Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Emily Holladay, to Village Baptist Church, Bowie, Md., as pastor.
Barry Howard, to Wieuca Road Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga., as senior pastor. He was pastor of First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla., from 2005-2017.
Jared Jaggers, to the American International Church, London, England, as associate minister of faith formation. He was a pastoral resident at Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas.
Alan Newcomb, concluding his tenure as minister of youth at Boiling Springs (N.C.) Baptist Church.
David Scott, to First Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, as interim minister to students.
Gerald Young, concluding his tenure as interim senior pastor at Village Baptist Church, Bowie, Md.
RETIREMENT
Steve Booth, retiring after 17 years as associate pastor/minister of Christian formation at First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., effective May 30.
DEATHS
Donald F. Allen, 91, died Dec. 15 in Overland Park, Kan. He served churches in Wamego, Topeka and Kansas City, Kan. He was instrumental in starting the Police Chaplaincy in both Topeka and Kansas City. During his ministry in Topeka, he served on the American Baptist Churches Board of International Ministries and traveled as an ambassador to churches in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Cuba. In retirement he served as an interim area minister in Western Kansas and as an interim pastor in Paola, Kansas. He is survived by his wife, Jane; sons, Gregory, Jeff and Virgil; seven grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Kathleen Davie, 92, died Jan. 1 in Hudson Falls, N.Y. She served as pastor of First Baptist Church, North Creek, N.Y. and Minerva (N.Y.) Baptist Church and was a field minister for the American Baptist Churches of New York State in the Adirondack Association. She is survived by a sister, Margaret Owen; stepsons, Michael and Stephen; and six grandchildren.
Earl Dunn, 87, died Dec. 24 in Hot Springs, Ark. He was pastor of First Baptist Church, Alpine, Texas, before accepting the call to Harris Avenue Baptist Church in San Angelo where he served for 28 years. He led Harris Avenue in being the mother church of Southland Baptist Church. Following retirement, he was the first of 25 certified ministers of the Baptist General Convention of Texas in intentional interim ministry. He served on the BGCT State Mission Commission, Christian Life Commission and Executive Board. He is survived by his wife, Paula; sons, Stephen and David; daughter, Susan Kathleen Hicks; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Jim Merlin, 102, died Dec. 26 in Wenatchee, Wash. He began ministry as a rural missionary in Northern Idaho. Later he was pastor of Baptist churches in Newport, Wash.; Priest River, Idaho; Waterford, Calif.; Eugene, Oregon; and Idaho Falls, Idaho. His last pastorate was First Baptist Church, Cashmere, Wash., where he retired in 1980. He served on the board of American Baptist Churches of the Northwest and the Washington Baptist Convention. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie. He is survived by a son, John; two daughters, Judy Ross and Jane Shell; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Daniel J. Yeary, 81, died Jan. 4 in Houston, Texas. He was university minister at First Baptist Church, Lubbock, Texas. He served as associate pastor of South Main Baptist Church, Houston, ministering to students and single adults. In 1973 he became pastor of University Baptist Church, Miami, Fla. In 1993 he was called to pastor North Phoenix Baptist Church, Phoenix, Ariz. In 2013 he served as interim pastor of First Baptist Church, Woodway, Texas, and as adjunct professor at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. In 2003 he was awarded the distinguished alumni award from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. He is preceded in death by his wife, Melinda. He is survived by two sons, Wes and Doak; a daughter, Missy Wells; and 10 grandchildren.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 1-3-20
Transitions for the week of 12-20-19
Transitions for the week of 12-6-19
Transitions for the week of 11-22-19