Recent church staff changes, anniversaries, ordinations and deaths within the moderate and progressive Baptist network.
Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Larry Ballard, to Westwood Baptist Church, Cary, N.C., as interim minister of music.
Lucy Jordan Cauthen, to Boulevard Baptist Church, Anderson, S.C., as minister of youth and missions.
Bruce Cole, to Riverside Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of All Saints Church, Lake in the Hills, Ill.
Chris Culpepper, to First Baptist Church, Longwood, Fla., as associate pastor. He comes from First Baptist Church, St. Petersburg, Fla., where he served as worship pastor.
Michael Dickinson, to First Baptist Church, Corning, N.Y., as pastor. He is also pastor of American Baptist Community Church, Big Flats, N.Y.
Rebecca Driscoll, to American Baptist Churches USA, as minister for creation justice.
Hunter Guthrie, to First Baptist Church, Medfield, Mass., as pastor.
Regina Johnson, to First Baptist Church, Weaverville, N.C., as director of church and community ministries.
Christine Keddy, to American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, as director of missions.
Heather Lewis, to Second Baptist Church, Liberty, Mo., as interim children’s pastor.
Roger Orman, to Chester Gap (Va.) Baptist Church, as interim pastor.
LeDayne McLeese Polaski, to Mecklenburg Ministries, Charlotte, N.C., as executive director. Previously she served as executive director of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America/Bautistas por la Paz.
Doris Garcia Rivera, to the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, as interim executive director for a two-year period.
Erica Grace Saunders, to Peace Community Church, Oberlin, Ohio, as pastor.
Jon “Whit” Whittington, to Calvary Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., as director of music.
RETIREMENTS
Paula Settle, retiring after more than 13 with Together for Hope in Eastern Kentucky, effective Dec. 31.
Steven Wiley, retiring after 28 years as pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Williamsburg, Va.
Michael Williams, retiring as executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan, effective Dec. 31.
DEATHS
Samuel Douglas “Doug” Dillard, 90, died Oct. 5 in Belton, Texas. He operated a public relations and advertising firm known as Ministry of Ideas before becoming president of a management company specializing in fund-raising for non-profit organizations. He was vice president for the Radio and Television Commission of the SBC, retiring in 1995. He was widely known as a cartoonist, and for more than 30 years, published weekly editorial cartoons in The Baptist Standard and other religious news magazines. He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Marah. He is survived by his wife, JoAn; son, David; daughters, Debbie Manns and Donna Pool; stepsons, Randy and Ricky Rubendall; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Edward “Ed” Lee Wittner, 89, died Oct. 2 in Waco, Texas. He served for more than 50 years in seven churches, developing music programs and leading choirs, ensembles and hand bell groups. He was music director at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco for 23 years before retiring in 1999. He is survived by his wife, Merle; three children, Edward Houston, Robbie and Dan; and two granddaughters.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Carlton Allen, 15 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Commerce, Ga.
CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES
Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, Calif; 100 years; Oct. 6.
Biltmore Baptist Church, Glen Allen, Va.; 90 years; Oct. 6.
Calvary Baptist Church, Utica, N.Y.; 200 years; Oct. 6.
Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.; 103 years; Oct. 22.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 10-4-19
Transitions for the week of 9-27-19
Transitions for the week of 9-20-19
Transitions for the week of 9-13-19