Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Helen Blier, to Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Ga., as director of its Center for Lifelong Learning.
Robert Canoy, to First Baptist Church, Shelby, N.C., as interim lead pastor.
Taylor Crumley, to First Baptist Church, Smithfield, N.C., as minister to youth and their families. She comes from Forest Hills Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., where she was associate pastor of youth and children.
Leah Harlow, concluding her tenure as minister to youth and missions at Wake Forest (N.C.) Baptist Church.
Brian Henderson, to Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists, as executive director. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Denver, Colo.
Brenda Holder, to Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ark., as teaching pastor. She comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Clarksville, Ark.
Jeff Lindquist, concluding his tenure as worship arts and executive pastor for Gayton Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Tony Lowery, to Woodlawn Baptist Church, Colonial Heights, Va., as pastor.
Rene P. Milam, to McLean (Va.) Batist Church, as organist/pianist.
Luke Murry, to New Hope Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., as interim worship director.
Michael Patch, to Holmeswood Baptist Church, Kansas City, Mo., as interim worship coordinator.
Christine Schrade-Keddy, to West Acton (Mass.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Isaac Seelam, to Greenville (R.I.) Baptist Church, as pastor. Currently he is an international student minister for the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts.
Sara Smith, to Knollwood Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C., as children’s minister. She had been serving as interim children’s minister.
Nathan St. Clair, to First Baptist Church, Sweet Springs, Mo., as pastor.
Chuck Taft, to First Baptist Church, Weaverville, N.C., as minister of music.
Richard Van Arsdale, to Scottsville (Va.) Baptist Church, as interim pastor.
Lovena Van Haaften, to American Baptist Women’s Ministries, as president. She currently is coordinator of the Midwestern section for Mid-America Baptist Churches.
RETIREMENTS
Michael Cox, retiring after 17 years as director of music ministries for Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas.
John Dunaway, retiring after 34 years as pastor of Great Oak Church, Indianapolis, Ind.
Greg Loewer, retiring as pastor of missions at Columbia Baptist Church, Falls Church, Va.
Laura McDaniel, retiring as catalyst director of the Uptick ministry of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. She will transition to a new role as director of Uptick Global.
Cathy McGaughey, retiring as operations manager of the Alliance of Baptists, Raleigh, N.C.
ORDINATIONS
Denise Conrad, ordained to ministry on Dec. 17 by McLean (Va.) Baptist Church.
Sherry Edwards, ordained to ministry on Nov. 4 by Embrace Church, High Point, N.C., where she is associate pastor.
DEATHS
Jonathan “Mark” Akers, 67, died Nov. 30 in Paragon, Ind. He was a special education teacher for 29 years and pastor of Samaria Baptist Church in Paragon for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, Jeanne; daughter, Ashley Akers; stepdaughter, Mikki Sinn; and two grandchildren.
John E. Grummon, 80, died Nov. 21 in Great Bend, Kansas. He served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Marysville, Kansas, before becoming pastor of Beloit-Simpson Baptist Parish, where he served for 22 years. He then moved to Great Bend where he served as chaplain for the Central Kansas Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital in Lamed and Golden Belt Home Health & Hospice until his retirement in 2014. He is survived by his wife, Dee Anne; two sons, Daniel and David; and two grandsons.
John W. Nichol, 92, pastor emeritus of Oakhurst Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga., died Dec. 15 in Kingsland, Ga. While serving a pastorate in Flint, Michigan, he was called to Oakhurst Baptist Church and served there for 13 years. He encouraged Oakhurst to examine seriously the claims of the Gospel, which led to the church’s decision to stay in the neighborhood, giving up the dream of a completed church complex on College Avenue. After his years in Decatur, he served two congregations in Florida. He is survived by two daughters, Lynn Nichol Fogarty and Hilary Nichol; two sons, David, Timothy and Peter; along with their families.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Bruce Herrmann, 10 years as associate pastor of Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, Fayetteville, N.C.
Matt King, 10 years as pastor of Augusta Road Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C.
CHURCHES
First Baptist Church, West Point, Va.; 150 years; Jan. 21.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 12-29-23
Transitions for the week of 12-1-23
Transitions for the week of 11-17-23
Transitions for the week of 11-3-23