Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
Bryan Breland, to West Hampton Baptist Church, Hampton, Va., as interim pastor.
Terrance Brown, to Oneida (N.Y.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Jim Bush and Mike O’Donnell, to First Baptist Church, San Angelo, Texas, as co-interim pastors.
Judd Cochran, concluding his tenure as minister to students at Trinity Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas.
Matt Cook, to University Baptist Church, Houston, Texas, as interim pastor.
Erica Cooper, to Baptist Church of the Covenant, Birmingham, Ala., as senior pastor. She comes from Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, N.Y., where she was assistant minister.
Nick Crawford, to First Baptist Church, Portland, Oregon, as interim pastor.
Kenny Daniel, to Colonial Beach (Va.) Baptist Church, as pastor.
Justin Franich, to First Baptist Church, Middletown, Va., as interim pastor.
Doug Hankins, to First Baptist Church, Shelby, N.C., as lead pastor. He comes from First Baptist Church, Orlando, Fla., where he was college and young adult pastor.
Larry Jones, to Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, Athens, Ga., as intentional interim pastor.
Chris Jordan, to West Lynchburg Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Va., as senior pastor. Previously he was lead pastor of Crossroads Church of Dunwoody, Dunwoody, Ga.
Rodney Knous, to First Baptist Church, Castroville, Texas, as senior pastor. He comes from the pastorate of White Plains Baptist Church, Scottsville, Ky.
Matthew H. Marston, to First Baptist Church, Athens, Ga., as pastor. He comes from the pastorate of Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie, Ga.
Keith McKinney, concluding his tenure as pastor of Boiling Springs (N.C.) Baptist Church.
Kevin Moore, to Lafayette Baptist Church, Fayetteville, N.C., as pastor, effective in mid-November.
Kevin Ndentu, to The District Church, Washington, D.C., as executive pastor.
Chris Vlasek, to Great Bridge Baptist Church, Chesapeake, Va., as worship pastor.
Cory Welch, to Purcellville (Va.) Baptist Church, as senior pastor.
ORDINATIONS
Gabe Close, ordained to ministry on Sept. 20 by First Baptist Church, Middletown, Ky., where he serves as minister of youth and young adults.
Val Fisk, ordained to ministry on Oct. 17 by University Baptist Church, Charlottesville, Va.
DEATHS
Anthony “Andy” Merritt Jr., 68, died Oct. 11 in Columbus, Ga. He served as associate pastor of Edgewood Baptist Church in Columbus from 1977 to 2002, when he was called as Edgewood’s senior pastor. He served this congregation for 43 years until his death. He was a catalyst for starting Pregnancy Resource Centers through the U.S. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; 10 children, Jonathan, Christy, Jamie, Carrie, Joef, Catherine, Carol, Carla, Caytlin and Charissa; and 25 grandchildren.
Robert E. Seymour Jr., 95, died Oct. 11 in Chapel Hill, N.C. During his ministry he served on staff at Myers Park Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C. and was pastor of Warrenton (N.C.) Baptist Church and Mars Hill Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, N.C. In 1958 he was called to become the first pastor of Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, where he served until his retirement in 1988. He was active in the civil rights movement. He was founding member of the group that brought into being the American Baptist Churches of the South, bringing together both Black and White congregations of the Southeastern region. He was the author of five books. His wife, Pearl, died in 2011. He is survived by a son, Robert III; daughter, Frances Jane Seymour; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Terry Steenburg, died Sept. 27 in Binghamton, N.Y. He served in a variety of pastoral roles, as the executive director of a rescue mission, a broadcaster, and an evangelist. He was called as pastor of the historic First Baptist Church of Owego, N.Y. in 2003. He also served as pastor of Central Baptist Church, Greene, N.Y., and Mountain Chapel of Owego. He is survived by his mother, Rose Marie Steenburg; brother, Ronald; sister, Janice Marie Ragan; two sons, Matthew and Ryan; a daughter, Angela Neathery; and 13 grandchildren.
Raymond Vickrey, 86, died Sept. 17 in Dallas, Texas. He worked in student ministry at Baylor University, Waco, Texas, and was executive director of the Baylor Alumni Association in the mid-1960s. After several years as minister of single adults at First Baptist Church, Richardson, Texas, he was called as pastor by Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas where he served from 1981 until his retirement in 2008. He is survived by his wife, Sharon; sons, Larry, Blake and Garrett; daughter, Raelynn Olson; and four grandchildren.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Lee Brewer, 25 years as senior pastor of Church at the Crossing, Aledo, Texas.
Mollie Dunn, 10 years as children’s pastor of First Baptist Church, Aledo, Texas.
Emmanuel McCall, 70 years in gospel ministry.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 10-9-20
Transitions for the week of 9-25-20
Transitions for the week of 9-11-20
Transtions for the week of 8-28-20