Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Mark Childers, to Cave Rock Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., as interim pastor.
Kelsey Cogliano, to First Baptist Church, Dalton, Ga., as associate minister of music.
Winn Collier, to Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Mich., as founding director of The Peterson Center for Pastoral Formation and Christian Imagination. He comes from the pastorate of All Souls Church, Charlottesville, Va.
Becky Collins, to First Baptist Church, Martinsville, Va., as minister of music.
Joel Elmore, to Mill Creek Baptist Church, Fincastle, Va., as minister to youth.
Joey Fuson, to First Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C., as associate pastor and minister to youth.
B. J. Hutto, to Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla., as senior pastor, effective Sept. 6. He comes from the pastorate of Madison Avenue Baptist Church, New York City.
Chris Liebrum, to Howard Payne University, Brownwood, Texas, as vice president of external affairs. Previously he was director of Cooperative Program ministries for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
Alex Lockridge, to First Baptist Church, Corbin, Ky., as senior pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Morehead, Ky.
Jason Mack, to Underwood Memorial Baptist Church, Wauwatosa, Wis., as pastor.
Steven Norris, to First Baptist Church, Griffin, Ga., as pastor. Previously he served as associate pastor there.
Renee Owen, to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, as chaplaincy and pastoral counseling ministries director, effective Aug. 17. Previously she served as executive director of spiritual health for the Wellstar Health System in Marietta, Ga.
Lauren Parliament, to American Baptist Churches of the Rocky Mountains, as minister to future leaders.
Tracey Pugh, to Sycamore Baptist Church, Franklin, Va., as pastor, effective Aug. 25.
Ashley Robinson, to Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, as pastoral resident.
Harry Rowland Jr., to Second Avenue Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., as interim pastor.
Randy Sherron, to First Baptist Church, Danville, Va., as interim pastor.
Ron Shortt, to Pioneer Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as interim pastor.
Jenna Sullivan, to Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, as pastoral resident.
Kent Taylor, to First Baptist Church, Radford, Va., as interim pastor.
Chris Thomas, to First Baptist Church, Wilson, N.C., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church of Williams, Jacksonville, Ala.
Stephanie Mota Thurston, to Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Winston-Salem, N.C., as postdoctoral fellow with the program for leadership and character.
Philip Walton, to First Baptist Church, Standard, W. Va., as pastor.
David Washburn, to Gayton Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as interim preacher.
Keith Wollenberg, to Goshen Baptist Association, Mineral, Va., as Rural Love coordinator. This ministry to local families in crisis is celebrating its 25th year.
Brenda Wong, to Wake Forest University School of Divinity, Winston-Salem, N.C., as visiting assistant professor of world Christianity.
Orville Wright, to Boothsville (W. Va.) Baptist Church, as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Grafton, W. Va.
RETIREMENTS
Tom Crow, retiring as executive pastor of First Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn.
Derrell Grantham, retiring as minister of activities and senior adults at First Baptist Church, Dalton, Ga.
Paul Lane, retiring after 18 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Radford, Va.
Brian Lee, retiring as senior pastor of Shades Crest Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., effective Sept. 6.
Terry Peele, retiring as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Burlington, N.C., at the end of the year.
Mardy von Harten, retiring as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Allentown, Pa.
DEATHS
Richard “Dick” Birdsall, 84, died June 14 in Maple Valley, Wash. He was pastor of Issaquah (Wash.) Community Baptist Church. He was founder and executive director of Rainbow Lodge Retreat Center in North Bend, Wash., from 1981 to his retirement in 1998. He is survived by his wife, Arlene; three daughters, Becky Hansen, Holly Fellows and Lisa Lind; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Eric George Farel, 75, died July 25 in Winchester, Va. He was pastor of Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church in Winchester from 1988 until retirement in 2012. After retiring he served as assistant pastor at Round Hill (Va.) Baptist Church. He is survived by his Betsy; two sons, James and John; a daughter, Erin Doxtator; and two grandchildren.
James D. Moebes, 78, died July 14 in Homewood, Ala. His ministry spanned 38 years and he served Mountain Brook Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., from 1975 until his retirement in 2011. He is survived by his wife, Gail; son, David; daughter, Stacey Wilder; and five grandchildren.
Sammy C. Vaughan, 89, died July 7 in Franklin, Va. He was pastor of Saint James Baptist Church, Woonsocket, R.I., from 1991 to 2017. He served as past president of the United Baptist Convention for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. He served as a member of the board of directors for the Human Development Center of Greater Woonsocket and president of the Minister’s Alliance of Rhode Island. He is preceded in death by his wife, Gwendolyn. He is survived by three sons, Vincent, Richard and Michael; one daughter, Vianne Olds; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Parke Deans, 15 years as minister of music and worship at Abingdon (Va.) Baptist Church.
Emily Hull McGee, 5 years as pastor of First Baptist Church on Fifth, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Barry Jones, 20 years as professor at Campbell University Divinity School, Buies Creek, N.C.
Randy Shepley, 5 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Newport News, Va.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 7-17-20
Transitions for the week of 7-3-20
ransitions for the week of 6-19-20
Transitions for the week of 6-5-20