Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Rick Brittain, to Mars Hill Baptist Church, Watkinsville, Ga., as pastor. He had served as transitional pastor.
Aaron Christiansen, to First Baptist Church, Cleburne, Texas, as youth minister.
Andrew Corley, to First Baptist Church, Laurens, S.C., as minister of students and recreation. He comes from the pastorate of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Grover, N.C.
Shelby Haggray, to Philadelphia (Pa.) Baptist Association, as program consultant for the Christ & Cultural Humility program. She has served as associate dean at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and as an assistant professor at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta.
Dwight Hedges, concluding his tenure as minister to students at Mechanicsville (Va.) Baptist Church.
Erick Jimenez, to First Baptist Church, El Paso, Texas, as minister of discipleship.
Mary Kaylor, to First Baptist Church on Fifth, Winston-Salem, N.C., as minister for youth.
Ken Meyers, to Riverside Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla., as theologian-in-residence.
Marie Onwubuariri, to American Baptist Churches USA, as associate general secretary for mission resource development, effective Jan. 1. She has served as executive minister of American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin since 2014.
Robin Priddy, to Johns Creek Baptist Church, Alpharetta, Ga., as children’s pastor. She comes from First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas, where she was children’s minister.
Keith Ramsey, to Garden Baptist Church, Indianapolis, Ind., as associate pastor.
Tim Schaefer, to First Baptist Church, Madison, Wis., as pastor. Previously he was on the staff of Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas.
William Shaw, concluding his tenure as associate pastor of worship and education at Corinth Baptist Church, New Kent, Va.
Daren Smart, to Fair Bluff (N.C.) Baptist Church, as pastor, effective Dec. 6. He comes from the pastorate of Yadkin Baptist Church, Lenoir, N.C.
Chris Strickland, to First Baptist Church, Commerce, Ga., as director of youth ministries.
David Watts, to First Baptist Church, Hopewell, Va., as associate pastor.
Edith Mario Wright, concluding her tenure as director of music at Church on the Drive, Orlando, Fla.
RETIREMENTS
Gil Bourquin, retiring as pastor of Putnam (Conn.) Baptist Church.
Tom Carr, retiring as pastor of Second Baptist Church, Suffield, Conn.
Robert Littlejohn, retiring as pastor of Pilgrim Way Baptist Church, Windsor, Conn.
Mike Robinson, retiring as executive director of River City Faith Network (formerly Richmond (Va.) Baptist Association), effective Dec. 31.
Charles Williams, retiring as pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Hartford, Conn.
ORDINATIONS
Leanna Coyle-Carr, ordained to ministry on Nov. 1 by Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, where she is a pastoral resident.
Tarvick Linder, ordained to ministry by Yates Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C.
Angeline Washington, ordained to ministry on Oct. 25 by Calvary Baptist Church, Chester, Pa.
Torie Zeiner, ordained to ministry on Nov. 1 by Knollwood Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.
DEATHS
Jack E. Brymer Sr., 84, died Oct. 28 in Birmingham, Ala. A Baptist writer for most of his professional life, he was editor of The Alabama Baptist and The Florida Baptist Witness before retiring from Samford University as director of communications in 2003. He was active in many organizations, including the Baptist Press Association and the Public Relations Society of America. He was the inaugural winner of the Religious Freedom Award given by Associated Baptist Press (now Baptist News Global). He is survived by his wife, Shirley; children, Jack Jr., Vicki and Carissa Perry; eight grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren.
Clifford D. Marx, 71, died Oct. 22 in Taylor, Texas. He was called as pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Taylor, Texas, in 1992 and served there for 28 years. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Kay “Perrin,”; daughter, Christie Tracey; son, David; stepsons, Bobby Wayne and Joe Jones; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Nathan Mulder, 76, died Oct. 19 in Floydada, Texas. He was pastor of Northfield (Texas) Baptist Church and Faith Baptist Church, Wellington, Texas, before he was called as pastor of Flomot (Texas) Baptist Church, where he served more than 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn; daughters, Cindy Hilliard and Penny Poole; sons, James and Cory; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
John D. Ragland, 82, died Sept. 25 in Madison Heights, Va. He served as pastor of numerous Baptist churches in Virginia and North Carolina, retiring from Hull’s Memorial Baptist Church, Falmouth, Va. He is preceded in death by his son, Donald. He is survived by his wife, Loretta; daughter, Teresa R. Murdock; and three grandchildren.
Kenna “Lucky” Ray, 75, died Oct. 20 in South Charleston, W. Va. He was a past president of American Baptist Men USA, president of the American Baptist Men of West Virginia, and president of the Kanawha Valley West Virginia Association of American Baptist Men. He had also served on the executive and general boards of American Baptist Churches USA and as treasurer of the Baptist World Alliance Men’s Department. He is survived by his wife, Leola “Lee”, daughter, Lisa Norman; son, Kevin; and a grandson
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Randy Edwards, 15 years as minister of music and worship at Woodland Baptist Church, San Angelo, Texas.
Michael Morgan, 5 years as director of music of Edenton (N.C.) Baptist Church.
Kent Murphey, 28 years as associate pastor of property and finance at First Baptist Church, Gainesville, Ga.
Joellen Roach, 25 years as director of preschool ministries at First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 10-23-20
Transitions for the week of 10-9-20
Transitions for the week of 9-25-20
Transitions for the week of 9-11-20