STAFF CHANGES
• Monty Raney, to Lawrenceville Church, Lawrenceville, as pastor.
• Richard Martin,to Bethel Church, Chase City, as pastor.
• Robert Johnson, concluding his ministry as pastor of Black Branch Church, Chase City.
• Alan Miller, to Orange Church, Orange, as minister of worship and music.
• Michael Adams, to Immanuel Church, Newport News, as minister of youth.
• Brian Clingenpeel, to Springwood Church, Buchanan, as bivocational pastor.
DEATHS
• Retired Virginia Baptist pastor Donald J. Dunlap died Sept. 15 at the age of 75. He served as pastor of West End Church, Suffolk, and Freemason Street Church, Norfolk. After retirement he was interim pastor of several churches. Dunlap served as president of the Virginia Baptist Pastor's Conference. He was a former trustee of the Religious Herald. He served on various committees of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the coordinating council of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia. He is survived by his wife, Kay Francis; two daughters, Laura Kay Flick and Rebecca Kent Gladner; and four grandchildren. A memorial service was held Sept. 20 at Freemason Street Church, Norfolk.
• R. Lee Stocks Jr. died on Sept. 14 at the age of 75. He served as a missionary to Zambia with the Foreign Mission Board (now IMB) for 10 years. He was Chaplain at Virginia Baptist Hospital for almost 20 years and served as intentional interim pastor for churches in Virginia, North Carolina and Hawaii. He is survived by his wife, Doris, and three sons, Lee, Ralph and Tom Stocks.
CHURCH NEWS
• First Church, Woodbridge, is hosting a Sacred Marriage Seminar featuring Gary Thomas on Oct. 17-18. Thomas is the author of Authentic Faith, Sacred Parenting, Sacred Pathways, Sacred Influence and hundreds of articles for Christian magazines. Cost is $75 per couple. For information email Garry Bone at [email protected].
• Southampton Church, Richmond, will hold a “Goodnight, Jesus” drive to collect new pajamas, books, stuffed animals and underwear for children ages birth to 18 on Sat., Oct. 25. These items will be distributed by the Dailey Planet, YMCA, Oregon Hill and South Richmond Baptist Centers and the Church Hill Christian Wellness Center. Contact the church at 804-272-5942.
• Trinity Church, Pulaski, celebrated Christmas in August. Children in Action leader Sandra Hull saw the need as students were headed back to school to provide them with help purchasing book bags and supplies. The names of 36 children were placed on stars and hung on a tree at the church. Members chose a star and purchased back-to-school gifts for that child. Hull noted this was a way for adults to connect with children providing an opportunity to interact with each other.
ASSOCIATIONAL NEWS
• Travelers who stopped at the Virginia rest area on I-95 in Skippers on Labor Day were treated to an unexpected surprise. Four churches, members of the Petersburg Association, were providing a Rest Stop Ministry. Participating churches were Fountain Grove, Main Street, Zuni and Adams Grove. Thirty volunteers offered free coffee, lemonade and water to 1,250 travelers. Children received coloring books and crayons. The Gideon's distributed 180 Bibles.
HOMECOMINGS / REVIVALS
• Crooked Run Church, Culpeper; homecoming Oct. 12 at 10:30 a.m.; fellowship lunch and gospel music at 1:00 p.m.
• First Church, West Point; revival Oct. 12-15; Roger Roller, guest evangelist.
• Goshen Church, Spotsylvania; homecoming Oct. 5; revival Oct. 6-8; Don Cass, guest evangelist.
• Immanuel Church, Newport News; homecoming Oct. 5; covered-dish luncheon following service.
• Lebanon Church, Alfonso; homecoming Oct. 12; Leslie Sanders, guest speaker; lunch following worship; revival Oct. 12-14; Roy Foster, Rodney Morrison and Wade Wilkins Jr., guest evangelists.
• Mount Tabor Church, Keeling; harvest renewal services Oct. 5-8; Harold C. Lewis, guest evangelist.
• Penuel Church, Altavista; homecoming Oct. 12; David Thurman, guest speaker; dinner after service.
• Providence Church, Red House; revival Oct. 12-14; Jeff Cranford, guest evangelist.
• Sedley Church, Sedley; revival Oct. 19-22; Jason Wise, guest evangelist.
• Shiloh Church (Old Site), Fredericksburg; homecoming Oct. 12; Lawrence Davies and Charles Wormley, guest speakers; revival Oct. 13-17; Glen Leverette, guest evangelist.
• Union Chapel, Clarksville; 100th anniversary; Oct. 5 at 10:30 a.m.; fellowship meal following service.
DOWN BY THE RIVER
For the past 75 years, baptism at Biltmore Baptist Church in Glen Allen had been done in the traditional manner. The baptismal pool was filled with water and heated to a comfortable temperature, the white robes were readied for use; and members watched from the pews as new believers were baptized at the 11 a.m. service.
Dennis Stamey baptizes Lori Johnson in the Mattaponi River.
There had never been much thought of doing it differently until early August when the Johnson family made professions of faith. In the traditional manner, interim pastor Dennis Stamey talked with them about baptism. Chris Johnson asked if he and his wife and two sons could be baptized in the Mattaponi River–a favorite fishing spot for him and a place that held significance for the family. And that's when tradition was set aside and Biltmore made preparations for a river baptism.
Following worship on Sept. 7, members and family friends headed to King William County. After a picnic lunch, everyone followed the narrow trails through the woods to the banks of the river. With Tropical Storm Hanna having passed through the day before, the waters were running fast, cold and muddier than usual. But that did not deter the baptism. Standing with feet sinking in the muck of the river bottom, Chris, Lori, Christopher and Michael Johnson affirmed their trust in Christ as Savior and were baptized as an outward symbol of what had already transpired in their hearts.
Stamey then asked if others wanted to re-affirm their commitment to Christ and be baptized. One by one they began to come, each person sliding down a narrow path along the river bank into the water.
There was a recently married couple who had accepted Christ before they met who chose to reaffirm their faith and were baptized again. Two sisters, now members of different churches, were baptized. Several members of a sister church came forward for re-baptism. Each recounted their conversion experience and commitment to Christ. The final baptism of the day was of a 9-year-old girl who professed faith in Christ for the first time and was baptized in the river as her mother and grandmother looked on. When it was over, seventeen people had been baptized.
It was a spirit-filled occasion as those standing on the river bank rejoiced in the decisions and reaffirmations of faith. It was a Sunday that Biltmore will record in its history books–not only for the baptism but because hours earlier at the conclusion of its morning worship the congregation had called Stamey as their full-time pastor.
MISSIONS MOMENT
A 19-member team representing 10 churches in Concord Association went to Port Sulphur, La., May 17-24 to work on construction of homes in the Plaquemine Parish area. The team worked on four homes, doing drywall, sanding, caulking, painting, building decks and ministering to the people of Tent City — an area inhabited by many of the homeless there. Team members in photo at right are Darrell Wise; Carolyn Carter, Bill and Betty Puryear; James and Linda Martin; Hazel Moseley, Louise Tanner, Patsy and Ray Kennedy; Debra and Robert Ezell; Don Calhoun; Jackie Hinman, Roger Poythress; Dale Tuck, Tommy Pearson, R.H. Bradley and Donna Lothes.