STAFF CHANGES
• Tim Madison, to Mechanicsville Church, Mechanicsville, as pastor, effective August 2.
• Dan O’Dell, to Arlington Church, Arlington, as pastor.
• Jim Foreman, to Sedley Church, Sedley, as pastor.
• Stacy Nowell, to Harrisonburg Church, Harrisonburg, as associate pastor.
• Jacques Rancourt, to Manassas Church, Manassas, as pastor for evangelism and discipleship.
• Malcolm Willis, to Mount Pleasant Church, Herndon, as youth pastor.
• Trisha Miller Manarin, resigning as associate pastor at McLean Church, McLean, to relocate with her husband to Uganda.
MISSION MOMENT: The Women on Mission group at Haymarket Baptist Church in Haymarket sewed jumpers for the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. Pictured are Lurae Headley, Carol Ellerby and Ruby Bowen working on some of the garments. The Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia will send a missions team to the reservation this summer and take the jumpers made by the group at Haymarket.
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RETIREMENT
• Zane Grey Ross has retired as minister of pastoral visitation at Hatcher Memorial Church, Richmond. A retirement luncheon was held in his honor June 28 following the 11 a.m. service. Ross served as senior pastor of Cool Spring Church, Mechanicsville, from 1963-1982.
ORDINATIONS
• Paul Montacute was recently ordained to the gospel ministry by Vienna Church, Vienna.
• Ricky Kyles and Wayne Chapman were recently ordained to the gospel ministry by Hatcher’s Memorial Church, Bristow.
DEATHS
• Former Virginia Baptist pastor Thomas W. Downing Jr. died June 25 at the age of 76. He had served as pastor of Sycamore Church, Franklin; Warsaw Church, Warsaw; University Church, Chapel Hill; and University Church, Baltimore, Md. He is survived by his wife, Sue Perry Downing; a nephew and two nieces. A memorial service was held June 27 at Knollwood Church, Winston-Salem.
• John E. Mann Sr., director of missions for James River Baptist Association, died June 19 at the age of 81. He retired as pastor of Chestnut Grove Church, Appomattox, in 2000. He had also served as pastor of Liberty Hill Church and Troutdale chuches in Troutdale; James Square Church in Lawrenceville; Batesville and Mount Ed churches in Batesville; and Antioch Church in Fluvanna. He is preceded in death by his wife, Virginia “Jenny” Sheffield Mann. He is survived by three daughters, Gloria Baber, Eva Madelyn Mann and Dora Self; two sons, John E. Jr. and Timothy Mann; a sister; six grandchildren and one great-grandson. Funeral services were held June 22 at Arvon Church, Arvonia.
• Edwin Clayton Thornton III, pastor of Tomahawk Church, Midlothian, died June 24 at the age of 62. He had served as pastor of Tomahawk Church since May of 1975. He is survived by his wife, Astra S. Thornton; sons, Kevin Daniel and Andrew Morgan Thornton; his mother, Eleanor Thornton; a sister; two brothers; and three grandsons. Funeral services were June 28 at Tomahawk Church with interment in the church cemetery.
CHURCH NEWS
• Main Street Church, Emporia, will celebrate its 170th anniversary on July 26. Alan Thompson will be guest speaker.
• Wayne Wallace will celebrate 25 years of ministry as pastor at State Line Church, Danville, on July 19 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
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ANNIVERSARY AND GROUNDBREAKING
Piney River Church in Lowesville celebrated its 176th anniversary on May 24. Following the worship service, a groundbreaking for a new fellowship addition was held, followed by a covered-dish luncheon. Pictured at left are members at the anniversary service. The small group of people at right participated the groundbreaking. From left, they are Peyton and Lorine Campbell, Fay Jarvis, Pastor Jason Canipe, Gerri Harvey, Fred Wood, Lester Cash, Freddie Campbell and Hazeltine Crady (seated), widow of former pastor Wilson Crady.
OTHER
• The Virginia Baptist Resource Center in Richmond is accepting nominations for the 6th annual Outstanding Christian Educators Appreciation Banquet on Fri., Nov. 13 at Trinity Life Family Center, 3601 Dill Rd., in Richmond. Congregations should nominate an individual who has contributed significantly to the ministry of their church by the Sept. 15 deadline. Reservations for church members attending the banquet with their nominee are due by Oct. 3. Nathaniel West, professor of Christian Education at the School of Theology at Virginia Union University, will be guest speaker. For more information, see the website www. resourcingchurches.com or call 804-358-8306 or 1-888-241-5132.