STAFF CHANGES
• Eric and Jenny Howell, resigning as pastor and minister to children and youth, respectively, of Broadus Memorial Church, Charlottesville, effective the end of July. They will relocate to Waco, Texas, where she has been accepted into the Ph.D. program at Baylor University.
• Richard Lavoie, to Richland Church, Hartwood, as associate pastor.
• Jennifer Bailey, to Sharon Church, Green Bay, as director of youth.
ORDINATION
• David Miller, minister of youth at Rosalind Hills Church, Roanoke, was ordained to the gospel ministry by the church on June 8.
MISSIONS MOMENT
Good News Clubs is an after school program for students, a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). James River Church, along with other Williamsburg area churches, has partnered with CEF and established the Williamsburg Every Child Campaign with the goal of reaching every child in the community with the gospel of Christ. Good News Clubs are Bible classes children (grades K through fifth grade) can attend once a week after school. James River Church has a team of 12 adults who conduct the Club at Matoaka Elementary School. It began meeting on Jan. 22 with 21 children enrolled. During the year four children made professions of faith. The team is looking forward to resuming the Club in the fall. Pictured above is a Good News Club class led by James River members.
CHURCH NEWS
• Azalea Church, Norfolk, will host McMillan and Life in concert on July 19 at 7:00 p.m. A love offering will be taken.
• Beulah Church, Aylett, honored its pastor, C. Edward Shepard, on June 1 for 25 years of ministry at the church. He was honored during the morning service and afterward at a luncheon. Shepard received his doctor of ministry degree from the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond on May 24.
• Concord Church, Chase City, held a BBQ dinner fundraiser on June 6 to assist Concord Association fund a mission project in the Powell River Association. The association was asked to raise $5,000 to put shingles on the roof of Meadow Fork Church. Through this fundraiser, Concord Church was able to raise $2,550. for this project.
SEMINARY GRADUATES
• Southern Baptist Theological Seminary held its 201st graduation commencement on May 16. Among the 272 graduates were these with Virginia ties: Receiving master of divinity degrees were Jin Su Choi (home church–First Church, Springfield); Bradley D. Fleming (home church–Clintwood Church, Clintwood); Philip S. Park of Fairfax; and Robert A. Rudman (home church–Bethel Church, Scottsburg). Jeremy S. Haywood received a master of arts in worship degree. His home church is Azalea Church in Norfolk.
OTHER
• Roy E. DeBrand has retired from Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, N.C., where he has been professor of homiletics for the past six years. He is a native of Portsmouth and Park View Church there. Prior to Campbell, he was pastor of Franklin Church, Franklin. He also taught preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls, S.D. He taught adjunctively at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and was the founding chair of the Board of Directors of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C. He will continue to reside in Angier, N.C.
• Crosswind Church in Suffolk held its first preview worship service on June 8. During the summer it will offer community connection events, with its first service scheduled for Sept. 21. CBF of Virginia and national CBF have partnered with Crosswind to underwrite the launch. The church is seeking other churches to assist in the launch. Interested churches can contact Fred Lane, pastor, at [email protected] or call 757-484-6581.