Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Dennis Barton, to Oakland Baptist Church, Gum Spring, Va., as interim pastor, effective April 28.
David Breckenridge, to River Road Church, Baptist, Richmond, Va., as minister of pastoral care. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn.
Jeff Gravens, to First Baptist Church, Sulphur Springs, Texas, as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Crawford, Texas.
Philip Nation, to the Baptist World Alliance, as director of advancement and global impact churches. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Bradenton, Fla. He has also served as assistant professor of leadership and biblical studies at Houston (Texas) Baptist University.
John Page, to American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, as director of stewardship and finance. He comes from the pastorate of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Brockton, Mass.
Bridgette Poag, to Dunwoody (Ga.) Baptist Church, as children’s pastor, effective in June. She comes from First Baptist Church, Dalton, Ga., where she served as minister to children and families.
Andy Quient, to American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles, Southwest and Hawaii, as executive minister. He has served for the past 16 months as acting executive minister.
Danny Quirin, to Mill Creek Baptist Church, Fincastle, Va., as pastor. Previously he was associate pastor at Bonsack Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va.
Michael Ware, to North Shore Baptist Church, Chicago, Ill., as English worship pastor.
RETIREMENT
Kathy Dobbins, retiring as minister of spiritual formation at Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, Ga., effective July 1.
ORDINATION
Raquel Webb, ordained to ministry on March 24 by First Baptist Church, Bryan, Texas.
DEATHS
Malcom Reed Brown, 88, died March 17 in Cadillac, Mich. He had served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Pitcaim, Pa.; First Baptist Church, Brookings, Pa.; Boon (Mich.). Baptist Church; First Baptist Church, Washington, Pa.; Third Avenue Baptist Church, Flint, Mich.; and Bethany Baptist Church, Lake, Mich. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara; and son, Paul. He is survived by a daughter, Rut Nordman; two sons, Ralph and David; and 12 grandchildren.
Donald R. Rasmussen, 79, died March 17 in Leesburg, Fla. He was pastor of Phillips Memorial Baptist Church, Cranston, R.I., for 21 years. In 1996 he became regional executive minister for American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island. He retired in 2006 in retirement served as interim executive minister for the American Baptist Churches of New York. He is survived by his wife, Virginia (Allen); son, Stephen; and two grandchildren.
Milton Perron Ryder, 81, died March 30 in Ocean Park, Maine. He served as pastor of Antrim (N.H.) Baptist Church; Washington (N.H.) Congregational Church; Community Baptist Church, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.; and First Baptist Church, Boston, Mass., for 25 years. He is survived by two sons and four grandchildren.
James E. Wood Jr., 96, died March 24. An expert on religious liberty and church-state issues, he was a professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he founded the J.M. Dawson Center for Church-State studies in 1959. He was also the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee (then the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs) from 1972-1980. In 1980 he left the BJC to return to academic life and Baylor University where he remained until retirement in 1999. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alma. He is survived by a son, James E. Wood III.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Christopher Ingram, 5 years as senior pastor of Yates Baptist Church, Durham, N.C.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 3-29-19
Transitions for the week of 3-22-19