Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Jose Aguilera, to Grace Baptist Church, Woodbridge, Va., as Hispanic pastor.
Brian Ball, to First Baptist Church, Summitville, Ind., as senior pastor.
Blake Benge, to Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C., as senior pastor. He comes from First Baptist Church, Pensacola, Fla., where he was executive pastor.
Jennifer Brown, to University Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, Miss., as pastor. She comes from Community Church at Tellico Village, Loudon, Tenn., where she was associate pastor.
Heather Burke, to Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Baptist Church, as minister to preschool and children.
Amy Chilton, to Phillips Memorial Baptist Church, Cranston, R.I., as pastor.
Hardin Crowder, to Dover Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as pastor.
Keith Dickens, to Calvary Baptist Church, Chester, Pa., as pastor.
Thad Douglass, to First Baptist Church, College Station, Texas, as youth minister.
Rebecca Driscoll, to First Baptist Church, Attleboro, Mass., as pastor.
Dixie Ford, to Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, as associate coordinator. She comes from Crosscreek Baptist Church, Pelham, Ga., where she was associate pastor.
Jonathan Hall, to Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga., as minister of youth and missions.
Seth Hix, to the Center for Healthy Churches, Clemmons, N.C., as church consultant. He comes from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, where he was associate coordinator.
Aaron Jackson, to First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Ala., as minister of music and worship. He comes from Christ Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., where he was associate pastor of worship and arts.
Bryan Jones, to Northstar Church Network, Manassas, Va., as executive director. He has been serving as associate executive director.
Camille Mason, to Riverchase Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., as children’s minister.
Rusty Mullins, to Hopewell Baptist Church, New Kent, Va., as interim pastor.
David Peppler, to Upper King & Queen Baptist Church, Newtown, Va., as interim pastor.
Jon Perkins, to Amherst (Va.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Gary Robertson, to Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Glen Allen, Va., as associate pastor for missions and evangelism.
Benjamin Smith, concluding his tenure as associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Rochester, N.Y., to become director of employment for Stewpot Community Services in Jackson, Miss., effective Nov. 21.
RETIREMENTS
Jessica Capps, retiring as minister to senior adults at Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas.
Stephen Clyborne, retiring as senior pastor of Earle Street Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., effective Jan. 8.
Dale Seley, retiring after more than 8 years as pastor of Salem Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Va.
Andy Stanton, retiring as business administrator for Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, Abilene, Texas.
ORDINATIONS
Robbie Matteson, ordained to ministry on Oct. 23 by South Main Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.
Shelley Mills, ordained to ministry by First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Ala., where she serves as associate minister to kids and families.
DEATHS
Raymond F. “Ray” Allen Sr., 84, died Sept. 27 in Roanoke, Va. An ordained minister for 62 years, he was pastor of Wise (Va.) Baptist Church; Cosby Memorial Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., and Blacksburg (Va.) Baptist Church, where is honored as pastor emeritus. His passion for missions led him to India where he worked to start an orphanage, many churches, and a seminary where the library is named in his honor. He is survived by his wife, Ann: his children, Ann Cranwell, Ray Jr., and Katie Forbish; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
John F. Houlker, 71, died Oct. 1 in Cranston, R.I. His pastorates included Baptist churches in Westerly, R.I.; Cranston, R.I.; Newton Junction, N.H.; and Warwick, R.I. He also participated in Partner in Discipleship Ministries and was pat of the national staff of American Baptist Churches of America. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter, Autumn Lucas; son John; and four grandchildren.
Larry S. Osmon, 84, died Sept. 27 in Indianapolis, Ind. An American Baptist pastor for nearly 60 years, he was pastor of Garfield Park Baptist Church in Indianapolis from 1974 to 1998. After retirement from Garfield Park, he was an interim minister until his full retirement in 2018. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jan. He is survived by a daughter, Julie Lane; a son, Aaron; and four grandchildren.
Derrill Smith, 70, died Sept. 30 in Seneca, S.C. He was pastor of Pond Run Baptist Church, Echols, Ky.; Return Baptist Church, Seneca, S.C.; Grace Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C.; and Wingate (N.C.) Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Cindy; children, Philip and Caroline; and three grandchildren.
KUDOS
CHURCHES
Mount Zion Baptist Church, Macon, Ga.; 190 years; Nov. 6.
First Baptist Church, Dalton, Ga.; 175 years; Nov. 13.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 10-21-22
Transitions for the week of 10-7-22
Transitions for the week of 9-23-22
Transitions for the week of 9-9-22