STAFF CHANGES
Richard Buerkle, to First Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn., as minister of music and worship. He comes from Memorial Baptist Church, Arlington, Va., where he served as associate pastor of music and outreach.
Laura Davis, to Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia, as director of missions involvement. She comes from HopeTree Family Services, headquartered in Salem, Va., where she served as area coordinator/manager.
Stacy Emerson, to First Baptist Church, West Hartford, Conn., as pastor.
Jimmy Gentry, to Garden Lakes Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Carrollton, Ga.
Greg Hawkins, to Fairfax Circle Baptist Church, Fairfax, Va., as interim student minister.
Katie Horton, to Community Baptist Church, Henderson, Ky., as children’s ministry director.
John Paul Harris, to Horizon Fellowship Church, Summerville, Ga., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Evergreen Baptist Church, Rose Hill, N.C.
Jim Jarrad, now serving as interim community ministry coordinator at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C.
Andrea Missey, concluding her tenure as associate pastor at Dayspring Baptist Church, Town & Country, Mo.
William D. “Bill” Shiell, to Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., as president, effective March 1. He currently is pastor of First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, Fla.
Diana Thompson, to First Baptist Church, South Bend, Ind., as pastor.
David Washburn, to Gayton Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as interim preacher, effective March 20.
Gene Wilder, now serving as interim field coordinator for the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. He previously was senior minister of First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Tenn.
ORDINATIONS
Ashley Boschen, ordained to ministry on Jan. 31 by Northside Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va., where she serves as director of children and youth.
Jacob Drake, ordained to ministry on Jan. 10 by Yates Baptist Church, Durham, N.C., where he served as intern.
Laurel Kiture, ordained to ministry on Jan. 31 by Greenbrier Baptist Church, Arlington, Va.
Suzanne Reece, ordained to ministry on Jan. 31 by Shades Crest Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., where she serves as associate pastor for children and families.
DEATHS
Lassiter Elmo “Buddy” Gregg II, 65, died Jan. 19 in Oakhurst, Texas. He served churches in Texas and New Mexico before he and his wife, Sherry, were appointed as missionaries with the SBC International Mission Board to the Philippines and Poland. Upon returning to the States, he served in various preaching and teaching capacities and as the director of Crossroads at Park Place, a ministry to the homeless in southeast Houston. Later he served as chaplain with AMED Community Hospice. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Lassister; mother, Mildred “Milly” Gregg; and several brothers and sisters.
Joy Crutchfield Hagar, 57, died Dec. 27 in Houston, Texas. She was ordained in 1983 by First Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., making her one of the first 200 women ordained in the Southern Baptist Convention. She developed programs for two new Family and Women’s Shelters (Wayside Christian Mission and Volunteers of America) and served as the Christian social minister at Walnut Street Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. She was an early participant in Baptist Women in Ministry. She is survived by her husband, Wayne Hagar; two sons, Matthew and Nathan; and a daughter, Laura Hager-Smith.
Cecil Musick, 84, died Dec. 19 in Cleveland, Va. He had served as pastor of Crabtree Chapel in Cleveland, for 51 years. He is survived by his wife, Alma; three daughters, Helen Ray, Sue Bundy and Rita Slemp; a son, Leon; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
William R. “Bill” Myers, 89, died Jan. 9. He served as pastor for numerous Baptist churches including, Maineville (Ohio) Baptist Church; Ridgeview Baptist Church, Danville, Ill.; and Irving Park and North Shore Baptist churches in the Chicago area. He retired as president of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1988 after serving the seminary for 13 years. He is survived by his wife, Geraldyne; two daughters, Christine M. Muniz and Beth Myers-House; two sons, William and Bruce; and 10 grandchildren.
Cora Sparrowk, 98, died Jan. 1 in Lodi, Calif. She was president of Northern California Baptist Churches, president of American Baptist International Ministries and president of American Baptist Churches USA. She was vice president of the Baptist World Alliance from 1990-1995. She served as a member of BWA General Council and numerous committees, including the Executive Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Personnel Committee and Baptist World Aid Committee. The Cora and John Sparrowk President’s Award, an honor conferred by ABC, USA, was named in her honor and that of her late husband, John, who died in 2004. She is survived by a son, Jack; and a daughter, Jill.
KUDOS
CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES
Oakwood Memorial Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., 100 years.
STAFF ANNIVERSARIES
Karl Heilman, 25 years as pastor of Sandston (Va.) Baptist Church.
Jackie B. Riley, 15 years as managing editor of Baptists Today, Macon, Ga.
Greg Smith, 10 years as coordinator of LUCHA Ministries, a Latino immigrant community ministry located in Fredericksburg, Va.
Ken Wilson, 30 years as minister of music at Knollwood Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.