TRANSITIONS
ON THE MOVE
Wayne McCarty, to Cowan’s Branch Baptist Church, Gate City, Va., as pastor.
Matthew Hensley, to Huguenot Road Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as associate pastor for discipleship, effective Aug. 1.
Jimmy Dunn, now serving as minister of visitation at First Baptist Church, Dillwyn, Va.
David Stratton, to Woodhaven Baptist Church, Apex, N.C., as pastor. He was formerly pastor at Brunswick Islands Baptist Church, Supply, N.C.
Jackie Schultz, to Dover Baptist Church, Manakin-Sabot, Va., as music director.
T. Floyd “Skip” Irby, concluding his 25-year pastorate at West End Baptist Church, Suffolk, Va., to serve with an intentional interim pastor ministry.
Hugh Litchfield, to Azalea Baptist Church, Norfolk, Va., as interim pastor.
Rick Hurst, to Main Street Baptist Church, Emporia, Va., as pastor. He has been director of donor relations at the Virginia Baptist Foundation in Richmond, Va., for the past six years.
Carol Seeley, resigning as director of Christian education at Azalea Baptist Church, Norfolk, Va.
Clyde Shelton, to Black Branch Baptist Church, Chase City, Va., as pastor. He has been serving Black Branch Church as interim pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Gary Ferguson is retiring as minister of music at West Main Baptist Church in Danville, Va., after having served there for 27 years.
Bonnie Longworth is retiring after almost 20 years as director of children’s ministry at Calvary Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., effective June 30.
DEATHS
Former Virginia Baptist pastor John L. Miller Jr. died May 7 in Oklahoma City, Okla., at the age of 76. He had served as pastor of Gourdvine Baptist Church in Rixeyville, Va. He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Deal Miller; a son, Tony Miller; and three grandchildren. A funeral service was held May 13 at Gourdvine Church.
John H. McKay, pastor of Zoar Baptist Church, Locust Grove, Va., for 14 years until he retired in 2002, died May 31 at 82. In a ministry of more than 50 years, he served churches in nine Virginia counties. He is survived by a son, John McKay Jr., and four daughters — Barbara Jacobs, Sherry Pfenninger, Emily Skebeck and Pamela Williams. A funeral service was held June 2 at Sylvania Heights Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Va.
EVENTS
SUN, JUNE 12
Shiloh Baptist Church, King George, Va., will celebrate its 175th anniversary at 11 a.m. Fred Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and of the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies, will portray William E. Hatcher, who was responsible for the revival of Shiloh Church after the Civil War. Lunch will be served following the morning service.
SUN, JUNE 26
Wylliesburg Baptist Church, Wylliesburg, Va., will celebrate homecoming with Rick Via as guest speaker.
Pine Street Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its pastor, Phillip W. Turner, at 4 p.m.
Derbyshire Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., will present worship concerts of the combined IMAGE Youth Choir and Jubilate! Young Adult Chorale at the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services as part of their 2011 Beach Tour. This 7th-12th grade choir and young adult chorale will present eight concerts in churches and retirement communities across Virginia on their 11th annual tour, scheduled for June 19-26.
SUN, JULY 10
Second Branch Baptist Church, Chesterfield, Va., will celebrate homecoming. Revival services begin Sunday evening and continue through July 13, with Rick Via as guest evangelist.
ON MISSION
The Helping Hands Quilters at Heritage Baptist Church, Farmville, Va., contributed 10 baby quilts to a nationwide project called “1,000 Quilts for Japan” following the earthquake and tsunami there. The group also assisted victims of tornadoes in Southwest Virginia by crafting and sending six twin-sized quilts, six baby quilts and 10 baby quilts. On a regular basis, Helping Hands provides lap quilts to wheelchair-bound patients at a nearby hospice and twin-sized quilts to a local shelter for abused women and children.
Belmont Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., was the top donor to a “Mile of Pennies” project held in May to benefit the Roanoke Rescue Mission, a 63-year-old organization that provides asisstance to the the homeless, hungry, sick, addicted and abused in the Roanoke Valley.
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Immanuel, Parkview and Temple Baptist churches in Newport News, Va., packed 10,000 meals for Stop Hunger Now on May 7. The 39 volunteers (right) had the meals packed within an hour and 45 minutes.
KUDOS
Mark Houghton, an engineer and member of Fredericksburg (Va.) Baptist Church, was named Virginia’s 2011 Big Brother of the Year by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Virginia Alliance on May 24. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national mentoring movement which has promoted positive youth development for more than a century.
Fred K. Adkins, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Colonial Heights, Va., recently celebrated 10 years of service at the church.
Daniel Glaze, pastor of First Baptist Church, Ahoskie, N.C., received a doctor of ministry degree from Louisville (Ky.) Presbyterian Theological Seminary on May 22.
Robert Lee, pastor of New Highland Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, Va., received a doctor of ministry degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va., on May 28.
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Ben Powers was recognized for 30 years as pastor of Crewe Baptist Church in Crewe, Va., with a luncheon and monetary gift. Pictured at right presenting a plaque honoring the occasion are (from left) Dan Albus, chair of deacons; Powers; and Murray Templeton, church treasurer.
Andy Grose, pastor of College Hill Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., received a Citizen Commendation Plaque from the Lynchburg Police Department May 20. Police chief Parks Snead presented the award in recognition of Grose’s longtime support of the department’s work.
The Growing Place, a child-care center operated by First Baptist Church, Asheboro, N.C., has received a grant from Shape NC to upgrade its playground to a natural learning center. Shape NC is a collaboration between the North Carolina Partnership for Children and BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina to target obesity by focusing on children ages birth to 5. The Growing Place’s playground will be a model for other playgrounds improved as part of the program.
ORDINATIONS
Bill Cobble was ordained to the ministry on May 22 by Beale Memorial Baptist Church, Tappahannock, Va.
Kam Hatcher, a student at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Va., was ordained to the ministry by Central Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., on May 29.
Kevin Hrebik was ordained to the ministry by Crooked Run Church, Culpeper, Va., on May 22. He will serve as a prison chaplain in Texas.
Michael Lee was ordained the to the ministry on May 22 by Calvary Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C., where he serves as youth director.
Mike Peedin, pastor of Stanardsville Church, Stanardsville, Va., was ordained to the ministry on April 17.
Kristen Taylor was ordained to the ministry on May 29 by Sandston (Va.) Baptist Church, where she serves as minister of youth.
Greg Hetherington was ordained to the ministry on May 29 by Melrose Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., where he serves as minister of youth and children.
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