Doug Luginbill of Bluffton will become the conference minister of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA beginning Aug. 15.
Locally, First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, and Grace Mennonite Church, Pandora, and Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, are members of CDC. The conference includes 42 congregations in 10 states.
The Central District Conference office will remain in Goshen, Ind., and as conference minister, Luginbill will work from an office in Bluffton.
Let's mow once more in June and see what happens in July. The Bluffton University campus had its green grass shaved earlier this week. Maybe July will be so dry that mowing won't be necessary.
With an expected attendance of more than 2,500 people, the Western Ohio Aquatics League (WOAL) swim championships will return to the Village of Bluffton July 8-9. Bluffton is the host site for the WOAL every three years.
“We are excited to be the host pool for the 2016 WOAL swim champs,” said Jennie Wilson, president of the Bluffton swim team. “The WOAL summer swim program has more than 600 swimmers across eight teams, and with these swimmers come families, friends and grandparents.
The Ohio Mennonite Annual Relief Sale will be held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 5-6 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Wooster.
Food and booths open at 4 p.m. Friday, with the evening program at 6:30 p.m. Saturday begins with breakfast at 7 a.m., following by the 5K run and walk at 8 a.m., the woods, tool and art auction at 9 a.m., and the quilt auction at 10 a.m.
Bluffton First Mennonite Church will observe Peace Sunday on Sunday, July 3, with the theme of “Strangers no More," featuring Jackie Wells' art display of that title, and Mark Rupp as guest preacher.
Rupp is pastor of Columbus (OH) Mennonite Church. He is a Bluffton University graduate and earned a Masters of Divinity with a specialization in Feminist and Womanist Studies from Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Before beginning seminary, he spent three years with Mennonite Voluntary Service working with Boys and Girls Clubs of Hutchinson, KS.
