Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Steve Allsbrook, to The River City Faith Network, Richmond, Va., as interim executive director.
Peter JB Carmen, concluding his tenure as pastor of Emmanuel Baptist/Friedens United Church of Christ, Schenectady, N.Y.
Megan Doud, concluding her tenure as minister of students and missions at First Baptist Church, Aiken, Ga.
David Harris, to First Baptist Church, Syracuse, N.Y., as pastor.
Tony Lankford, to First Baptist Church, Gainesville, Ga., as executive pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, St. Simons Island, Ga.
Marie Onwubuariri, to American Baptist Churches USA, as associate general secretary for mission resource development. Prior to joining the Office of the General Secretary, she served as executive minister to the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin.
Michael Poole, concluding his intentional interim pastorate at Emmaus Baptist Church, New Kent, Va.
David Seo, to Columbia Baptist Church, Falls Church, Va., as student minister.
Olivia Stanard, to Mount Zion Baptist Church, Newark, N.J., as pastor.
Landon Williams, to First Baptist Church, Cornelia, Ga., as pastor. Previously he served as a missionary to Chile with the International Mission Board.
RETIREMENTS
Larry Cronk, retiring as pastor of United Church of Oxford, N.Y.
Gary Furr, retiring as pastor of Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., where he has served since 1993.
David Nabors, retiring as director of business administration at Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, effective Feb. 28.
ORDINATION
Kim Bone Brewer, ordained to ministry on Jan. 17 by Pantano Baptist Church, Tuscon, Ariz.
DEATHS
Bill Baker, 96, died Jan. 9 in Hillsboro, Texas. He served as pastor of Second Baptist Church, Highlands, Texas, and University Park Baptist Church in San Antonio. He was associate pastor of First Baptist Church in San Antonio. In 1952 he accepted a position at Bethesda Home in San Antonio, which was a unit of Buckner Benevolence, now Buckner International. During his 37-year ministry at Buckner, his work in adoption resulted in the placement of more than 3,000 children. He is preceded in death by his wife, Betty, and son, James. He is survived by a daughter, Beverly Baker Drake; two sons, Joe and John; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
David Lotee Higgs, 84, died Jan. 2 in Pultneyville, N.Y. He served as pastor of Morton Baptist Church, Monroe, N.Y., West Baptist Church, Oswego, N.Y., Kingsbury Baptist Church, Hudson Falls, N.Y., and United Church of Canada on Wolfe Island, Ontario. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; three sons, Robert, David and Theodore; and two grandsons.
Daniel H. Holcomb, 87, died Dec. 27 in Temple, Texas. He was a professor and chair of the religion department at Oklahoma Baptist University from 1969-79. He then began a 40-year career with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he served as chair of the division of theological and historical studies and held the John T. Westbrook Chair of Church History. He was preceded in death by his wife, Olga; and granddaughter, Allison. He is survived by two sons, John and David; and five grandchildren.
James Harold Wright, 75, died Jan. 13 in Hopewell, Va. He served numerous churches in rural Virginia, most recently as director of music at Bruington Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; a daughter, Beth W. Seder; and son, David.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Kevin Meadows, 20 years as senior pastor of Grandin Court Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 1-8-21
Transitions for the week of 11-6-20
Transitions for the week of 10-23-20