Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Alyssa Aldape, to Commonwealth Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va., as minister of faith formation.
Laura Ayala, to Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Decatur, Ga., as coordinator of global missions. She comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church of Rio Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
John Campbell, to Buechel Park Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., as minister of music and worship.
Shlowel Chen, to Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., as congregational coordinator.
Randy Harsey, to Hornsbyville Baptist Church, Yorktown, Va., as pastor. He had been serving as interim pastor there.
Aaron Jackson, to First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Ala., as minister of music and worship, effective Jan. 3. He comes from Christ Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., where he was associate pastor of worship and arts.
Danny Owens, to Corinth Baptist Church, New Kent, Va., as intentional interim pastor.
Jeffrey Pardue, to St. John’s Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, Va., as worship leader.
Victoria Robb Powers, to Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, as senior pastor. Previously she was director of adult ministries for Highland Park UMC in Dallas.
Leigh Reynolds, to Oakland Baptist Church, Rock Hill, S.C., as associate minister for spiritual growth, missions and communications.
Justin Sizemore, to Highland Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., as associate pastor to youth and young adults.
Katie Stamps, concluding her tenure as minister to children at Ball Camp Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn., to relocate to Kentucky.
Tony Stang, to Central Baptist Church, Springfield, Ill., as lead pastor.
Mahogany Thomas, to Calvary Baptist Church, Washington, D.C., as womanist theologian in residence.
Donald Waltz, to First Baptist Church, Elizabeth City, N.C., as pastor.
Jana Yeaton, to First Baptist Church, Newton, Mass., as pastor.
Gwendolyn Young, to First Baptist Church, West Allis, Wis., as pastor.
ORDINATIONS
Aric Butler, ordained to ministry on July 10 by Garden Lakes Baptist Church, Rome, Ga.
Victer Chesmore, ordained to ministry on Nov. 6 by Bayshore Baptist Church, Tampa, Fla.
Brianna Childs, ordained to ministry on Oct. 23 by Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, where she is pastoral resident.
Susan Colding, ordained to ministry on Sept. 25 by Garden Lakes Baptist Church, Rome, Ga.
Kelley Kennedy, ordained to ministry on Oct. 23 by Emerywood Baptist Church, High Point, N.C., where she serves as minister to children.
Lane Riley, ordained to ministry on Oct. 23 by First Baptist Church, Greenwood, S.C. She is associate coordinator for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina.
David Warren, ordained to ministry on Nov. 13 by First Baptist Church, Roswell, Ga., where he is minister of music and worship.
DEATHS
Raymond O. Colston, 91, died Nov. 1 in Virginia Beach, Va. He was pastor of churches in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and South Carolina which include Sandy Run, Fort Lawn, Crewe, Central, Immanuel, Ortega, Black Water and Trinity Baptist churches. Upon retirement he was named pastor emeritus at Central Baptist Church in Norfolk, Va. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dolores. He is survived by two sons, Ray and Bobby; a daughter, Debbie Moose; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Joseph D. Current, 86, died Nov. 10 in Greenfield, Ohio. He was a minister for 66 years, including the past 18 years at First Baptist Church, Washington Court House, Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Sue; one daughter, Lori Anderson; one son, Mark; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Bruce W. Hunter., 71, died Oct. 30 in Charlottesville, Va. He was pastor of Mayo Baptist Church, Spencer, Va.; Beaverdam Baptist Church, Troy, Va., and was founder of Crossroads Community Church also in Troy, from which he retired. He was a founding member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia and served as moderator in the early 2000s. He is survived by his wife, Susan; and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth Hunter.
Steven J. Schmidt, 75, died Nov. 2 in Clearwater, Fla. He first served as minister of evangelism at North Parkersburg (W. Va.) Baptist Church, then as senior pastor of Porterfield Baptist Church in Little Hocking, Ohio. In 1990 he became senior pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he served for the next two decades until retirement. He is preceded in death by a daughter, Laura Beth. He is survived by his wife, Mary; a daughter, Kathleen Miller; two sons, Matthew and Nicholas; and seven grandchildren.
KUDOS
CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES
First Baptist Church / Pine Street Church, Boulder, Co.; 150 years; Oct. 13.
Grace Baptist Church, West Asheville, N.C.; 75 years; Oct. 23.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 11-4-22
Transitions for the week of 10-21-22
Transitions for the week of 10-7-22
Transitions for the week of 9-23-22