Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Eric Albright, to Southside Baptist Church, Decatur, Ala., as pastor.
Gene Ashton Jr., to Fort Lee Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va., as associate pastor.
Verlyn Bergen, to First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Mo., as interim preacher.
Michael Cunningham, to American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island, as director of operations.
Sam Duenckel, concluding his tenure as associate for missions for Dover Baptist Association, Glen Allen, Va.
Sarah Reed Jay, to Community Church, Providence, R.I., as pastor, effective in May.
Rob Kirbach, to American Baptist Churches of the Great River Region, as associate executive minister.
Peter McCurdy, to First Baptist Church, Jeffersonville, Ind., as pastor.
Paul McDaniel, concluding his tenure as pastor of Indian View Baptist Church, King William, Va.
Eric Porterfield, to Oakmont Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Huntington, W. Va.
Jonathan Shelor, to Bethel Baptist Church, Salem, Va., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Lake St. Louis, Mo.
Robert Stephens, to First Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va., as senior pastor. He comes from Crestview Baptist Church, Georgetown, Texas, where he was associate pastor.
Dan Venzin, concluding his tenure as minister to students and graduates for First Baptist Church, Lufkin, Texas, to relocate to Alabama.
Doug and Terri Vancil, concluding their ministry after more than 20 years as associate pastor, music and worship and assistant pastor, music and worship, respectively, for First Baptist Church, Greensboro, N.C., effective Feb. 12.
RETIREMENTS
Wayne Colton, retiring as pastor of Triangle (Va.) Baptist Church.
Len Keever, retiring after 20 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Dunn, N.C.
Henry Tyson, retiring as associate pastor of pastoral care of First Baptist Church, Carrollton, Ga.
ORDINATIONS
Laura Addis, ordained to ministry on Jan. 6 by First Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C., where she serves as ministry associate for students.
Taylor Claire Allen, ordained to ministry on Dec. 11 by St. Charles Baptist Church, New Orleans, La.
Vickie Yoell, ordained to ministry on Jan. 8 by Providence Baptist Church, Charleston, S.C.
DEATHS
Frederick Billups, died Dec. 31 in Springfield, Va. He served as pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., and Urbanna (Va.) Baptist Church, before becoming both a college counselor and administrator. He retired in 1991 from Northern Virginia Community College, where he served as the coordinator of Counseling Services for most of his 21 years there. He is survived by his wife, Lucyann; four sons, David, John, Tim and Steve; and nine grandchildren.
Craig Bird, 73, Baptist journalist and educator, died Dec. 7. He worked for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the Lawton (Okla.) Constitution-Press before becoming features editor at Baptist Press in Nashville. From 1985 to 1996, he and his wife Melissa served with the SBC’s Foreign Mission Board in Africa. Most recently he served 17 years at Baptist University of the Americas. In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons Brant and Coby; and five grandchildren.
William H. Brackney, former executive director of the American Baptist Historical Society, died on Nov. 13 in Kentville, Nova Scotia. During his tenure as executive director, the ABHS became the permanent custodian of the records of the national boards of American Baptist Churches USA, the Philadelphia Baptist Association, and the Freewill Baptist movement in North America. He resigned in 1986 to become vice president and dean and professor of the History of Christianity at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Palmer Seminary, St. Davids, Pa.). He subsequently served as an administrator and faculty member at McMaster Divinity College.
Roger H. Crook, 101, of Cary, N.C., emeritus professor of religion at Meredith College, Raleigh, N.C., died Dec. 2. He was pastor and teacher to numerous congregations in Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. He and his wife Mary Ruth participated in establishing the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. He is preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by six sons, David, Joseph, John, James, Bryan and Stephen; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Warren D. Mays Sr., died Nov. 26 in Media, Pa. An American Baptist minister, he was pastor of Second Baptist Church, Media., Pa., for 37 years. He is survived by his wife, Lenora; four children, LaTisha, Warren Jr., Isaiah and Ashley; and three grandchildren.
Robert Middleton Jr., 78, died Dec. 4 in Norton, Mass. He began his ministry as an associate pastor in West Hartford, Conn., and later as pastor of First Baptist Church, Greenfield, Mass. He then served a long-time pastorate at First Baptist Church, North Attleboro, Mass, serving from 1980 to 2008. He is survived by two children, Robert John Middleton and Jane M. Henckler; and five grandchildren.
Joe Vernon, 91, died Dec. 20 in Beeville, Texas. During his 43 years in ministry he was pastor of Texas Baptist churches in Midway, Menard, Canadian, Post, White Settlement, Earth and Rotan, as well as Lovington, N.M. He is preceded in death by his wife, Emma Jo. He is survived by daughters, Sarah McKinney and Rachel Hoff; son, David; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Carlye Hall, 10 years as pastor of Castalia (N.C.) Baptist Church.
Brian Henderson, 10 years as senior minister of First Baptist Church, Denver, Colo.
Kathy Raines, 20 years of ministry with University Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. She currently is minister of administration.
CHURCHES
First Baptist Church, Hutchinson, Kansas; 150 years; Jan. 1.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 12-16-22
Transitions for the week of 12-2-22
Transitions for the week of 11-18-22
Transitions for the week of 11-4-22