Transitions for the week of 05.26.17

Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.

STAFF CHANGES

Seth Behrens, to First Baptist Church, Mason City, Neb., as young adult pastor.

Glen D. Bohannon, to Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va., as interim pastor.

Allison Farrah, to First Baptist Church, Hickory, N.C., as interim minister to students. Most recently she was assistant pastor at the First United Methodist Church, Rockingham, N.C.

Sam Grozdanov, concluding his tenure as pastor of Four Mile Creek Baptist Church, Varina, Va.

Seth Hix, to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, as ministerial transitions and church relations coordinator, effective June 1. He has served there as student intern during his final two years at Wake Forest Divinity School.

Mac Jordan, to Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as campus pastor for its Buford Road campus, effective in September. He currently serves as its student minister.

Kristen Koger, to First Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga., as minister to families and children, effective June 18. She was pastoral intern at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.

David Loop, to The Chesapeake, a LifeSpire of Virginia continuing care retirement community in Newport News, Va., as executive director.

Bob Mayo, concluding his tenure as organist at Second Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., after more than 30 years.

Nick Riddle, to Red Lane Baptist Church, Powhatan, Va., as associate pastor of worship and students.

Ryan Russell, to First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas, as associate pastor for college and community missions.

John Sungchang Park, elected by board of trustees of Central Baptist Theological Seminary, Shawnee, Kan., to the Des Peres Chair of Congregational Health and as director of the doctor of ministry program, effective July 1. He succeeds Ircel Harrison who has been interim director since February 2016.

Stephen Price, to First Baptist Church, Hyattsville, Md., as pastor. He has been serving as interim pastor there since May 2016.

Chris Robertson, concluding his tenure associate pastor at Towne View Baptist Church, Kennesaw, Ga.

Tommy Valentine, resigning as pastor of Lexington Avenue Baptist Church, Danville, Ky., after nearly 18 years. He will become assistant professor in the School of Theology at Campbellsville (Ky.) University.

Mindi Welton-Mitchell, concluding her tenure as pastor of Burien (Wash.) Community Church.

RETIREMENTS

Randy Kilpatrick, retiring after 35 years as associate pastor of Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.

Timothy K. Norman, announcing plans to retire as senior pastor of Glen Allen (Va.) Baptist Church, effective August 30.

ORDINATIONS

John W. Hill, ordained to ministry on May 21 by Speegleville Baptist Church, Waco, Texas.

Amanda Lewis, ordained to ministry on May 14 by First Baptist Church, Athens, Ga.

Amanda Standiford, ordained to ministry on May 13 by Lexington Avenue Baptist Church, Danville, Ky., where she serves as minister to children and young families.

Breana van Velzen, ordained to ministry on May 20 by Winter Park Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C.

Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Click here to learn more.

DEATH

Grady C. Cothen, 96, died May 19 in Ridgeland, Miss. A leader within the Southern Baptist Convention for many years, he had served as executive secretary-treasurer of the Southern Baptist General Convention of California, president of Oklahoma Baptist University, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and president of the SBC Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources). He served as pastor of White Oak Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Olivet Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Okla., and First Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Martha (Bettye). He is survived by his wife, Mary; two daughters, Carol Shields Westbrook and Mary Thompson; a son, Grady Jr.; together with grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.