Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Carlton Allen, to First Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C., as interim pastor, effective Feb. 1.
Steve Battaglia, to New Walk Baptist Church, Powhatan, Va., as pastor.
Leigh Curl-Dove, to Emerywood Baptist Church, High Point, N.C., as minister with students.
Heather Deal, to Baptist Women in Ministry, Waco, Texas, as director of development. Previously she served as the director of development for the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University.
Hollis Dudgeon, to Ridgewood Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., as minister to families.
Phil Eastman, to New Life Bible Fellowship, Caldwell, Idaho, as pastor.
Mason Freeman, to Brookwood Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., as children’s minister.
Dana Gatewood, to West Virginia Baptist Convention, as Southeast area minister.
Anna Goetz, to Church on the Drive, Orlando, Fla., as student pastor.
Dennis Green, to Tomahawk Baptist Church, Midlothian, Va., as executive pastor.
Mark Houser, to First Baptist Church, Parkersburg, W.Va., as pastor.
Beth Howe, to Woodmont Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn., as minister of students and discipleship.
Brandon Hudson, to First Baptist Church, Abilene, Texas, as senior pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Crosscreek Baptist Church, Pelham, Ala.
Randy Hyde, to Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, Ark., as transitional pastor. He comes from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas, where he was interim executive coordinator.
Steve Ludeman, to First Baptist Church, Payette, Idaho, as pastor.
Brandon Owen, to First Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga., as senior pastor, effective mid-February. He comes from Brentwood (Tenn.) Baptist Church, where he was campus and teaching pastor.
Chris Palmer, to Sandy Creek Baptist Church, Jetersville, Va., as pastor.
Gabe Pancho, to International Christian Church, Virginia Beach, Va., as outreach pastor.
Eric Porterfield, to Oakmont Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., as pastor, effective Feb. 5. He comes from the pastorate of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Huntington, W.Va., effective Feb. 5.
Layne Smith, to First Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C., as interim process coach/facilitator, for First Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C.
John Woodcock, to Drakes Branch (Va.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Chris Walker, concluding his tenure as pastor of Woodland Baptist Church, Wake Forest, N.C.
Sean Wegener, to Simpson Creek Baptist Church, Bridgeport, W.Va., as pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Diana Brown, retiring as pastor of First Baptist Church of Cranford/Elizabeth, N.J., where she has served for the past 19 years.
Doug Haney, retiring as associate pastor and long-time minister of music of Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, effective in the spring.
ORDINATION
Regina Johnson, ordained to ministry on Jan. 7 by First Baptist Church, Weaverville, N.C., where she serves as ministries director.
DEATHS
Louis Blakey Sr., pastor emeritus of New Canaan Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., died Jan. 5 in Richmond. He was pastor of Greater Nazarene Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va. and Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Chesterfield, Va. In 1974 he founded New Canaan Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., and served there until retirement. He is preceded in death by his wife, Betsy. He is survived by seven children who were given and born: Linda D. Crawley, Mildred J. Thaxton, Lois B. Paige, Louis Blakey Jr., Keven Blakey, Daryl Blakey, and Yvonne White.
Raymond L. Spence Jr., 86, pastor emeritus of Second Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., died Jan. 3 in Richmond. He was pastor of Bruington (Va.) Baptist Church. In 1962 he accepted the call to become pastor of Second Baptist Church, where he served until retirement in 2007. He is survived by his wife, Ann; sons, Lee and Walter; and three grandchildren.
Douglass Willey, 90, died Dec. 21 in Indianapolis, Ind. He pastored churches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and California, as well as several interim pastorates in the Indianapolis area. He is preceded in death by his wife, Rosemarie. He is survived by two sons, Doug Jr. and Donn; a daughter, Debbie Kemp; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 1-6-23
Transitions for the week of 12-16-22
Transitions for the week of 12-2-22
Transitions for the week of 11-18-22