Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Christopher Adams, concluding his tenure as pastoral assistant at Woodland Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas. He has been accepted into a residency in clinical pastoral care at Baptist Hospital in San Antonio.
Gary Chapman, to Community Baptist Church, Henderson, Ky., as interim pulpit minister.
Justin Cox, to Second Baptist Church, Suffield, Conn., as pastor.
Chris Crowley, to Grace Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as minister of music. Previously he was interim pastor of Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Lucas Dorion, to Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, as coordinator. He has served for eight years as assistant coordinator and the past 10 months as interim coordinator.
Jay Ghormley, to First Baptist Church, Kerrville, Texas, as interim worship minister.
Jillian Hankamer, to Northminster Baptist Church, Monroe, La., as senior pastor. She comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Lewisburg, Pa.
Sam Harrell, to Africa Exchange, with its U.S office in Cedar Grove, N.C., as coordinator. Previously he was associate coordinator for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions.
Brett Hay, to Bethlehem Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as student director.
Eric D. Jackson Sr., to First African Baptist Church, Shannon Hill, Pa., as pastor.
Sharon Junn, to Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Ga., as associate director of spirituality programs.
Anita Laffoon, to Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as pastor, effective Aug. 21.
Brian Lockamy, to Woodhaven Baptist Church, Apex, N.C., as associate pastor of youth and young adults.
Autumn Lockett, concluding her tenure as executive director of development and marketing for Good Faith Media, Norman, Okla., to accept a position at the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine.
Sarah Mears, to Hayes Barton Baptist Church, Raleigh, N.C., as associate pastor of children and families and communication.
Taylor Miskel, to Westwood Baptist Church, Cary, N.C., as interim youth minister.
Seth Pitman, to First Baptist Church, Seagraves, Texas, as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Throckmorton, Texas.
Paul Branders Raushenbush, to Interfaith Alliance, Washington, D.C., as president and CEO, effective Sept. 1. Prior to this, he was senior adviser for public affairs and innovation at Interfaith America. Previously he was senior vice president of Auburn Seminary, the founding and executive editor of HuffPost Religion and associate dean of religious life and the chapel at Princeton University.
Josh Roberts, to Winfree Memorial Baptist Church, Midlothian, Va., as minister to young adults.
John “Jay” Roland, to Earle Street Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., as connections minister.
Adam Sauer, to The Mount Church, Stafford, Va., as lead pastor. He comes from Fellowship Baptist Church, Little Rock, Ark., where he was executive pastor of family ministries.
Joshua Scott, to Greater Providence Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C., as senior pastor. He comes from Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga., where he was associate pastor.
Jonathan Singer, to First Baptist Church, Waterloo, Iowa, as senior pastor.
Jason Smith, to BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz, Charlotte, N.C., as executive director. Most recently he was director of strategic gifts with Sojourners, Washington, D.C.
Colbey Sparkman, to University Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, Miss., as interim pastor.
Ben Stubblefield, to Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, Ala., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of First Baptist Church, Jackson, Ala.
Jenna Sullivan, to Life in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas, as lead pastor of life. She was a pastoral resident at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas.
Adriene Thorne, to The Riverside Church, New York, N.Y., as senior minister, effective Oct. 1. Previously she was the leader of The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Alena Vaughn, to Second Baptist Church, Liberty, Mo., as pastoral resident.
Lee Williams, to Union Baptist Church, Pawtucket, R.I., as pastor.
Tom Williams, to Carlisle Avenue Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Adams Grove Baptist Church, Emporia, Va.
RETIREMENTS
Pam Cooke, retiring after 25 years as youth choir director for First Baptist Church, Tallahassee, Fla.
Jim Dant, retiring as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C., effective in the fall.
Howard Germany, retiring after 17 years as pastor of Carlisle Avenue Baptist Church, Richmond, Va.
Tracy Jessup, retiring after 30 years as vice president of Christian life and service and senior minister to Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, N.C.
Greg Price, retiring as teaching pastor of Ekklesia, Maryville, Tenn., effective Sept. 1.
ORDINATIONS
Matthew Fuller, ordained to gospel ministry on July 24 by Dayspring Baptist Church, Waco, Texas.
Joshua Sharp, ordained to gospel ministry on July 28 by First Baptist Church, Waco, Texas. He is the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Orange, Texas.
Kevin Wright, ordained to gospel ministry on July 31 by Roslindale (Mass.) Baptist Church.
DEATH
Bob E. Patterson, 96, died July 23 in Waco, Texas. He served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Eustis, Fla., before becoming a faculty member of Baylor University’s Religion Department, where he served for 50 years before retiring in 2011. He authored and edited numerous books and articles and was a popular Bible teacher outside the classroom. He is preceded in death by his wife, Barbara. He is survived by two daughters, Lindy Dehm and Beth Patterson; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
John Nixon, 10 years as pastor of Bayside Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, Va.
Kyle Wilson, 15 years as associate pastor of student ministries at University Baptist Church, Houston, Texas.
CHURCHES
First Baptist Church, Mason City, Iowa; 150 years; July 17.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 7-15-22
Transitions for the week of 7-1-22
Transitions for the week of 6-17-22
Transitions for the week of 6-3-22
