Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Podcasts
    • Stuck in the Middle With You ↗
    • Madang with Grace Ji-Sun Kim ↗
    • Highest Power: Church + State ↗
    • Non-Disclosure: The Silenced Stories of Kanakuk Kamps Survivors ↗
    • Change-making Conversations ↗
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Associated Baptist Press Foundation
    • Planned Giving
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Donate Subscribe
Search Search this site

Transitions for the week of 11-15-19

NewsBarbara Francis  |  November 14, 2019

Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.


STAFF CHANGES

Brady Bassett, to Olive Branch Baptist Church, Dinwiddie, Va., as pastor.

Mat Brown, concluding his tenure as pastor of Blackstone (Va.) Baptist Church.

Robert Dale and Rose Mary Stewart, concluding their tenures as co-intentional interim directors of missions for Dover Baptist Association, Ashland, Va.

Aaron Fehlen, concluding his tenure as director of music ministries at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va.

Audrey Fleming-Hawkins, to Parham Road Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as associate minister to families, youth and children.

John Gilliam, to Parham Road Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as minister of youth.

Brock Goetsch, concluding his tenure as senior pastor of Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va.

Dee Gray, concluding her tenure as director of music at Black Creek Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va.

Cameron Jorgenson, to Lafayette Baptist Church, Fayetteville, N.C., as interim pastor.

Hugh Litchfield, to Mooreland Baptist Church, North Garden, Va., as interim pastor, effective Dec. 2.

Philip Nation, to HarperCollins Christian Publishing, as vice president/publisher for Thomas Nelson Bibles. Previously he was director of advancement and global impact churches for the Baptist World Alliance.

David Sapp, to Madison (Ga.) Baptist Church, as interim pastor.

Tanya Shearin, to Hunton Baptist Church, Glen Allen, Va., as children’s ministry director.

 

RETIREMENTS

John Miller, retiring as director of missions for Goshen Baptist Association, Mineral, Va.

Bill Stillerman, retiring as president of the Baptist Retirement Homes, Winston-Salem, N.C., effective Dec. 31.

 

ORDINATIONS

Melissa Rose Wilson, ordained to ministry by First Baptist Church, Statesville, N.C., on Nov. 3.

Lesley Spitzer, ordained to ministry by First Baptist Church, Newport News, Va., on Oct. 13.

 

DEATHS

Maxwell L. Hill Jr., 70, died Oct. 18 in St. Albans, W. Va. He had served as pastor of Pine Ridge Baptist Church, Zebulon, N.C., and First Baptist Church, Jonesville, N.C. He moved to West Virginia in 2001 and became pastor at Clarksburg Baptist Church. Later he was area minister and associate executive director for the West Virginia Baptist Convention. His call to serve led him to take on mission work in Cuba, traveling there yearly since 1991. He was named pastor emeritus of the El Jordan Baptist Church in Havana. He is survived by his wife, Debbie; and daughter, Melinda Greathouse.

Gordon L. Thomas, 71, died Nov. 4 in Akron, Ohio. He had served First Baptist Church, Sharpsville, Pa.; Geneva Road Baptist Church, Wheaton, Ill.; Waynesfield (Ohio) Baptist Church; Trinity Baptist Church, Canton, Ohio; and First Baptist Church, Alliance, Ohio.

 

KUDOS

ANNIVERSARIES

Wayne Faison, 5 years as pastor of East End Baptist Church, Suffolk, Va.

Ted Smith Jr., 25 years as pastor of Ash Camp Baptist Church, Keysville, Va.

CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES

Augusta Road Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C.; 95 years; Nov. 17.

First Baptist Church, Middlesboro, Ky.; 130 years.

 


Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Click here to learn more.


 

In case you missed them:

Transitions for the week of 11-1-19

Transitions for the week of 10-25-19

Transitions for the week of 10-11-19

Transitions for the week of 10-4-19

 

 

Barbara Francis
More by
Barbara Francis
  • This BNG series of articles on Christianity and democracy led toward the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The series was curated by Carol McEntyre, senior minister at First Baptist Church of Greenville, S.C.  See the series here.

     

  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Check out our podcasts

     

     

    Stuck in the Middle
    With You

     

    Madang
    With Grace Ji-Sun Kim

     

     

    Highest Power
    Church+State

     

     

    Non-Disclosure:
    The Silenced Stories
    of Kanakuk Kamps Survivors

     

    Change-making
    Conversations

     

     

  • Politics • Faith • Resistance: by Greg Garrett

    BNG interview series on the state of faith, politics and resistance in our nation.

    See also Greg’s series on Politics, Faith and Mission

     

  • Featured

    • Russell Moore tells evangelicals their immigrant jokes aren’t funny

      News

    • On living hopefully in a despairing, destitute world

      Opinion

    • Presence and pain at Ground Zero

      Opinion

    • Groups seek to prevent Trump from sending armed agents to polling places

      News


    Curated

    • In direct appeal to Trump, Catholic bishops’ president urges end of mass deportations of Haitians

      In direct appeal to Trump, Catholic bishops’ president urges end of mass deportations of Haitians

    • A case pitting Indiana Jews against an abortion ban heads back to court

      A case pitting Indiana Jews against an abortion ban heads back to court

    • Who Do You Talk to When You’re Struggling?

      Who Do You Talk to When You’re Struggling?

    • A chapel near ground zero was a relief center after 9/11. Now, an exhibit honors its victims.

      A chapel near ground zero was a relief center after 9/11. Now, an exhibit honors its victims.

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2026 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS
    • bh