Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Ashley Boschen, concluding her tenure as director of children and youth ministries, at Northside Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va.
Trae Bremer, to Rolesville (N.C.) Baptist Church, as ministry associate for children and youth.
Jeremy Deal, to Tabor City (N.C.) Baptist Church, as pastor. He comes from New Union Baptist Church, Dayton, Tenn., where he served as student minister.
Kyle Dunn, to Belle Aire Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, Tenn., as lead pastor, in June. He comes from Highland Baptist Church, Waco, Texas, where he served as college/teaching pastor.
John Lassitter, to First Baptist Church, Lufkin, Texas, as associate pastor/minister of music.
Bryan Lee, concluding his tenure as minister of youth and education at First Baptist Church, Washington, N.C.
Russell Hepler, to First Baptist Church, Pottsville, Pa., as pastor.
Brian Hoysa, resigning as minister of youth at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., to join the staff of Downtown Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va.
Jeff Kesner, to Mountain View Community Church, Culpeper, Va., as pastor of discipleship and missions.
Erin Petersen, to Northstar Church, Blacksburg, Va., as interim college minister.
Eli Withers, to Harrisonburg (Va.) Baptist Church, as minister of spiritual formation.
Adam C. Wright, to Dallas Baptist University, as president, effective June 1. He currently serves as vice president at the university and as dean of the Cook School of Leadership.
Joe Wooldridge, to New Vision Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, Va., as pastor. He previously served as associate pastor of Glade Hill (Va.) Baptist Church.
RETIREMENT
Samuel Chetti, retiring as executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles, Southwest and Hawaii, effective Dec. 31, 2017.
ORDINATIONS
Brian Crisp, ordained to ministry on May 22 by Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C.
Scarlette Jasper, ordained to ministry on May 21 by Cornerstone Fellowship Church, Monticello, Ky.
Rachel Revelle, ordained to ministry by Knollwood Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C., on May 22.
J. Daynette Shead, ordained to ministry on May 15 by First Baptist Church, New Bern, N.C. and First Chin Baptist Church, New Bern, N.C. She serves as pastor of community development for First Chin Baptist Church.
DEATHS
Rosemary Lawson Peters, 82, died May 16. Ordained as an American Baptist minister in 1987, she served as pastor to churches in western New York state and Connecticut. In Massachusetts she was interim pastor of First Baptist Church of Brockton, First Baptist Church of Hanover and First Baptist Church of Norwood until her retirement. She served as field minister for the American Baptist Churches of New York State from 1992 to 1997. She is survived by a daughter, Karen W. Jason; a son, Philip; and two grandchildren.
D. Moody Smith, 84, died May 10 in Durham, N.C. He was the George Washington Ivey Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Duke Divinity School. He joined the Duke faculty in 1965 where he taught in the Divinity School as well as the Graduate Program in Religion. From 1974-1980 he was director of Graduate Studies in Religion. He was the George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament from 1987 until his retirement in 2001. He is survived by his wife, Jean; two daughters, Cynthia Smith and Catherine Smith Meynardie; two sons, David and Allen; and six granddaughters.
KUDOS
CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
First Baptist Church, Ogden, Utah; 135 years; May 22.
STAFF ANNIVERSARIES
Regina Barrow, 28 years as business manager/administrator at First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla.
Dean Kershaw, 30 years as choirmaster and organist at West End Baptist Church, Suffolk, Va.
Lynn Lauderdale, 35 years as organist at First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla.
Bob Morrison, 29 years as minister of music and worship at First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla.
In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 05.20.16