Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
John Baldwin, to Berea Baptist Church, Rockville, Va., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Glenn Memorial Baptist Church, Prospect, Va.
Shirley Boucher, concluding her tenure as director of music at Chester Congregational Baptist Church, Chester, Vt.
Alex Ciurana, to First Baptist Church, Burlington, Vt., as minister of youth/young adults.
Michael Cook, resigning as minister of music and worship at First Baptist Church, Tulia, Texas.
Jeffrey A. Davenport, to First Baptist Church, Hurricane, W. Va., as senior pastor, effective Aug. 28. He comes from the pastorate of Calvary Baptist Church, Covington, Ky.
Kate Fields, to Underwood Memorial Baptist Church, Wauwautosa, Wis., as pastor.
Kendal Frankiewich, concluding his tenure as minister of administration at Gambrell Street Memorial Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas.
Otis Hall, to Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as associate pastor for glocal missions, effective early Sept. He comes from First Baptist Church, Houston, Texas, where he served as special needs ministry director at its The Loop Campus.
L. Scott Hamby, to First Baptist Church, Elkin, W. Va., as senior pastor.
Winterbourne Harrison-Jones, now serving as director of philanthropy of the Academy of Preachers, Lexington, Ky.
Jonathan Higdon, to Ball Camp Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn., as minister to youth. He comes from First Baptist Church, Gatesville, Texas, where he was minister to youth.
Joseph Jones, to Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock, Ark., as president, effective Sept. 1. He currently is a visiting professor of political science at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Prior to this he was executive director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College, Little Rock.
James Knight, concluding his tenure as director of youth and children’s ministries at First Baptist Church, Elizabeth City, N.C.
Eric Lundquist, to First Baptist Church, Beloit, Wis., as interim pastor.
Hugh Litchfield, to Azalea Baptist Church, Norfolk, Va., as interim pastor.
Debbie Moody, now serving as director of festivals for the Academy of Preachers, Lexington, Ky.
Dwight A. Moody, now serving as interim president of the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. He is president of the Academy of Preachers, Lexington, Ky.
David Peppler Sr., to Chamberlayne Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as senior pastor.
Kenna “Lucky” Ray, to American Baptist Men USA as executive director. He has served as president of the Kanawha Valley, West Virginia Association of ABMen, president of the ABMen of West Virginia and is a past president of ABMen USA.
Robin Roewe, to Shearer Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas, as minister of music and worship.
Kevin Sinclair, to Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, as pastoral resident. He comes from South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas, where he served as youth and missions minister.
Rebecca Sommons, to First Baptist Church, Manchester Center, Vt., as pastor.
Mark Stauffer, concluding his tenure as pastor of Highlawn Baptist Church, St. Albans, W. Va.
Ray Tubbs Jr., to Smithland Baptist Church, Heathsville, Va., as pastor. He comes from Shiloh Baptist Church, King George, Va., where he served as children’s minister.
Bill Williamson, to First Baptist Church, Douglas, Wyo., as pastor.
Sandra Wisdom-Martin, to Woman’s Missionary Union, SBC, as executive director, effective Oct. 15. Since 2010 she has served as executive director of the WMU of Texas. She also has served as women’s missions and ministries director for the Illinois Baptist Association and Cooperative Program missionary with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
Mark Wood, to First Baptist Church, Spencer, W. Va., as pastor
RETIREMENT
Donn Wisdom, retiring as minister of music and worship arts at Trinity Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas.
DEATHS
J. Harwood Cochrane, 103, died July 26 in Richmond, Va. He was preceded in death in 2015 by his wife, Louise. The Cochranes, members of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, were well-known benefactors to Baptist organizations, including Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and the SBC’s International Mission Board. He is survived by a son, James Jr.; and a daughter, Judith C. Gilman-Hines.
W. LeRay Fowler, 92, died June 14 in Houston, Texas. He was pastor of First Baptist churches in Moody, Brady, Ballinger and Sweetwater, Texas, before completing the last 23 years of pastoral ministry at West University Baptist Church in Houston, where he was named pastor emeritus. He served on the SBC’s Executive Board and the Annuity Board, and after retirement, he chaired a committee that raised millions of dollars for the Adopt an Annuitant program. He served on the BGCT’s Executive Board, the Baptist Standard board of directors and trustee for Houston Baptist University. He loved Baylor University and established the LeRay and Rosemary Fowler Scholarship at Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary. He s survived by his wife, Rosemary; two sons, Mark and Steve; four granddaughters; and six great-grandchildren.
KUDOS
Deborah Carlton Loftis has been named a fellow of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. The award, the highest honor given by the organization, was conferred during the society’s annual conference in Redlands, Calif., July 17-21. It honors Loftis’s work as an educator and scholar in the field of congregational song and for her significant contributions to society as its executive director.
STAFF ANNIVERSARIES
Kurt Busiek, 15 years as pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Parkersburg, W. Va.
Ron Lyles, 35 years as pastor of South Main Baptist Church, Pasadena, Texas.
Barbara Perry, 5 years as music minister of Shiloh Baptist Church, King George, Va.
Mark Rambo, 20 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Olympia, Wash.
Taylor Sandlin, 10 years as pastor of Southland Baptist Church, San Angelo, Texas.
In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 07.29.16
Transitions for the week of 07.22.16