact Knavel. For more information, please view the Grace website at http:/ /www.grace.edu/athletics or the Stretch Internet website at http://www.stretchinternet.com.

Jordan Byers Named Salutatorian, Timothian

Posted by Terry White on May 30, 2006  |  No Comments

Lakeland Christian Academy, Winona Lake, Indiana, has named Jordan Byers (center, with Brent and Brenda Byers) as salutatorian for the Class of 2006 and has also named her as one of two Timothian Award recipients.

Lakeland Christian Academy’s faculty awards a Timothian Award to the graduating senior who best exemplifies the spiritual exhortation found in I Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Jordan Byers is the daughter of Brent and Brenda Byers and Laurie Waid, Warsaw, Indiana. She earned a grade point average of 3.9533 on a 4.0-point scale. Byers was a member of the National Honor Society and was on the all-A honor roll all four years.

She is planning to attend Moody Bible Institute in the fall with a major in international missions. Byers attends Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.

She attended Lakeland Christian for six years and her activities and accomplishments include homecoming queen, two high school plays, basketball, soccer, choir, KEYS (Kosciusko Endowment Youth Services), and the Outstanding Senior in Art.

Jeff Gill Celebrates Birthday ‘In the Pink’

Posted by Terry White on May 30, 2006  |  1 Comment

Just because he “hates pink,” the staff and students at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana, surprised Grace Seminary Academic Dean Jeff Gill today with a “pink party” to celebrate his 50th birthday. (Tom Avey photo)

Gill was the senior pastor of the Delaware, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church for 20 years (1982-2002). He began at the church when it was little more than a church plant. He assumed the role of dean of the seminary in July, 2002.

Gill also currently serves on the board of directors of Grace Brethren North American Missions and was the National Moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches in 2002.

Post-Conference Options in California

Posted by Terry White on May 29, 2006  |  No Comments

John Haller, of our Columbus, Ohio, church, sends along the following information about two interesting events that will occur in Southern California just as the FGBC Celebrate06 is ending. Last event of the conference will conclude in late morning Thursday, August 3.

If you are going to be in California for national conference, you might be interested in the following events right after the end of conference:

· GodBlogCon – THE convention for Christian bloggers. At Biola, August 3-5.

· 2006 Israel and Bible Prophecy Conference

Location: Calvary Chapel Chino Hills

4201 Eucalyptus Ave.

Chino, CA

When: August 4-6

Speakers: Chuck Smith, Dave Hunt, Ed Hindson, Randall Price, Jacob Prasch, Thomas Ice, Jack Hibbs, David Hocking

Photos From Northwest Focus Retreat

Posted by Terry White on May 28, 2006  |  1 Comment

Even on a foggy, rainy May morning, the view from Camp Clear Lake in Washington State is stunning. The Grace Brethren Campgrounds is the site of the fifth and final Focus Retreat to be held this year. The retreat concluded Wednesday morning.

Posted by Terry White on May 28, 2006  |  No Comments

Pastor Greg Stamm of the Toppenish, Washington, Grace Brethren Church, began Tuesday’s Focus Retreat sessions with introductory material to a section of Psalm 119.

Posted by Terry White on May 28, 2006  |  No Comments

Juan Marenco (left), pastor of the Iglesia De Los Hermanos Hispanic congregation at the Mabton, Washington, Grace Brethren Church, gave introductory remarks to Psalm 119 in the Tuesday afternoon session of the Northwest Focus Retreat. Pastor Marenco spoke in Spanish—his translator, at right, is Byron Boswell from the Mabton church, a retired Spanish teacher.

[ED NOTE -- We've had a malfunction in the software used to upload photos into the blog that has frustrated us for several days. This is a workaround which we'll use until we can figure out the software problem.]

Grace College Offers 412 Scholarships

Posted by Terry White on May 26, 2006  |  No Comments

Beginning fall 2006, Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana, will offer to new students an unlimited number of 412 Commission Scholarships ranging from $4,000 to $12,000 ($1,000 to $3,000 per year) to all 412 Commission graduates with a least a 3.0 cumulative GPA or unmet financial need as determined by the FAFSA.

These scholarships are in addition to other Grace College merit-based scholarships and are renewable based on academic good standing at the end of each academic year.

To receive the 412 Commission Scholarship, graduates must apply for admission, be accepted and meet the requirements above (FAFSA required for need-based consideration).

The 412 Commission, a ministry of CE National, is an intensive one-year training program that focuses on Bible study, service to the local church, and some travel-related educational experiences.

The first two classes of the first year of 412 have just graduated and the students are now in their internship phase serving in the following:
· 2 are on Operation Barnabas Leadership
· 1 is a missionary in Costa Rica
· 2 are in GBNAM church planting
· 1 is at Urban Hope Training Center
· 1 is working with a new church plant in Ohio
· 1 is starting a college-age ministry
· 1 is working with abused children
· 1 is working with a day-care
· 1 is in Hawaii as a youth pastor
· 1 is running a recreation program
· 1 is developing a junior high ministry
· 1 is in Alaska working as a children’s intern
· 1 is assisting in a church plant before heading to Israel for worship training
· Several are working with children and youth in their local church ministry

This fall, in addition to the existing 412 sites in Akron, Ohio, and Sebring, Florida, there will be two new sites operating at Goshen, Indiana, and Lititz, Pennsylvania. For more information log onto www.cenational.org.

Teevans to be Honored Sunday

Posted by Terry White on May 25, 2006  |  1 Comment

John and Jane Teevan will be honored this Sunday, May 28, in the 10 a.m. worship service as John concludes 16 years as pastor of the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church.

In addition, there will be a come-and-go Farewell Reception from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the church, to which all are invited. The church building is located at 1200 Kings Highway in Winona Lake, IN.

Teevan was previously pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Ashland, Ohio, and recently served as Moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

He has accepted a position with Grace College overseeing the school’s growing prison extension program. The following item from this week’s “Grace Connection” e-mail newsletter distributed by Judy Daniels explains more about Teevan’s new responsibilities.

May 19 was a special day for Grace’s Prison Extension Program at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. Not only did 31 students receive their diplomas (17 associate degrees; 13 bachelor’s degrees) from Grace College at the graduation ceremony, but it was the 20th anniversary of Grace’s program at ISP.

Thirty representatives from Grace attended the celebration and they were joined by former Grace Professor Ken Taylor, who started the program in 1986.

Spokesmen for the inmate students expressed their profound appreciation to Grace as they presented a plaque to the school, and a plaque and a gold shovel (in honor of his famous “Dig Deeper” admonition) to Prison Extension Director Frank Benyousky.

The students also presented an artistic reproduction of Robert and Frances Gordon (taken from a Grace Magazine cover) to their son, Professor Bill Gordon, who has taught in the program for many years. Michael Houghton was also given a plaque as he retires from teaching in the program due to health issues. The students (on their meager prison allocation) pooled their monies to purchase the plaques.

Three former inmates – one in law school, one working in a home for delinquent boys, and one teaching for Grace in another prison – were also present. Ken Taylor was given a standing ovation after Benyousky introduced him as the founder of the program.

Benyousky also introduced John Teevan, who is the incoming director of the program.

Benyousky has directed Grace’s Prison Extension Program since 1991, and through his capable leadership, the program has grown from 20 students at one prison to more than 250 students at four sites. He will continue teaching and serving in an advisory capacity to the prison program while continuing his role in Grace’s Communication Department on campus.

Vic Young to Present Paper at Oxford

Posted by Terry White on May 24, 2006  |  No Comments

Pastor Vic Young of the Fountain of Life Bible Church, a Grace Brethren church in Johnson City, Tennessee, recently sent along the following note regarding an upcoming opportunity:

Two months ago I was contacted by the University Of Oxford, and informed that the “Round Table” has selected me to return for the 2006 session.

You may recall that 40 are selected by the committee to participate on the “Round Table.” They are comprised of Academia, Religious, and Government, and all 40 are to
submit an abstract regarding a possible presentation of their research and paper. Only ten out of the 40 are chosen to be presenters. Once again, my abstract was selected and I will be one of the 40 to present a paper to world leaders.

Last time on the “Round Table” there were some very influential people ranging from professors of Ivy League universities, government leaders, and pastors of some of the most influential churches in the world.

My defense of the paper will be at the University of Oxford from July 27th to August 7th.

Please pray for me as I have the opportunity once again to present historic, biblical Christianity, to many who have never been taught this perspective.

Maryland Brethren School Has Threat

Posted by Terry White on May 24, 2006  |  No Comments

The following article appeared in Maryland Online this morning. The Waldorf, MD, Grace Brethren Church (Jeff Thornley, pastor) is the sponsoring church for the school.

On May 24 at 9:45 a.m., a male suspect called Grace Brethren School, located at 13000 Zekiah Drive in Hughesville, and announced a bomb threat.

School officials evacuated the building and Charles County Sheriff’s officers responded to the scene. K9 units responded and conducted a search but did not locate any explosives or suspicious items.

Juvenile resource officers also responded to the scene to conduct an investigation. No suspects have been identified.

The school resumed normal activity by noon. Officer P. Hood is investigating.

Photos to Come

Posted by Terry White on May 24, 2006  |  No Comments

YIB (Your Intrepid Blogger) has been trying to upload some photos of the Northwest Focus Retreat both yesterday and today, but “no-go.” It will have to wait until our return to civilization!

There is one phone line here into the camp high in the Cascades, and when you can connect with dialup (at 24K!), it’s a short hookup because the line needs to be kept free for incoming and outgoing calls (including the payphone–cellphones are useless here). I think the photo files are too big and “choking” the tenuous connection.

So….the Northwest Focus Retreat at Camp Clear Lake has gone very well. Some 25 pastors and church leaders in all have been gathering for three days to study Psalm 119 and to share joys and struggles of being in ministry together.

Pastors Greg Stamm (Toppenish), Juan Marenco (Mabton, Hispanic) and others have done a good job of “setting up” the study sections. Doug Lee from California has been leading us in music and worship. The retreat concludes late this morning (Wednesday).

Rain we have a-plenty. It pretty much has rained nonstop, so that makes for a lot of around-the-coffee conversations.

The most major “incident” is that the luggage of GBNAM executive director Tim Boal never made it (if US Air finds it they’re sending it all back to Philadelphia) so he’ll be on a clothes-shopping trip when he leaves here to complete other stops on the west coast.

As always, some churches are struggling, and others are enjoying a “growth curve” and it’s exciting to hear how God is working in both the good times and the difficult. God is doing some wonderful things through the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

Photos when we get back to civilization!