STAFF CHANGES
MISSIONS MOMENT
An 8-member team from Walnut Hills Church, Williamsburg, traveled to Odessa, Ukraine, Sept. 23-Oct. 3 to meet with Pastor Igor Bandura and the congregation of Grace Baptist Church. The trip focused on ways the two churches can minister together. Members of the WHBC Joshua Team are: Patricia and Alan Wright, Terri Bolt, Gail Jenner, Danner Neal, Pastor Tony Neal, John and K. J. Proctor.
• Spencer M. Dillard, to Parham Road Church, Richmond, as pastor.
• Jay Butcher, to Millfield Church, Millfield, as pastor.
• Ronald L. Poe, to Woodville Church, Woodville, as pastor.
• Anthony Hollard, to Peace Church, Dunn Loring, as pastor.
• Charlie Chilton, to Grace Filipino Church, Woodbridge, as interim pastor.
• Amelia Machen, to Urbanna Church, Urbanna, as youth director.
RETIREMENTS
• Marvin F. Kerby has retired as pastor of Glebe Landing Church, Laneview. He came to the church in 2000 as interim pastor and served as full-time pastor since 2001.
• Raymond Spears retired as pastor of First Church, Herndon, after serving for 18 years as its pastor.
DEATH
• Retired Virginia Baptist pastor Clayton Dwight Sweet Jr. died Sept. 10 at the age of 74. He had served as pastor of Trinity Church, Pulaski; First Church, Fries; Cumberland Heights Church, Bluefield, W.Va.; and New Hope Chapel, Pulaski. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Leeson Sweet; two sons, Clayton Dwight Sweet III and Timothy Gordon Sweet; and two grandchildren. A celebration of life service was held Sept. 14 at Stevens Funeral Home in Pulaski.
MISSIONS MOMENT
Mission team members from Warsaw Church, Warsaw, traveled by riverboat down the Mississippi River to Helena, Arkansas, to join 21 churches from six states working with the “Together for Hope” project in Helena, the 12th poorest county in the United States. This multi-faceted project included 250 volunteers. The Warsaw team worked with 3- to 5-year-olds in the Preschool Swim Camp. They traveled with the Story Mobile, a retrofitted bus donated by a church, that serves outlying areas. The Warsaw team accompanied the Story Mobile to a housing project 30 miles from Helena. The team told stories to the children and provided crafts and on the last day participated in a Book Give Away. One member of the team painted the exterior of the missionary home, while two worked in three community gardens. The produce was given to the needy. Four Warsaw members worked with the battered women's shelter, a nursing home and visiting an elderly elderly gentleman. Team members pictured above (front row) are: Lillian Ann Smith, Lylean Orlando, Katie Robertson, Ruth Jessie and (back row) Curtis Smith, Pam Robertson, Fay Wade and Nancy Jones.
HOMECOMINGS / REVIVALS
• Colonial Beach Church, Colonial Beach; revival Nov. 2-5; Tom Stocks, evangelist.
• Fork Union Church, Fork Union; homecoming and 210th anniversary; Nov. 2; covered-dish luncheon; revival Nov. 2-5; Rick Clore, evangelist.
CHURCH NEWS
• Lakeside Church, Richmond, will observe Music Appreciation Sunday on Nov. 9 at 10:30 a.m. All choirs will take part. At 4:00 p.m. the new organ and piano will be dedicated and organist Phyllis Johnson will present a recital. A reception will follow.
• Walnut Grove Church, Mechanicsville, will host a Children's Ministry Leadership Gathering on Nov. 22 featuring Craig Jutila followed by a concert with Jana Alayra. For additional information check their website: www.walnutgrovebaptist.com.
MISSIONS MOMENT
A team from Biltmore Church in Glen Allen traveled to Jonesville, Virginia, Aug. 2-6. The team worked with the Powell River Baptist Association and participated in several ministries. During the day they did home improvements for residents in the area. In the evenings the team conducted “Power Lab” Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church, Jonesville. Pictured below left to right are Joseph Woods sorting school items for backpacks that would be distributed a few weeks later by the association to local children as they went back to school; Amanda Francis painting a local resident's home; and Jason Kelly, Isaac Vassar, Joseph Woods and Taylor Woodruff preparing to lead the opening assembly for VBS in photo bottom left. Other team members included Tim and Stephanie Vassar, Mary Lou Warman, Mark Haynes and Vicki Woodruff.
