Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated weekly.
STAFF CHANGES
David Graham, installed as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Twin Falls, Idaho, on Jan. 5. Previously he was lead pastor for San Jacinto Church, Deer Park, Texas.
Claudia Johnson, to Riverchase Baptist Church, Birmingham, Ala., as children’s minister.
Brian J. Johnson, to American Baptist Churches of Michigan, as executive minister.
Jeanie McGowan, to Bethel Baptist Church, Columbia, Mo., as interim pastor.
Carol Lynn Patterson, to American Baptist Churches of New Jersey, as associate regional pastor. Previously she directed the Doctor of Ministry program at New Brunswick Theological Seminary.
David Van Brakle, to American Baptist Churches of New Jersey, as associate regional pastor. He comes from the pastorate of The Community Church of Wilmette, Chicago, Ill.
Chris Wondree, to Bon Air Baptist Church, Buford Road Campus, Richmond, Va., as student pastor.
RETIREMENTS
Bill Hardee, retiring after 11 years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Griffin, Ga.
Jerry Nester, retiring as associate pastor of Groveton Baptist Church, Alexandria, Va.
Charles Krause, retiring as minister to senior adults at Grandin Court Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va.
Tom Wiles, retiring as executive minister of American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island, effective June 30.
DEATHS
Daniel Thomas Case, died Dec. 25 in Bloomington, Ind. He was pastor of South Branch Community Baptist in Roscommon, Mich., and St. Helen (Mich.) Community Church. In 1989 he became associate pastor of First Baptist Church (United Church of Christ), in Bloomington. He left the ministry, finishing his career at the T.I.S. College Bookstore in Bloomington. He is survived by his mother, Carolyn; his partner, Brian Galm; son, Andrew; daughter, Elizabeth Wizner; and four grandchildren.
Marilyn McNeely Dunn, died Jan.3 in Winston-Salem, N.C. She was the wife of James M. Dunn, a union of 57 years until his passing in 2015. Together they lived and worked in Baptist campus ministry at West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas, in Austin, Texas, where he was director of the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and in Washington, D.C., where he was director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. She moved to Winston-Salem in 1999, when he was instrumental in the founding of the School of Divinity, Wake Forest University. She is survived by her stepbrother, Robert Heritage; and cousin, Katherine Eppert.
John H. Gilmore, 87, died Dec. 17 in Harlem, N.Y. He served as pastor of Riverview Baptist Church, Kingston, N.Y.; Shiloh Baptist Church, Ellenville, N.Y.; and New Hope Institutional Baptist Church, Tarrytown, N.Y. where he served for 27 years. He is survived by his wife, Tina R. Hairston; three daughters, Debora Brown-Johnson, Sheron Gilmore and Nikia L. Hairston; one son, Reginald W. Hairston; and five grandchildren.
Eugene Ton, 89, died Dec. 16 in Indianapolis, Ind. He had served as pastor of Parr (Ind.) Baptist Church; associate pastor of First Baptist Church, Lafayette, Ind.; senior minister of First Baptist Church, Lebanon, Ind.; and pastor of First Baptist Church, Evansville, Ind. In 1977 he became executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Indianapolis and in 1986 he became executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Indiana. He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ellen. He is survived by three sons, Mitchell, Jeffrey and Joel; a daughter, Jill Stolenwerk; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
KUDOS
ANNIVERSARIES
Joan Friesen, 10 years as executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Greater Indianapolis.
Jim NeSmith, 25 years as church administrator at Madison (Ga.) Baptist Church.
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In case you missed them:
Transitions for the week of 1-10-20
Transitions for the week of 1-3-20
Transitions for the week of 12-20-19
Transitions for the week of 12-6-19