Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Danny Back, to First Baptist Church, Hillsville, Va., as youth and worship leader. He comes from RiverRock Church, New Port Richey, Fla., where he was family discipleship director and worship leader.
Micah Belong, to Park Road Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C., as youth and children’s minister.
Kyle Dobyns, concluding his tenure as youth and young adult pastor at Gayton Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Larry Frakes, to New Highland Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, Va., as intentional interim pastor.
Todd J. Fuller, to Virginia Baptist Foundation, Richmond, Va., as chief executive officer. He has served as the Foundation’s chief financial officer since 1990.
Leah Grace Goodwin, to West Acton (Mass.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Brent Greene, concluding his tenure as minister of discipleship at First Baptist Church on Fifth, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Jacob Roberts, to Second Avenue Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., as senior pastor.
David Sapp, to First Baptist Church, Commerce, Ga., as interim pastor, effective March 27.
Gannon Sims, to Cliff Temple Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas, as senior pastor He comes from the pastorate of The Center Community, Fredericksburg, Va.
Don Verkuijlen, First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as music director and organist.
Cameron Mason Vickery, to Fellowship Southwest, as director of communications and development.
Jenny Whitaker, to First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, Tenn., as minister of children and women’s ministries. She comes from Bradfordville First Baptist Church in Tallahassee, where she was children, student and family ministry director.
Wayne D. Wike, to Winter Park Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C., as interim pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Bill Slater, announcing plans to retire after 17 years as senior pastor of Wake Forest (N.C.) Baptist Church, effective in August.
ORDINATIONS
Allie Osborne, ordained to gospel ministry on March 13 by Second Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Shannon Speller, ordained to gospel ministry on Feb. 27 by Zebulon (N.C.) Baptist Church, where she serves as minister of children, outreach and missions.
Paulette Taylor, ordained to gospel ministry on March 13 by Meadow Oaks Baptist Church, Temple, Texas.
DEATHS
Lawrence E. Oyer, 95, died March 9 in Kansas. He served as pastor in churches across Kansas, including LaHarpe Baptist Church; Bethel Baptist and Hillsdale Presbyterian in Hillsdale; Stillwell Baptist Church; Belpre Baptist Church; Berean Baptist Church in Hutchinson; Woodlawn Baptist Church in Wichita; and Bethany Baptist Church in Bentley. He is survived by his wife, Mabel; daughters, Kay Pearson, and Jo Templin; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Wallace Philpot, 87, died March 5 in Keller, Texas. He was pastor of Edgefield Baptist Church, Waco, Texas, while he was a student at Baylor University. In July 1966 he was called to the pastorate of Oak View Baptist Church, Irving, Texas, where he served for 38 years prior to his retirement. He is preceded in death by his wife, Aleen Mae. He is survived by a son, Wayne; a daughter, Lisa Jones; and five grandchildren.
Phillip Qualls, 77, died March 9 in Apex, N.C. He was pastor of four Baptist churches over the span of 40 years. He retired after 27 years from the pastorate of Apex (N.C.) Baptist Church. He is preceded in death by his wife, Kathy. He is survived by a daughter, Dana Rice; a son, Kevin; and seven grandchildren.
Paul Stripling, 86, died March 4 in Mansfield, Texas. His pastorates included these Texas churches: Emmanuel Baptist Church in White Oak; First Baptist Church in Joshua; Baylor Baptist Church Ennis; First Baptist Church of Golden Acres in Pasadena; and Gaston Avenue Baptist Church in Dallas. He was executive director of the Waco Regional Baptist Association for 21 years. He is survived by his wife, Roberta; two daughters, Paula Jewell and Mary Nelson; and four grandchildren.
Presnall Wood, 89, died March 10. He was editor of the Baptist Standard from 1977 to 1995, the longest tenure of any editor in the newspaper’s history. Before assuming the editorship, he was pastor of Pak Place Baptist Church in Houston. Previous pastorates included Crestview Baptist Church, Midland, Texas; First Baptist Church, Goldthwaite, Texas, and several rural congregations. He is survived by his wife, Joyce Ann; two sons, Jeffrey and Jed; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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 3-4-22
Transitions for the week of 2-18-22
Transitions for the week of 2-4-22
Transitions for the week of 1-21-22