STAFF CHANGES
� Timothy K. Norman, to Glen Allen Church, Glen Allen, as pastor.
� Bruce Queen, to Walnut Hill Church, Petersburg, as pastor.
� Belmont Church, Roanoke, has called John Fox as co-pastor for congregational ministries and David Burgess as co-pastor for community ministries.
� Jim Hunter, resigning as pastor of Biltmore Church, Glen Allen, to accept a pastorate in Kentucky, effective May 27.
� A. C. Smith, resigning as pastor of Kentuck Church, Ringgold, to accept a pastorate in Ohio.
� Dan Tilley, resigning as pastor of Buffalo Church, Buffalo Junction, to accept a position in Nevada.
� Cecil Sherman, to Westover Church, Richmond, as interim pastor.
� Bill Hardison, to Bethlehem Church, Penick Rd., Richmond, as interim pastor.
� Dale Saunders, resigning as minister of music at First Church, West Point, after having served the church for over 20 years.
� Steven Ryan, to Carlisle Avenue Church, Richmond, as minister of music.
� Jason Belk, to North Bedford Church, Forest, as part-time youth pastor.
� Casey Callahan, to Gayton Church, Richmond, as full-time associate pastor for student ministries.
� Lynn Wampler, to North Roanoke Church, Roanoke, as children's minister.
� Andy Smith, resigning as minister to students at Vinton Church, Vinton, to accept a similar position in Georgia.
� Jim Beavers, resigning as minister of education at Hollins Road Church, Roanoke, to return to South Carolina.
� Jared Cullum, resigning as minister of children and youth at Bethany Church, Woodford.
� Willard Sawyer, resigning as minister of music at Mount Pleasant Church, Colonial Heights, effective May 27.
RETIREMENTS
� Phil Moran has retired as pastor of First Church, Pulaski.
� M. Glenn Graves will retire as pastor of First Church, Gretna, effective July 15. He and his wife Cindy have served the church for 15 years. They will be moving to North Carolina.
DEATH
� Retired Virginia Baptist pastor Joel Lee Morgan died on May 2. He had served as pastor of Fountain Creek and Zion churches in Emporia; Clarksville Church, Clarksville; Airlee Court Church, Roanoke; and retired from Norview Church, Norfolk. After retiring from active pastoral ministry, he served as executive director of Heritage Oaks Retirement and later joined the staff of Richmond Memorial Hospital and served as director of volunteer services. He is survived by his wife, Georgia Bazacos Morgan; a brother, Douglas Ira Morgan; and a sister, Rosemary Morgan. A memorial service was held May 6 at Cambridge Church in Richmond.
REVIVALS & HOMECOMINGS
� Bethlehem Church, Penick Road, Richmond; homecoming June 3, James E. White, guest speaker.
� Blairs Church, Blairs; homecoming May 20; Robert Putt, guest speaker; dinner following the service.
� Cowans Branch Church, Gate City; revival May 16-18; Richard Harris, guest evangelist.
� Emmaus Church, Quinton; revival May 20-23; Joseph M. Smith, guest evangelist.
� Hillcrest Church, Ridgeway; homecoming June 3 at 10:45 a.m.; Adam Woods, guest speaker; covered-dish lunch following service.
� Tabernacle Church, South Hill; revival May 18-20; Earl Stanley, guest evangelist.
� Western Branch Church, Suffolk; homecoming May 20 at 11 a.m.; dinner on the grounds.
ASSOCIATIONAL NEWS
� Middle Eastern Baptist Church. At its semiannual meeting on April 22, Dover Baptist Association accepted the Middle Eastern Baptist Church into its membership. The congregation was formed in 1983 as the Arabic Chapel when William Khalil and his wife Saneya, natives of Egypt, felt the call to start a church for Arabic-speaking persons in the Richmond area. It has met for the past 14 years at Ridge Church, Richmond, and has recently constituted as the Middle Eastern Baptist Church.
� United for Christ Baptist Church. At its semiannual meeting on April 19, United for Christ Baptist Church became the newest member church in Richmond Baptist Association. This African-American congregation is currently meeting at Manchester Middle School in Richmond. Founding co-pastors of this two-year-old congregation are Carolyn Clark and her brother, Reginald Clark.
MISSION MOMENTS
First Baptist Church, Staunton
A mission team from First Church, Staunton, made their third trip to the Gulf Coast in February. The team worked with other Baptist volunteers on Port Sulphur Baptist Church in Louisiana, which had been completely destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. They also helped
sheetrock the new chapel at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, worked on a private home and built a storage building for a couple who had just moved into a home from their FEMA trailer. The team also distributed quilts and sleeping bags made by First Baptist's sleeping bag ministry. Books and Bibles were taken to Port Sulphur Baptist Church to start their library. Pictured are team members: Darden Battle, Donnie and Sharon Flory, Fred and Betty Hale, Richard Jones, Donald and Darlene Propst and Bobbie Reisinger. Several from the team are pictured below building the storage building.
Bluefield College
While most college students spend their spring break basking in the sun on the sands of a faraway beach, a group of Bluefield college students were braving freezing winter temperatures in New York City to serve on mission to help those in need. Students Amy Abshire, Julie Bell, Derek Bostic, Kristin Crotty, Kathryn Geisert, Lesley Gray, Brad Lavoie, Adam McAllister, Jennifer Mitchell, Jessica Rayle and Jessica Skiles spent March 4-10 serving at East Seventh Baptist Church in New
York City's Manhattan borough. Bluefield's campus minister David Taylor and his wife, Lisa, along with resident directors Kris Hardy and Kelly Somers, and parent Cynthia Geisert accompanied the students as adult leaders. East Seventh Baptist, better known as Graffiti Church, offers a variety of community outreach ministries, including an after-school program for children. Several members of the Bluefield mission team spent a large part of their time working with the children in the after-school program.