Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Paul Batson, to First Baptist Church, Elizabeth City, N.C., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Nobles Chapel Baptist Church, Sims, N.C.
Roy Cotton, now serving as director of African American Ministries for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has served as interim director since Sept. 2015, and prior to that served for 16 years as a church starter on the Texas Baptists Connections Team.
Wallace Cromwell, to Clifton Park (N.J.) Center Baptist Church, as interim pastor.
Phillip Davis, to First Baptist Church, Penfield, N.Y., as interim pastor.
Robert Dixon, to First Baptist Church, Pilot Mountain, N.C., as pastor.
Kim Hardy, to Green Valley Baptist Church, Lebanon, Va., as director of music.
David Johnson, to First Baptist Church, Ithaca, N.Y., as interim pastor.
Ian McManamey, to Chestnut Hill Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Smithland Baptist Church, Heathsville, Va.
Amanda O’Quinn, to Community Heights Baptist Church, Lebanon, Va., as director of family outreach.
Josh Powers, to First Baptist Church, Biscoe, N.C., as pastor.
David Sawyer, to College View Baptist Church, Pasco, Wash., as senior pastor.
Richard Seagle, to First Baptist Church, New Bern, N.C., as senior pastor.
Kadileigh Seibert, to Central Baptist Church, Livingston, Texas, as children’s minister.
RETIREMENT
Steve Newman, retiring after 21 years as associate pastor for music and worship at First Baptist Church, Terre Haute, Ind. He previously served Colonial Beach (Va.) Baptist Church and College Hill Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., for a total of 40 years in full-time music ministry.
ORDINATION
Rachel Sloan Erickson, ordained to ministry on March 20 by Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, Athens, Ga.
DEATHS
Lester G. Maples, 89, died March 10 in Richmond, Ind. He was pastor of several churches in Kentucky and Indiana. He was the founding pastor of First Baptist of Centerville, Ind., and served as pastor for over 16 years at Calvary Baptist Church, Richmond, Ind. He is survived by his wife, Anna; four daughters, Linda R. Wolfe, Lois E. Antley, Janice R. Shaver and Carole Tanner; a son, John; 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Charlie M. Singleton, 69, died Feb. 25 in Fort Worth, Texas. He served as pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth before founding First Missionary Baptist Church of Fort Worth, where he served 34 years. He served on the executive board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. In January 2007 he joined the BGCT executive board staff, becoming the convention’s director of African-American Ministries. He is survived by his wife, Sheila; sons, Charlie Jr., Douglas and John; daughter, Delanna; seven grandchildren; and six great-granddaughters.
KUDOS
STAFF ANNIVERSARIES
Karl Heilman, 25 years as pastor of Sandston (Va.) Baptist Church.
Clark Robinson, 20 years of ministry at United Church, Gaithersburg, Md. He was called as worship and missions pastor at First Baptist Church, Wheaton, Md., in 1966. The church changed its name after merging with First Baptist Church, Gaithersburg, Md.
In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 03.11.16