Transitions
ON THE MOVE
Matt Cook, to First Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C., as pastor.
Edward “Bish” Creel, to Beaverdam Baptist Church, Vinton, Va., as pastor.
Christopher Dawson, to First Baptist Church, Monroe, N.C., as senior minister.
Harry Smith, to Ephesus Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, N.C., as pastor.
Wayne Raborn, to Falling Creek Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as interim pastor.
Erin Collier, to First Baptist Church, Lumberton, N.C., as minister to children. She previously was children’s ministry assistant at Central Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Chris Edwards, to West Side Baptist Church, Harrisonburg, Va., as full-time minister to students.
Chris Langdon, resigning as director of music at Benson (N.C.) Baptist Church, to attend graduate school.
Tim Mulkey, to Jackson Memorial Baptist Church, Chesapeake, Va., as director of music ministries.
Stephen Stacks, to Greenwood Forest Baptist Church, Cary, N.C., as director of music ministries.
Jonathan LeMaire, to Plymouth Haven Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va., as associate pastor for youth.
John Mark Skammer, to Tomahawk Baptist Church, Midlothian, Va., as youth minister.
Candance Tichenor, resigning as children’s minister at First Baptist Church, Clemmons, N.C.
Amy Brown, to First Baptist Church, Drexel, N.C., as associate pastor of youth.
Nancy Schneider, to Northside Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va., as director of music ministries.
Janet Moore, to Bowling Green (Va.) Baptist Church, as choir director.
Deborah “Debbie” Thompson, to Dover Baptist Church, Manakin-Sabot, Va., as music director.
Tommy Harris, resigning as youth minister at Chester (Va.) Baptist Church.
William “Bill” Tatum, to NorthStar Church Network, as interim team leader for leadership development/discipleship. He was senior pastor at Fair Park Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va., for 15 years.
Grace Bauson, to Grace Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as organist.
Isaias Silva, to Second Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. A pastor in Brazil, Silva will spend a year of sabbatical serving in Second’s Portuguese language ministry.
Mikel Dasch, to First Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va., as pastor of students.
RETIREMENTS
Bob Boggs and Barbara Boggs, retiring after 10 years of service as associate for ministry to pastors and church leaders and associate for ministry to pastors’ and church leaders’ families for Dover Baptist Association.
Carolyn Jenkins, retiring as minister of Christian education at Downtown Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va., where she has served for more than 11 years.
ORDINATIONS
Jason Booth, pastor of Zoan Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Va., and Jesse Booth, its executive pastor, were ordained to the ministry on Aug. 5.
Christa Chappelle, ordained to the ministry by Emerywood Baptist Church, High Point, N.C., on July 22.
Jordan Reich, children’s director for First Baptist Church, Lincolnton, N.C., was ordained to the ministry on on Aug. 19.
Anthony Rogone, minister of youth at First Baptist Church, Marshville, N.C., will be ordained to the ministrY on Aug. 26.
DEATHS
Retired Virginia Baptist pastor R. Bruce Griffith Jr. died July 18 at the age of 96. He had served as pastor of Harman Memorial Baptist Church, Maxie; Waverly (Va.) Baptist Church; Leesburg (Va.) Baptist Church; Fairfields Baptist Church, Burgess, Va.; Brookneal (Va.) Baptist Church; and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va. In retirement he served a number of interim pastorates. He is predeceased by his wife, Georgianna Ellis Griffith. He is survived by two sons, Rodney B. and Mark E. Griffith; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Funeral service was held July 21 at Melrose Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va.
Dargan Bolton Lucas, retired Virginia Baptist minister, died on July 21 at the age of 92. His first pastorate was Boyce (Va.) Baptist Church, followed by Shenandoah Heights Baptist Church, Waynesboro, Va. He led that congregation to start Wayne Hills Mission which became Wayne Hills Baptist Church and he accepted the call to be full-time pastor at Wayne Hills which started what later became Westwood Baptist Church in Waynesboro. He later served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Monroe, Va.; New Prospect Baptist Church, Hurt, Va.; and in 1967 he accepted the call to a three-church field in Cumberland, Va.: Fitzgerald Memorial, Tar Wallet and Oak Grove Baptist churches. In retirement he led Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Arvonia, Va., through a renovation program and was honored as its pastor emeritus. He held a full-time pastorate until he was 90. He was active in the BGAV, serving on boards and committees. He was preceded in death by his wife, Beverly Hammond Lucas. He is survived by three children, Beverly Lucas Hill, Charles D. and Richard D. Lucas; nine grandchildren and one-great-grandson. A funeral service was held July 28 at Dunkum Funeral Home, Dillwyn, Va.
Kudos
25 YEARS
Terry Blackburn-Parker, celebrating 25 years at Salem Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Va. She started as youth pastor, then minister of youth and children. In 2004 she became ministry coordinator.
20 YEARS
Jeff Parker, celebrating 20 years as pianist at Huguenot Road Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
15 YEARS
Dale Ashley, celebrating 15 years as pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Beaverdam, Va. The church honored he and his wife, Judy, with a surprise reception Aug. 5.
Billy Burford, celebrating 15 years as associate pastor and church administrator of First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Jeff Williams, celebrating 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Denton, N.C.
10 YEARS
Ronald Cava, celebrating 10 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Clinton, N.C.
5 YEARS
Rusty Guenther, celebrating 5 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Blowing Rock, N.C.
Events
SUN.-WED., AUG. 19-22
Upper King & Queen Baptist Church, Newtown, Va.; revival with Rick Hancock, senior pastor of Dunkirk (Md.) Baptist Church, as speaker. Sunday at 7 p.m. and Monday-Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
SUN., SEPT. 9
Faith Baptist Church, Jonesville, Va.; homecoming at 10:30 a.m. with singers True Gospel and John Zion bringing the message.
Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Va.; homecoming at 11 a.m. with Rob Fox, field coordinator for CBF of Virginia, guest speaker.
Kedron Baptist Church, Gladys, Va.; homecoming at 11 a.m.
SAT., SEPT. 15
Charles Town (W.Va.) Baptist Church hosting Living Proof Live Simulcast, Beth Moore “Because God Wants You Where You Are.” 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $20 and reservations are necessary. Call church office at 304-725-5917 or email [email protected].
SUN., SEPT. 16
Oakwood Memorial Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.; 96th anniversary; Mike Robinson, director of missions for Richmond Baptist Association, guest speaker; dinner on the grounds, followed by dedication of newly renovated playground named for Ginny Sanders, daughter of Oakwood’s first pastor, Henry Lewis Nicholas.
Woodlawn Baptist Church, Colonial Heights, Va.; 125th anniversary celebration with homecoming at 11 a.m.; former pastor Matt Davidson, guest speaker.
SAT.-SUN., SEPT. 22-23
New Highland Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va.; revival with Tommy Speight, senior pastor of Courtland (Va.) Baptist Church, evangelist; Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with guest musical group, Churchyard Grass; and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
FRI.-SUN., SEPT. 28-30
Youth retreat at Crossroads Camp & Conference Center, sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia. A weekend of discovering your story and learning where and how your story fits in with God’s story. For more information visit their website at www.cbfva.org/events.
Missions
First Baptist Church, Newport News, Va.
|
A 22-member team led by Dennis Adams, associate pastor of music, from First Baptist Church, Newport News, Va., held a 6-day camp for 150 children at Camp Hargita, Romania, in July. 84 children accepted Jesus as Savior during the camp. This was the 10th trip made by First Baptist to the camp. The first trip was in 1993 and included Adams, Jim White, then pastor of First Baptist, and Richard Green. Photo top right at camp.
Two Sunday School classes at Chester (Va.) Baptist Church have begun a new ministry. The Laundry Love Team meets at a local laundromat one Saturday a month offering to pay for the laundry for patrons. In June the team spent $165 on the washing and drying of clothes, putting smiles on peoples’ faces. In July it spent $239 before running out of funds. Monies are donated by class members and they report the ministry is beneficial as it provides opportunities to engage in interesting conversations.
Eleven members of Farmville (Va.) Baptist Church spent a week on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in July working on a Habitat for Humanity house. They were hosted by members of the Naomi Mackemie Presbyterian Church. The team built front and back porches on the home, installed windows and doors, vinyl siding and set roof rafters. The Presbyterian church hosted a cookout one night for the team and on the last day Habitat for Humanity employees provided lunch. Team members worked several days with the family who will live in the new home and report it was a great experience.
Bethany Baptist Church, Callao, Va.
|
A mission team from Bethany Baptist Church, Callao, Va., traveled to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation from July 28-August 4, serving in various ministries. Team members are pictured at right.
Mechanicsville (Va.) Baptist Church members gathered on Aug. 5 with a mission to feed hungry children. Approximately 130 volunteers joined together to package 20,700 vitamin-enriched, dehydrated meals for international school-aged children and orphans. Music from its Praise Band encouraged the group, along with the sound of the Stop Hunger Now gong as each 1,000 meal mark was reached.
Dedications
Welcome Grove Baptist Church, Warsaw, Va.
|
Welcome Grove Baptist Church, Warsaw, Va., dedicated an addition to its church on July 29. The dedication message was given by Rod Hale, consultant for the Baptist Extension Board. Willard Bowen is pastor of Welcome Grove.
Jones Chapel Baptist Church, Cumberland, Va.
|
Jones Chapel Baptist Church, Cumberland, Va., dedicated its new fellowship hall on Aug. 5. The Harvesters Quartet presented a concert that was followed by a fellowship meal. Jim Lamb is pastor at Jones Chapel Church.