STAFF CHANGES
• Jerry Neaves, to First Church, Harmony Village, as pastor.
• Robert Wayne Marker, to Jahnke Road Church, Richmond, as part-time outreach/associate pastor.
• Bob Turner, to Ravensworth Church, Annandale, as associate pastor.
• Lindsay Comstock, resigning as associate pastor at Tabernacle Church, Richmond, to accept a full-time position with the global missions department in Southeast Asia with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in Atlanta, Ga.
• Karan Smith, to Brent-Lox Church, Chesapeake, as part-time music director.
RETIREMENT
• Woody Elliott has retired as pastor of Bethel Church in Lynchburg. He began his ministry at Bethel in 1976.
CHURCH NEWS
• Berryville Church, Berryville, honored its pastor William E. Ingram on the completion of nearly 23 years of ministry at the church. A “Day of Celebration” was held March 30 beginning with the 11 a.m. worship followed by a covered-dish luncheon. The community was invited to an afternoon ceremony honoring Ingram. Friends and guests had the opportunity to share memories from the past 23 years and a slide show of special occasions was presented.
• Clear Fork Church, Rocky Gap, has entered the planning stage of constructing a fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms and restrooms, in preparation for the growth of the church and future service to the community.
• The Christian Counseling and Training Center will sponsor an 8-week class in Biblical Problem Solving at Grace Community Church in Richmond. The class will begin April 2. For registration information, call 804-358-1343 or visit www.cctcinc.org.
REVIVALS
• Dan River Association will host a Senior Revival on Thursday, April 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dan River Church in Halifax. Guest speaker will be David Alan Black. Elton and Hilda Johnson will provide special music with an uplifting word from Vicky Cole. Lunch will be provided at no cost.
• Hampton Church, Hampton; revival April 27-29; Chuck Poole, guest evangelist.
• Mathews Church, Hudgins; revival April 27-30; Tom Stocks, guest evangelist.
• Oakland Church, Disputanta; revival April 13-16; Bill Lewis, guest evangelist.
• Pleasant Grove Church, Hillsville; revival April 19-23; David Sechrist, guest evangelist.
• Reed Island Springs Church, Ararat; revival April 13-16; Neil Eidson, guest evangelist.
MISSIONS MOMENT
College of William and Mary students from the college Sunday school class at Walnut Hills Baptist Church in Williamsburg sort clothing for the Grove Christian Outreach Center on Feb. 9.
DEATH
• Byrd L. Puffenbarger died March 25 in Saluda at the age of 96. A native of Staunton, he entered the pastorate in 1939 serving as pastor of churches in and around the Mid-Tidewater area for 21 years. He retired in 2006 from New Hope Memorial Church in Shacklesford, a pastorate he served three times. He is preceded in death by his wife, Grace K. Puffenbarger. He is survived by a son, Nelson and a brother, George W. Puffenbarger. A funeral service was held March 27 at Beulah Wesleyan Church in King and Queen, Va.
EVENTS
• “Praise in the Park,” begun six years ago as an outreach ministry of Linden Heights Baptist Church in Staunton, has grown to become the largest outdoor event of its kind in the Shenandoah Valley. Kick-off this year is Sunday, June 29, at the Gazebo at Gypsy Hill Park in Staunton. Vendors will sell food and other items. Local churches will display information about their ministries. A prayer wall will be available as well as counseling.This year's concert begins at 3:00 p.m. with Southern Grace, followed by Nothin' Fancy. After a 5 p.m. supper break the headliners will be The Coachmen at 6 p.m. followed by the nationally known Dove award winners, Echoing Angels. All concerts are signed for the hearing impaired. The gospel concerts continue every Tuesday night at the Gazebo at 7 p.m. as well as activities for children. For more information call 540-886-1138.
• Lakewood Manor, a Virginia Baptist retirement community in Richmond, will hold its First Annual Book Sale on April 11-12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Simms Center. Proceeds will go to the Junior League of Richmond's Literacy Programs. Items available will be large print books, best sellers, adult fiction and non-fiction, audio books, children's books, DVDs and VHS tapes.
CORRECTION
Freelance writer Manda Gibson wrote the article on Camp Alkulana in the March 20 issue of the Herald.
MISSIONS MOMENT
Lower Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
Virginia Baptists' Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts entered a new phase last fall. A new partnership was formed with the Committee for Plaquemines Recovery and the United Way to build new houses for 34 families in Lower Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. This parish experienced a storm surge averaging 25-30 feet during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and 90 percent of its homes received major wind damage. Since last fall teams from Virginia Baptist churches and associations have been involved in the partnership. The Henry County Baptist Association has adopted a house. It has sent multiple construction teams to the area and its house is now nearing completion. Shiloh Baptist Association sent a team to Empire, Louisiana, in January for construction on a house.