Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Rosemary Allen, to Georgetown (Ky.) University, as president. She has served as interim president since October and also provost and dean.
Kristin Belcher, concluding her tenure as associate pastor for children, youth and families at Broadway Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky.
Jonathan Clayton, to Mount Zion Baptist Church, Floydada, Texas, as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Trinity Baptist Church, Denver City Texas.
Braxton Kemp, to Tabernacle Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as associate pastor for families.
Rayce Lamb, to Wake Forest Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C., as interim pastor.
Sarah E. Laurence, to First Baptist Church, Aiken, S.C., as minister of youth and pastoral care.
Katie McCoy, to Baptist General Convention of Texas, as director of women’s ministry.
Courtny Davis Olds, to American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island, as executive minister.
Steven Porter, concluding his tenure as coordinator of Global Missions for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Toya Richards, to International Ministries, as an IM global servant in Capetown, South Africa. She has served on the staff of the Alliance of Baptists.
Lia Scholl, to First Friends Meeting, Greensboro, N.C., as pastor. She comes from the pastorate of Wake Forest Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Sarah Sensenig, to Trinity Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas, as interim minister of college and young adults.
Justin Thompson, to Central Bearden, Knoxville, Tenn., as minister to college and young adults.
Heather Lamb Webb, to Union Christian Church, Watkinsville, Ga., as pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Larry Danks, retiring after more than 15 years as minister of music of Trinity Baptist Church, Kerrville, Texas, effective June 26.
Ronald C. Hall, retiring as president and CEO of the Virginia Baptist Foundation, Richmond, Va., effective Jan. 31.
George Mason, announcing plans to retire as senior pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, effective Aug. 31, as he completes 33 years as pastor there.
Greg Rogers, retiring as senior pastor of Oakmont Baptist Church, Greenville, N.C. He has served this congregation for 38 years.
Gary Schmieder, announcing plans to retire as church administrator at Central Bearden, Knoxville, Tenn., effective the fall of 2022.
ORDINATIONS
Marcy Kent Martinez, ordained to gospel ministry on Jan. 16 by Woodlawn Baptist Church, Austin, Texas.
Ross Tarpley, ordained to gospel ministry on Jan. 30 by First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas.
Derek Wolfe, ordained to gospel ministry on Jan. 9 by First Baptist Church, Howard, Kansas.
DEATHS
Lemaire Alerte, 86, died on Jan. 5 in Jersey City, N.J. For over 45 years he was pastor of the Haitian Evangelical Church in Jersey City. He was a leader in the America Baptist Churches of New Jersey and instrumental in the growth of the Alliance of Haitian Baptist Churches, where he served as president, vice president, treasurer and advisor from 1983 to 2021.
Robert G. “Bob” Campbell, 82, died Dec. 14. He served as pastor of Northwest Baptist Church, Ardmore, Okla; Calvary Baptist Church, Garland, Texas; and Westbury Baptist Church, Houston, Texas. He was chair of the Baptist General Convention of Texas executive board, as well as president. After he retired, he was a distinguished professor with the B. H. Carroll Theological Institute and an adjunct professor at Houston Baptist University. He is preceded in death by his wife, Judy. He is survived by a son, Michael; a daughter, Michelle Zimmerman; and six grandchildren.
June Holland McEwen, 92, died Jan. 22 in Roane County, Tenn. For 15 years she was the assistant director of the University Honors Program at the University of Tennessee. She was a founder of Baptist Women in Ministry and served for many years on the board of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jack H. McEwen. She is survived by two children: Melanie McEwen Dover and Jack Jeffrey McEwen; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Robert N. Sanders Sr., 90, died Jan. 5 in Indianapolis, Ind. He served as minister at 14 different churches in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana as well as Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He is survived by his wife, Norma Sue; two sons, Neil and Alan; a daughter, Laurie Squire; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda Sanders.
James E. Waters, 90, died Jan. 15 in Franklin, Ind. He had served as pastor in Kokomo, Ind., Garrett, Ind., and New Bethel Baptist Church in Wanamaker, Ind. He is survived by his wife, Wilma; two daughters, Jakala Greig and Twyla Waters; one grandson; and one great-grandson.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Gary Burton, 50 years as pastor of Pintlala Baptist Church, Hope Hull, Ala.
Kent Taylor, 40 years as associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Radford, Va.
Tonya and Jeffrey Vickers, 20 years as co-pastors of Cullowhee (N.C.) Baptist Church.
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In case you missed them:
Trsansitions for the week of 1-7-22
Transitions for the week of 12-17-21
Transitions for the week of 11-26-21
Transitions for the week of 11-12-21
