Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Bradley Beals, to Warrenton (Va.) Baptist Church, as senior pastor. He has been serving as transitional pastor there.
Cindi Byron-Dixon, to Peace Community Church, Oberlin, Ohio, as pastor.
Richard Childress, to Hope Station, Wilson, N.C, .as executive director. He comes from the North Carolina Baptist Foundation, Cary, N.C., where he was vice president for development.
Bill Duke, to Crabtree Valley Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., as pastor.
Amelia Fulbright, to United Church of Christ, Greensboro, N.C., as lead pastor. She comes from the pastorate of University Baptist Church, Austin, Texas.
Jeff Griebling, to First Baptist Church, Gilmer, Texas, as minister to children and families.
Aaron Littell, to First Baptist Church, Asheboro, N.C., as associate pastor of youth and young adults.
Hector Menza, to First Baptist Church, Hoosick Falls, N.Y., as pastor.
Caroline Moore, to First Baptist Church, Carrollton, Ga., as pastor of students.
Jeff Spargo, to Covenant Baptist Church, Gastonia, N.C., as senior pastor.
Lydia Widbin, to Bottskill Baptist Church, Greenwich, N.Y., and Lakeville Baptist Church, Argyle, N.Y., as pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Karl Heilman, announcing plans to retire as pastor of Sandston (Va.) Baptist Church, effective April 30, 2024. He has served as pastor there for nearly 34 years.
Wilbur Kersey, retiring as pastor of Court Street Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Va.
ORDINATIONS
Sean Cornell, ordained to ministry on Sept. 30 by American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin, where he serves as office administrator.
Misti Grim, ordained to ministry on Oct. 22 by Fellowship Baptist Church, Marble Falls, Texas, where she serves as children’s pastor.
Joni Wollek, ordained to ministry on Oct. 22 by Fellowship Baptist Church, Marble Falls, Texas, where she serves as family/youth pastor.
DEATHS
Preston Bright, 85, died Sept. 6 in Dallas, Texas. He served on staff at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas from 1990 to 2005 and was named associate pastor emeritus upon his retirement. He was pastor of Western Hills Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas, for 17 years prior to coming to Wilshire. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lynne; and son, John Paul.
James L. Faircloth Jr., 77, died Oct. 6 in Eastman, Ga. He was ordained to ministry nearly 60 years ago. He served churches in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Indiana and New York. He retired in 2010 as area missionary of the South-Central Area Missions Program. He was a member of the Eastman First Baptist Church and the New Horizons Core Group. He is survived by his wife, Diane; and two sisters.
Leonard A. Miller, 85, died Sept. 19 in Lindley, N.Y. For 30 years he was pastor of First Baptist Church, Watkins Glen, N.Y., retiring in 2018. He is survived by his wife, Frances; two sons, Randy and Jeff; a daughter, Ginger Martin; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
KUDOS
STAFF ANNIVERSARIES
Tom Gholson, 20 years as pastor of Brook Hollow Baptist Church, Nashville, Tenn.
Kim Jessie, 30 years as leadership and ministry specialist for the Bridge Network of Churches, Chesapeake, Va.
Bill McCann, 40 years as CBF-endorsed chaplain and director of pastoral care and volunteers at Baptist Health Deaconess, Madisonville, Ky.
Mindy Phomvisay, 25 years as director of music for First Baptist Church, Ames, Iowa.
Jackie Saxon, 5 years as executive minister of American Baptist Churches of Iowa and Minnesota.
Ashlee West-Laird, 20 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
OTHER ANNIVERSARIES
American Baptist Churches of Connecticut; 200 years; Sept. 29.
Atwater Park Baptist Church, Los Angeles, Calif.; 100 years; Oct. 24.
Dover Baptist Association, Ashland, Va.; 240 years; Oct. 22.
East Hill Baptist Church, Tallahassee, Fla.; 75 years; Nov. 12.
First Baptist Church, Forest City, N.C.; 175 years; Oct. 22.
Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy; 125 years; Oct 15.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 10-20-23
Transitions for the week of 10-6-23
Transitions for the week of 9-15-23
Transitions for the week of 9-1-23