At the Michigan "Hang with the Bishop" meeting, someone asked, "How are you doing in this new position?"

Being bishop has been an eye-opening experience. The amount of conflict a bishop must referee is more than I expected. Some situations have been tense. It's probably a good thing that I'm big.

But it's an honor to be elected by your peers. I sometimes struggle with wearing the title "bishop," but I'm okay with it.

Someone asked me if I enjoy the job. I don't think this is something you enjoy, but I appreciate the opportunity to serve. I just believe in the sovereignty of God. He put me here, and he knows what he's doing.

• Greg Helman will become senior pastor of Blue Rock UB (Waynesboro, Pa.), on May 17.
• Josh Kesler, an ordained UB minister currently on staff with a non-UB church in Minnesota, has been named senior pastor of Good Shepherd UB (Huntington, Ind.).

During April, Pat Jones and I held "Hang with the Bishop" meetings in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. These were agenda-less meetings. People showed up, we asked them what they wanted to talk about, and that was our agenda. About 70 people came for the last meeting, held at the East Washington UB church in Ashley, Michigan. We plan to hold a couple more, and will let you know when and where.

One question people wanted to know at each place was, "How are we doing as a denomination?"

It depends on who you talk to and on what day. We're making progress slowly. We have churches that haven't reported any conversions for a long time. There are barren altars and barren hearts, and yet the people are satisfied. We have so many places where people are being disobedient to the Great Commission. In some places, the Great Commission is not even on their radar.

But in other places, exciting things are happening. There are people in churches catching the vision. That's exciting to me. We're seeing some good fruit coming from the consultations we have held, and you'll be hearing much more about those. So I'm optimistic about what God wants to do. 

Today is the public launch day for Healthy Ministry Resources. With that, Steve Dennie and Cathy Reich took down the old sign in front of the building and unveiled the new sign. We like it.

Jeff Bleijerveld, director of Global Ministries, speaking to the 70-some persons who attended the "Hang with the Bishop" meeting on April 16 at East Washington UB church (Ashley, Mich.).

Jeff Bleijerveld, our new Global Ministries director, leaves today on his first overseas trip. He'll be in the Pearl River Delta part of China (which includes Hong Kong, Macau, and the surrounding province) until May 7, and then travel to the Philippines May 8-12 to take part in the 25th anniversary of the Looking Unto Jesus church, which is how our Philippines churches are known in their country.

• A vehicle for me, as bishop, to cast vision.
• An informational Grand Central Station (as already described).
• A forum for interacting over UB-related issues.

• The United Brethren magazine was a forum...until we discontinued it in 1993.
• Annual and midyear conferences were a forum...until we discontinued them in 2005.
• The national conference isn't a good forum. Not with several hundred delegates, and meetings only once every two years.

• I want your honest reactions to what I and others write.
• I want to know what's on your heart.
• I want to know how you perceive things.
• I want to learn from you.
• I want us all to learn from each other.