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The West Central District met on Saturday, July 8th, 2023, for its 43rd annual District Council at Heritage CCCU in Washington Court House, Ohio. Ministers, delegates, and district officials elected officers for the coming Council terms. Many significant votes were taken. Results are listed below.
The Ohio Christian University Board of Trustees and the General Board of Trustees of The Churches of Christ in Christian Union are pleased to announce that Interim President, Dr. Ronald E. Smith, has been selected as President Elect of Ohio Christian University. Dr. Smith will be transitioning from being President of the Francis Asbury Society to the new role of President of Ohio Christian University in the next few months. His full duties as President of OCU will commence on January 1st, 2023. More details will follow.
We are excited that Dr. Smith will be joining our team as the next Ohio Christian University President. We believe God has directed and ordained this appointment. Thank you for your continual prayers as we work through this transition.
Please welcome Dr. Ron Smith and his wife, Dorena, to our OCU and CCCU family.
On Wednesday, September 28th, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida's western coast. Hundreds are feared dead, and an estimated 2.5 million people are without power.
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union (CCCU) will respond to this tragedy through the CCCU Disaster Relief Fund. Donations may be made online via the "Donate" button below or via U.S. Mail. If giving by mail, please send your gifts to the CCCU Global Ministry Center, 1553 Lancaster Pike, Circleville, OH 43113. Checks should be made payable to "CCCU." Please list "Disaster Relief" in the memo line. All contributions are tax deductible.
These relief funds will be distributed through our churches in Florida and sister organizations responding to this disaster in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We appreciate your support as we seek to assist those who have been affected by this tremendous natural disaster.
The South Central District met Friday, July 15th, 2022, for its 63rd annual District Council at Nipgen Camp in Nipgen, Ohio. Ministers, delegates, and district officials gathered to elect officers for the coming Council terms. Many significant votes were taken. Results are listed below.
Read more: 2022 District Council Update: South Central District
The West Central District meets today, Saturday, July 9th, 2022, for its 42nd annual District Council at Capital City CCCU in Columbus, Ohio. Ministers, delegates, and district officials will elect officers for the coming Council terms. Many significant votes will be taken. Results will be listed below throughout the day.
Read more: 2022 District Council Update: West Central District
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union met, Monday, June 27th, and Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, for the 37th General Council at Ohio Christian University in Circleville, Ohio. Ministers, delegates, and denominational officials elected officers and considered resolutions for the coming Council terms. Many significant votes were taken throughout these days. Election results are below.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)
The Churches of Christ in Christian Union rejoice in Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of African-American slaves in the United States. On this day in 1865, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, General Gordon Granger arrived Galveston, Texas, and read General Order Number 3: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” For the first time, enslaved people in Texas received word of their freedom. That day, the shocked but thankful slaves celebrated their freedom, and June 19th became known as “Juneteenth."
General Superintendent Dr. Mike Holbrook shares, "Today, we come together young and old to celebrate freedom and remember that ultimate freedom is found in Christ. It is a day where we all take one step closer together as we vow to continue to listen, learn and grow. As our Lord taught us to pray, 'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'”
Advent is a season of expectant waiting as we prepare to celebrate both the birth of Jesus and His return. Are you ready? What about the 3.14 billion unreached people who are waiting to hear the Gospel for the first time?
The General Missionary Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Gene Mattox to Papua New Guinea and a couple who will serve in the Middle East*. "These new missionaries are a tremendous addition to our team of Global Workers serving around the world. Their testimonies and calling will inspire and challenge you," said General Missionary Superintendent Rev. Michael Tipton.
Read more: New Missionaries to Middle East & Papua New Guinea
The General Missionary Department is pleased to announce the appointment of three new missionaries with The Churches of Christ in Christian Union! Each of these missionaries successfully completed the application and Candidate Review process. They will soon begin their Homeland Ministry Assignment, where they will develop their prayer and financial support teams. Two of these missionaries will serve in a sensitive world area*, and one will serve in Papua New Guinea.
There is no family or church in America that is untouched by addiction, and we are all well aware of the destructive nature of the opioid epidemic. Often we have an emotional response that ranges from disgust to frustration or even apathy, and we end up asking the following question: “What can I do?” Honestly, that’s not a bad question. In fact, it is a very important question IF we ask it with the right attitude and with the heart of Jesus – the heart of ministry, in mind. So if you have ever asked this question, or if it’s stirring your heart now, you must attend the one day conference that the CCCU General Department is sponsoring on March 2nd from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m at Crossroads CCCU in Circleville, Ohio – The Opioid Epidemic and the Church: Our Response.
Dear CCCU friends,
One of my deepest concerns for CCCU is the decline of our missions program and our declining number of missionaries. In 2003 we had 50 missionaries. Today we have 29. With pending retirements, that number will fall even lower very soon. Over the last ten years we have only had ONE new missionary application.
Read more: General Superintendent's Update: General Missionary Department
On Sunday, May 15th, 2016, churches from across the CCCU will gather for the first Pentecost Sunday Prayer Summit. General Superintendent Dr. Thomas Hermiz is calling all of our churches and members to be involved in these two hours of blessing and intercessory prayer. We will be praying for a great variety of needs including the desperate need for revival in our nations and denomination. We will also be praying for the sick.
The service will include three remarkable answers to prayer including Rev. Mark Murphy's healing from cancer at last year's Mount of Praise Camp Meeting. Mark will also sing one of his Christ-exalting songs before my message. A highlight will be Dr. Melvin Maxwell's closing prayer of blessing.
II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
CCCU churches in various regions will serve as host sites and simulcast the event. For those unable to attend in person at a simulcast site, the service will be streamed live online. The live stream address is www.sundaystreams.com/go/CrossroadsCCCU.
Please download and distribute the Pentecost Sunday Prayer Summit poster. The poster lists CCCU churches in various regions where you can join with other CCCU churches. If you have any questions, please contact the CCCU Global Ministry Center at 740-474-8856 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
"Our goal is to work on establishing a closer relationship between CCCU congregations and Ohio Christian University," says Rev. David Dean when asked about the purpose of OCU's Regional Weekend events. The first of these Regional Weekends is coming up in just a few weeks and promises to be a win-win for local churches and OCU. On Friday November 20th the New Covenant CCCU in Waverly will kick the Regional Weekend off at 6PM with a "thank you" banquet for local churches in recognition of their support over the years. Dean explained, "All we need people to do is RSVP for the event by letting their pastor know they plan to attend or contacting my office; we just want everyone to know how thankful we are for their support at OCU."
The Regional Weekend events, which will take place throughout the remainder of 2015 & 2016, are also an opportunity to share with local congregations about the Toler Leadership Institute. "What a better way to kick the Toler Leadership Institute off than to offer some free training (and CEU's) to pastors and local churches," explained Dean. This free training will also be at New Covenant CCCU in Waverly and will begin at 8:30AM on Saturday November 21. The training will feature two main sessions and a number of break-out workshops focusing on things like evangelism and teaching for life impact.
Sunday November 22 the Regional Weekend will conclude with some activities in regional churches in the morning and an Evangelism Rally at New Covenant CCCU slated for 6PM featuring Stan Toler and The Guardians. Regional CCCU congregations are encouraged to reach out to Dean's Office of Church Relations at OCU to schedule an OCU representative to visit their church and share about OCU in morning worship on November 22, and to promote the Sunday evening Youth Extravaganza and Evangelism Rally at New Covenant. The Youth Extravaganza will feature the OCU drama team and will run concurrently with the Evangelism Rally.
Please schedule your speaker today by calling 740-474-8896 ext. 694.
"Exceeding abundantly above" (Eph. 3:20KJV) is the promise of God's ability to respond to our prayers. Your 2015 PRAYER & FAST Caucus Leadership Team has been asking as big as we can imagine! However, God's thoughts, plans and ways are so much greater than we are able to grasp. We believe that He is creating a fresh prayer movement among His people. Over 80 people are registered for the Caucus on September 26, 2015, at Lighthouse Ministries, in Columbus, Ohio. Registration begins at 8:30, and the event begins at 9:00 a.m. Churches at a great distance are preparing to watch and participate with a live stream. We believe even more people will come!
If you have not yet registered, please do so. No one will be turned away. To register, please call the West Central District Office at 740.420.5507.
For those participating via livestream, the livestream is available at http://ohiochristian.edu/live/prayercaucus.
Prayer & Fast Caucus Participant Materials
Prayer & Fast Caucus 2015 - Program
If you were a part of the Walk Through The Old Testament training last year at OCU you know it was an exciting day. It was the most successful training we had done in many years. You will be pleased to know that we are offering the Walk Through the New Testament on Saturday, September 12th. We will be returning to the campus of Ohio Christian University from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm for this training.
Two separate events will run at the same time. We will have an adult track for everyone twelve years of age on up and a Kids in the Book training for kids Kindergarten through 5th grades. (A sack lunch is provided for each child registered.)
This will be the most enjoyable, beneficial, Bible training event we will ever offer, and we don't want anyone to miss it.
I want to encourage you to preregister now so we can make sure we have an adequate supply of support materials on hand for both adults and children. You can again go to the C.E. website www.cedept.com and register online.
This event is being provided free of charge to every group of five or more. For groups of less than five the cost is $5.00 per person. This event is going to be awesome and we don't want anyone to miss it so we are covering the expense as completely as we can to make it possible for you to bring your entire church if you choose to.
For more information, visit the Christian Education Department's website at www.cedept.com. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Christian Education Department at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Becky Johnson at 740-226-8030 or 937-695-0025.
Ms. Jackie Amlin, former CCCU Missionary and pastor's wife, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 31st, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Monday, June 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Urbana Church of Christ in Christian Union (1121 N. Main St., Urbana, Ohio). The funeral will be held at 1:00 p.m. at Urbana Church of Christ in Christian Union. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
General Superintendent Dr. Thomas Hermiz is proud to announce Mount of Praise Camp Meeting 2015. The camp will be June 23-28, 2015, on the campus of Ohio Christian University. "Your congregation will be blessed by the outstanding music and messages. I want to urge you to make our denominational Mount of Praise Camp Meeting a priority in your busy schedule."
Dr. James Diehl and Rev. David Gallimore will make a dynamic preaching team. Rev. Mark Murphy is a gifted and powerful gospel singer and will lead us in worship.
The 33rd Annual ECL Banquet will kick off our Mount of Praise festivities on Friday evening, June 19th, at 6:30 p.m. Becky and Jesse Keep will be the guest speakers. See the brochure for details. This will be held in the OCU Leadership Center.
A kick-off Global Impact Rally will set the Mount of Praise services in motion! Camp Meeting services will begin with the Global Impact Rally on Tuesday, June 23rd, and conclude with the 6:00 p.m. service on Sunday, June 28th. Dr. James Diehl will be the speaker for the Tuesday, June 23rd, evening service beginning at 7:00 p.m. Our ordination service will be on Sunday, June 28th during the 2:00 p.m. service. OCU will be featured on Thursday, June 25th. Camp evangelist Dr. James Diehl will be speaking.
Students entering 7th - 12th grade are invited to join our dynamic and growing teen ministry. Teens of Praise is the youth ministry of the Mount of Praise Camp Meeting, attracting over 100 students per year. Teens of Praise begins on June 23rd. The pre-registration price is $90.00 for students who register by June 1, 2015. After June 1, the regular rate is $120.00.
We hope that you will join us for in person for a great week of camp meeting. For those who cannot attend, all services will be live streamed. Go to www.OhioChristian.edu/live to watch if you are unable to attend.
For more information, visit the Mount of Praise website or call the CCCU Global Ministry Center at 740-474-8856. Click here to download the 2015 Mount of Praise Brochure.
The Evangelical Christian Ladies of The Churches of Christ in Christian Union have a wonderful night of fellowship and inspiration planned Friday, June 19, 2015. The banquet will be held on the Ohio Christian University campus in the Leadership Center. To order tickets, at $13.00, either visit the CCCU web page at www.cccuhq.org or send your order to The Churches of Christ in Christian Union ECL, 1553 Lancaster Pike, Circleville, Ohio 43113. All reservations must be received by June 1, 2015. Ticket requests received after June 1 are subject to availability. Space is limited and reservations are highly recommended. Special guest speakers will be Becky and Jesse Keep.
Becky Keep is a freelance author and speaker. Becky and her family spent thirteen fruitful years as missionaries to the Philippine Islands where she practiced her nurses training to organize medical missions, treating thousands of patients in towns and villages throughout northern Luzon. Becky is the author of the inspirational book Eyes to See: Glimpses of God in the Dark. This engaging book chronicles the Keep family's four year journey with her son Jesse as he battled a rare but deadly eye cancer leaving him totally blind. In her book, Becky reminds the reader of the awesome power of God to sustain his children through life's darkest days. She is married to Tim for 26 years and they have five children and one granddaughter. The Keeps reside in Cincinnati, Ohio where Tim serves as a director of Bible Methodist World Missions.
Jesse grew up as an MK (missionary kid) in the Philippines, hiking through rain forests, swimming in the South China Sea, and climbing fruit trees with his brother and Filipino friends. At the age of five weeks Jesse was diagnosed with a very aggressive eye cancer and after four years of treatment had both eyes removed in order to save his life. He is now a well-adjusted 17 year old young man who loves life. He is an honor student at Aldersgate Christian Academy in Cincinnati. He enjoys biking, water skiing, swimming, and playing the piano.
Click here for more information on ECL in the ECL section of the CCCU website.
CCCU Church Planter Beth Tabor was recently recognized as one of 20 Outstanding Women by Sunny 95 FM, a Columbus, Ohio, radio station. Beth and her husband, Rev. Tim Tabor, are planting a new CCCU congreation Columbus - the Church on Como. Sunny 95 recognizes Outstanding Women annually. Sunny 95 published the following article honoring Beth's life and work.
Addictions run deep in Beth Tabor's family. She was an addict at a very young age and in rehab by 17. Beth was a single mother who worked four jobs to provide for her girls. She had surgery 18 times from the waist down and spent four years in a double leg cast. Through all of the medical issues, Beth was able to maintain the small business that she had at the time. Those obstacles helped forge her resolve and strengthened her determination to help others overcome their personal obstacles.
Currently, Beth and her husband Tim are co-pastors at the Church on Como. She is also Executive Director of Como Recovery and Owner of Como Restoration Ltd. Beth and her husband originally started with a Bible study in their home that the young adults attending began to call home church. Home church drew people in various stages of addiction (mostly opiate/heroin addicts). In 2011 Beth and Tim began to take addicts into their home and in 2012 they opened their first Men's Ministry House and continued to take young women into their home. In February of 2013 they rented a house for male addicts and began their full-time recovery program, Como Recovery. In March of 2013 Beth and Tim purchased the old Como UM church and began to restore it. "We quickly discovered that the old church building was a good place for the people in our recovery program to learn basic work skills." In 2014 they began a company that applied those skills to help support the recovery program, Como Restoration Ltd.
Beth's life recently has been so busy that there was a time that she had to make the decision to leave the safety of a full time job in order to keep pace with the recovery program that demanded all of her attention. With how fast the programs have grown, Beth says that she doesn't sleep much and that her family is fully engaged in the work that they do. "My husband highly recommends a day off on Monday and we exercise regularly. There is a strong sense of family amongst the people we live and work with each day. The program has grown with us and we have adjusted our lives to the demands of living in the environment we helped create."
Beth's heroes are every addict in their recovery program. "They make difficult decisions every day to live clean and address issues that many of us will never have to face." Beth says that she doesn't really know if she has a life goal. "I get up every day and do what needs to be done, address problems directly as they come, and live with integrity." Ultimately though, Beth would love to have those who have received help through their programs give back to others what they have received.
For more information about the Church on Como and its programs, please visit www.churchoncomo.org.
To learn more about Sunny 95's Outstainding Women, please visit the Sunny 95 website.
