Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Moe Bomer, to First Baptist Church, Midland, Texas, as business administrator.
Mark Copeland, to First Baptist Church, Plymouth, Conn., as pastor.
Tony Brooks, to Dan River Baptist Church, Halifax, Va., as interim pastor.
Jason Hay, to First Baptist Church, La Center, Ky., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Lynn Haven Baptist Church, Vinton, Va.
Clay Hopkins, to Rollingbrook Fellowship, Baytown, Texas, as associate pastor. He comes from First Baptist Church, College Station, Texas, where he served as associate pastor.
David Hull, to First Baptist Church, Burlington, N.C., as interim pastor.
John Jones, to American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin, as interim regional executive minister.
Gary Long Jr., to Baptist General Association of Virginia, as chief marketing officer.
John Marshall, to First Baptist Church, Plainfield, Ind., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Casper, Wy.
Daniel Peyton, concluding his tenure as pastor of missions at First Baptist Church, Ashland, Va.
Daniel Pleha, to First Baptist Church, Portland, Oregon, as worship music coordinator.
Jael Rivas, to First Baptist Church, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., as pastor.
Marsha Scipio, to Baptist World Alliance, Falls Church, Va., as director of Baptist World Aid. Since 2018 she has served as associate general secretary of American Baptist Churches USA.
Melissa Scott, to Colonial Avenue Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., as pastor.
Joel Snider, to First Baptist Church, Carrollton, Ga., as interim pastor.
Sarah Strosahl-Kagi, to Royersford (Pa.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Nate Travis, to Chester (Va.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Preston VanLoon, to First Baptist Church, Bismark, N.D., as pastor.
Mark Wilbanks, to First Baptist Church of Williams, Jacksonville, Ala., as interim pastor.
Jeff Willetts, to Parkwood Baptist Church, Annandale, Va., as senior pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Larry Burcham, retiring after 21 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Gatlinburg, Tenn.
John Michael Harris, retiring as pastor of First Baptist Church, Jefferson, Ga., to join Andrew Cook and Associates Inc. as pastoral counselor.
DEATHS
John Blythe, 91, died Dec. 29 in Kansas City, Mo. He served as associate minister at First Baptist Church, Lewiston, Maine, and First Baptist Church, Madison, Wis., and as pastor of First Baptist Church, Marengo, Ill., and First Baptist Church, Winfield, Wis. He is preceded in death by his wife, Donna Beth. He is survived by his children, Carol Beth Blythe, Chris Blythe, David Blythe, Julie B. Peterson, Gretchen Blythe; and eight grandchildren.
Doyle Sager, 69, died Jan. 22 in Jefferson City, Mo. He served the following churches: McFall (Mo.) Baptist Church; Calhoun (Mo.) Baptist Church; King Hill Baptist Church, St. Joseph, Mo., as associate pastor and senior pastor; First Baptist Church, Sedalia, Mo.; and First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Mo. He served as president of the Missouri Baptist Convention and president of Churchnet (Baptist General Convention of Missouri). He was co-founder and president of Mainstream Missouri Baptists. He also served on the national coordinating council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. He was active in the Baptist World Alliance and served on its Commission of Social and Economic Justice. He is survived by his wife, Janet; three children, Tamara Everly, Kristen Sager and Joel Sager; and eight grandchildren.
Daniel Calvin San, died Jan. 27 in Utica, N.Y. He was born in the village of Maw Lay, Burma (Myanmar). Following seminary he served Karen churches in Bokalay village and Thay Mu Church in Burma. When coming to the U.S. he was recruited to join the pastorate of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Utica. Not only a leader at Tabernacle and in the Utica Karen community, he was also a leader throughout the U.S. He is survived by his wife, Anna, and other family members.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Mollie Dunn, 10 years as children’s pastor at First Baptist Church, Aledo, Ill.
Joseph T. Lewis, 25 years as pastor of Second Baptist Church, Petersburg, Va.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 1-22-21
Transitions for the week of 1-8-21
Transitions for the week of 11-6-20