Each keynote service featured a message from one of our denominational leaders.
Mike has been our Director of National Ministries since 2016. He works closely with local church leaders and with our cluster leaders.
Mike brings ministry experience in a variety of settings. Mike is an ordained minister who has served on staff at churches in various roles—teaching pastor, interim pastor, worship leader, youth pastor, college pastor, and more. He oversaw and developed a network of house churches.
For 16 years, he served at Philadelphia Biblical University, where he founded the graduate school and developed masters programs in counseling, Bible, organizational leadership, and education. He currently teaches part-time at Evangelical Seminary as Visiting Professor of Doctor of Theology Studies.
His educational degrees include a bachelor’s in communications, masters in Bible and counseling, and doctorate in church and community ministries. He is also a licensed professional counselor.
Through his ministry Haven for the Heart, Mike and his wife, Pam, have hosted retreats for many clergy couples from their home in Commerce, Mich.
In the video below, Mike talks with Bishop Todd Fetters about his theme of being apprentices of Jesus.
Frank Yang has served with UB Global since 2011, when he was hired as an associate director. He was appointed acting director of UB Global last January following the departure of Jeff Bleijerveld, and in December was unanimously appointed executive director. He began in that role on January 1, 2021.
Frank was born in China. He came to the United States at a young age with his parents and grew up on the east coast. His undergraduate degree was in engineering from Cornell University, and he later earned a Master’s in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College. He worked in financial services in Hartford, Philadelphia, and Fort Wayne.
Frank and Virginia, who was already attending Emmanuel Community Church, met in Fort Wayne and were married in 2004. They served together for four years as missionaries in Asia. Soon after they returned in 2011, Frank was invited to join the UB Global staff. His responsibilities have focused around missionary recruitment and on-boarding, and oversight of our work in Thailand.
Frank and Ginny have two young children. Virginia is an adjunct professor at Huntington University, teaching in the TESOL program.
In this video, Frank talks with Bishop Todd Fetters about making disciples while being a minority within the dominant culture.
Dr. Sherilyn Emberton became President of Huntington University in 2013. The person in that role also serves as the Director of Higher Education for the US National Conference.
During the past eight years, Dr. Emberton has done much to grow our university, with new academic programs and flourishing campuses in Peoria, Ariz., and Fort Wayne, Ind. She has fully embraced the United Brethren denomination, and is a member of Emmanuel UB church in Fort Wayne.
Before coming to Huntington University, Dr. Emberton worked for 17 years in higher education:
Dr. Emberton holds undergraduate and masters degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Doctor of Education from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Dr. Emberton was born and raised in Texas, and is a life-long Christian.
In this video, Dr. Emberton talks about the mission of Huntington University, gives glimpses of the festivities planned for July 16 on the HU campus, and previews what she will talk about that night in her keynote address. The school, she says, has always trained pastors and teachers. Now, they embrace the mission of raising up laypersons in various occupations who take seriously the work of the local church and will walk alongside pastors and churches in carrying out the church’s mission.
