Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Samuel Acevedo, to Lion of Judah, Boston, Mass., as associate pastor.
Jeff Allen, to First Baptist Church, Mount Holly, N.C., as pastor. He comes from College Park Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was associate pastor of students and families.
Scott Bolton, to Oakland Baptist Church, King George, Va., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of White Oak Baptist Church, Archer Lodge, N.C.
Hannah Brown, to First Baptist Church, Temple, Texas, as college minister.
Nikki Byers, concluding her tenure as minister for missions at First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Malinda Fillingim, to Nobles Creek Baptist Church, Sims, N.C., as interim pastor. She also serves as the director of a Thriving Ministry program, The Center for Vocation and Rural Ministry, Wilson, N.C.
Kevin Gray, to Myers Park Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C., as minister of music and worship. He comes from St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte, where he was minister of worship and music.
Michael Haynes, to Community Baptist Church, Kodiak, Alaska, as pastor-for-a-while.
Seth Hix, to First Baptist Church, Greensboro, N.C., as interim minister of music.
Sheryl Joe, to Bon Air Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as interim care pastor.
Catherine Miller, to First Baptist Church, Westwood, Mass., as pastor. She was the former pastor of Hill Memorial Baptist Church, Boston, Mass.
Mercedes Lopez-Miranda, to Lion of Judah, Boston, Mass., as lead pastor.
Andrea McCoig, concluding her tenure as minister to youth for Ball Camp Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn.
Ronnie Oliver Jr., to Central Baptist Church, Newman, Ga., as minister of music and worship.
Wanda Pate-Dennis, to New Gethsemane Baptist Church, South Philadelphia, Pa., as pastor. She comes from Pinn Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia.
James E. Mack, to Wayland Temple Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pa., as pastor.
Andre Morgan, to First Baptist Church, Wollaston, Mass., as pastor.
Melody Slaton, to Sugar Land (Texas) Baptist Church, as associate pastor of missions and outreach.
Gary Strickland, to Earle Street Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., as interim pastor.
Alissa Vance, to Broadway Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., as minister to youth.
RETIREMENT
Phil Campbell, retiring as minister of music of First Baptist Church, Lincolnton, N.C., effective June 23.
ORDINATIONS
Sharon Brown, ordained to ministry on March 18 by New Beginnings Christian Fellowship, Kent, Wash.
Rhonda Byrd, ordained to ministry on March 19 by Johns Creek Baptist Church, Alpharetta, Ga., where she serves as pastor of congregational care/assistant to the senior pastor.
Mitzi Ethridge Cantrel, ordained to ministry on Feb. 12 by Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, Ga.
Rachel Copeland, ordained to ministry on March 19 by First Baptist Church, Dalton, Ga., where she serves as minister to youth and their families.
Ellee Hilley, ordained to ministry on March 5 by First Baptist Church, Griffin, Ga., where she serves as minister of worship arts.
Bryan Howard, ordained to ministry on Feb. 26 by Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., where he serves as minister to students.
Jana Atkinson Morga, ordained to ministry on March 19 by Woodland Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas.
Janice Spinks, ordained to ministry on March 18 by New Beginnings Christian Fellowship, Kent, Wash.
DEATHS
Charles G. Clay, 75, died Feb. 25 in Chase City, Va. In his 35 years of full-time ministry, he served multiple Baptist churches in North Carolina and Virginia. During his later years he was chaplain for the city of Chesapeake and the Chase City Fire Department. He is survived by his wife, Kalen; two sons, Chuck and Jon; daughter, Jennie; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Stacey Simpson Duke, 51, died Feb. 27 in Ann Arbor, Mich. For the past 22 years she has served as co-pastor of First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor with her husband Paul Simpson Duke and as the American Baptist campus ministers to the University of Michigan. In addition to her husband, she is survived by twin sons, Rob and Charles.
Peter James Flamming, 89, pastor emeritus of Richmond’s First Baptist Church, died in Richmond, Va., on March 27. He was pastor of First Baptist Church in Richmond for 23 years, from 1983 to 2006. Prior to that he was pastor of several churches in Texas, including First Baptist Church of Abilene from 1966 to 1983. He also served as associate pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church and Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas. He was on the Southern Baptist Convention’s Peace Committee seeking reconciliation between “moderate” and “conservative” Southern Baptists who were battling for control of the denomination. He is preceded in death by his wife, Shirley, and son, Peter Dave. He is survived by two sons, Jesse Dee and James Douglas; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Paul Howard Ferrin, 94, died March 7 in Worcester, Mass. He was senior pastor of 10 churches, mostly American Baptist, including one in every New England state except Connecticut. He also was a college chaplain at Worcester State College, Clark University and Worcester Polytechnical Institute. He was preceded in death by his wife, Erma. He is survived by three sons, Mark, Gordon and Paul II; two daughters, Deb and Becky; 15 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
KUDOS
CHURCHES
Cross Mills Baptist Church, Charlestown, R.I.; 150 years; March 5.
First Baptist Church, College Station, Texas; 100 years; April 1-2.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 3-17-23
Transitions for the week of 3-3-23
Transitions for the week of 2-17-23
Transitions for the week of 2-3-23
