Around the State_82304

Posted: 8/20/04

Around the State

Of the five new inductees into the Southern Baptist Church Business Administration Association Hall of Fame, four served Texas churches. J.W. Fortner was church business administrator at Trinity Church in San Antonio 33 years. He also was named church business administrator of the year in 1992. Lewis Fitts served several churches, including First Church in Wichita Falls, the church from which he retired. He was named top church administrator in 1995. Bill English was church administrator at First Church in Wichita Falls eight years and was one of the honoring organization's first participants. Walter Matthews, honored posthumously, served First Church in Austin many years.

FOCUS and Refuge, Houston Baptist University's ministry outreach music groups, have joined together to release a self-titled CD. Students Anival Aleman, Kim Daniels, Robin Gillmore, Blake Jackson, Breanna Richardson, Jody Smith, Jenny Chunn, Shauna Couri, Carrie Lelsz, Brett Mosher and J.J. Worthen worked on the recording six months. For more information on the groups or the CD, call (281) 649-3224.

Hardin-Simmons University has announced two staff changes. Aaron Ashford is the director of the new Center for Multicultural Affairs, which is designed to increase awareness of diversity on campus. Bethany Howell has joined the university as a communications assistant. She had been working as hometown news coordinator in the media relations office.

Diane Howard, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor performance studies and communication professor, has joined the international board of directors for the National Association of African American Studies. She is one of 10 people who make up the board. She is responsible for securing and arranging for national speakers and special events for NAAAS conferences. She also works with the board to plan international conferences, scholarship trips abroad and academic publications.

Dallas Baptist University professor Jim Underwood has written a business management book titled “What's Your Corporate I.Q.? How the Smartest Companies Learn, Transform, Lead.”

Micheal Summers, director of church services at Wayland Baptist University, has been certified in the Birkman Method, a personality and career management profile used for self-development, team building, organizational dynamics, conflict resolution and job success. The Baptist General Convention of Texas requires all ministerial students receiving financial assistance at its universities to take the test as a part of their career evaluation.

Anniversaries

John Plumlee, 10th as minister of music and education at Trinity Church in Sherman, Aug. 14.

Russ Murphy, 15th as university minister at Indiana Avenue Church in Lubbock, Aug. 23.

First Church in Hutchins, 100th, Sept. 4-5. Festivities will begin at 9:15 a.m. Saturday with a worship service followed by an hour of prayer. A Texas historical marker will be dedicated at 11 a.m. with Buddy Pilgrim slated as the guest speaker. A catered lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. The $10 lunch tickets should be purchased by Aug. 25. Call (469) 363-0461 for more details. Pilgrim will speak again beginning at 2 p.m., and a review of the church history will begin at 3:30 p.m. A youth celebration concert will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Rodney Bowman will preach in Sunday morning's service, and Pastor Scott Chadwick will preach at 6 p.m.

First Church in Wheeler, 100th, Sept. 4-5. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday with finger foods served. A luncheon will follow the morning service, and an afternoon service will begin immediately after the meal.

Mercury Church in Rochelle, 100th, Sept. 5. A revival with former pastors will be held beginning Sept. 1. Former pastors not currently on the program are asked to contact the church so they can participate in the preaching. Memorabilia, including a 1918 Baptist Standard, also will be displayed. A meal will follow the morning service. For more information, call (325) 243-5379. Keith Simpson is pastor.

Dickie Amyx, 25th as pastor of Bolivar Church in Sanger, Sept. 5.

First Church in Groves, 75th, Sept. 11-12. A homecoming celebration will be held Saturday at 6:30 p.m. It will include a mass choir, testimonies and a reception. Former Pastor Donald Potts will preach in the 10 a.m. Sunday service. A catered lunch will follow. For more information, call (409) 962-4461. Joe Worley is pastor.

Springdale Church in Fort Worth, 75th, Sept. 18-19. Fellowship, a light meal and a special worship service are planned for Saturday at 3 p.m. Former Pastor Will Davis will preach Sunday morning. A lunch will follow. For more information or to make reservations, call (817) 831-0754. Jerry Campbell is pastor.

First Church in Huntsville, 160th, Sept. 19. Bill Pinson, Baptist General Convention of Texas executive director emeritus, will speak at 9:30 a.m., and BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade will preach in the morning service. A luncheon will follow. A history of the church will be included in the program, and souvenir fans will be given to attendees. David Valentine is pastor.

Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene, 50th, Sept. 25-26. A fellowship will be held in the activities center Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Former Pastors Ed Laux, Jack Ridlehoover, George Gaston, and former staff member Fred McNab will speak Sunday morning. Former member Robert Sloan, president of Baylor University, will be the primary speaker. A luncheon will be held at the Abilene Civic Center following the morning service. Stan Allcorn is pastor.

Broadview Church in Abilene, 45th, Oct. 3. A luncheon will be held following the morning service at the Abilene Civic Center. David Cason is pastor.

Elmdale Church in Abilene, 100th, Oct. 3. H.G. Barnard is pastor.

Lee Ray Best, 50th in the ministry, Oct. 3. A surprise celebration will be held at New Hope Church in Jacksonville from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Letters of remembrance are being compiled to be given to him that day. They can be sent to Barbara Marchbanks, 8932 CR 1108, Cleburne 76033.

Deaths

Sam Coffey, July 9 in Junction. Coffey was pastor of First Church in Junction 36 years and pastor emeritus there the last seven years. He came to First Church in Junction in 1960, and it was the only church he ever served. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan. He is survived by his wife, Judy; son, Mike; and three grandchildren.

Cherry Dyer, 54, July 31 in Kansas City, Mo. She was editor of Draw-Bridge, a Braille magazine. She had just completed a two-year term as a board member of the National Church Conference of the Blind. She was attending a NCCB meeting when she had a stroke that led to her death a few days later. She was a member of Wedgwood Church in Fort Worth. She is survived by her husband, Rodger; sisters, Melanie Radcliffe, Sandi Welch, Cozette Larsen, Julie Parsons and Lisa Israel; and father, Bill Marchbanks.

Gerald Fielder, 78, Aug. 8 in San Angelo. He was born in China to missionary parents in 1926. A graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary, he was an instructor of political science at Baylor from 1949-1951. He then was appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board to service in a Japanese university, where he taught 23 years. He returned to the Baylor political ccience department in 1976 and retired in 1977. At Baylor, he was founding director of the Asian Studies Program, helping to implement the teaching of Japanese and Chinese languages and the establishment of faculty/student exchange programs between Baylor and universities in Asia. He was preceded in death by his son, Patrick; brothers, Wilson and Richard; and sister, Golda Moore. He is survived by his wife, Jo Beth; daughter, Dorcas Fielder; and sister, Florence McKinney.

Event

A Song of Solomon conference will be held at First Church in Carrollton Oct. 1-2. Tommy Nelson, pastor of Denton Bible Church in Denton, will lead the conference. Beginning Friday at 7 p.m., Nelson will discuss the “Art of Attraction and Dating,” “The Art of Courtship” and “The Art of Intimacy.” From 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, he will cover “The Art of Conflict,” “The Art of Romance” and “The Art of Commitment. Conference tickets are $30 per person for early registration, which begins Sept. 20. Regular price is $40 each. College students, active military and groups of 10 or more are eligible for discounts. Sign up by calling (800) 729-0815 or visiting www.SongofSolomon.com. Registration is also available at the door.

Ordained

Gary Anderson, Ernest Clark and Mark Payne as deacons at Hyde Park Church in Denison.

Revivals

Lindale Church, Corpus Christi; Aug. 29-Sept. 1; evangelist, Bill Lindley; pastor, John Villegas.

Braeburn Valley Church, Houston; Aug. 29-Sept. 1; evangelist, Ruben Hernandez; music, Bill and Vicky Murphy; pastor, Preston Dupré.

Builders Church, Merkel; Aug. 29-Sept. 2; evangelist, Herman Cramer; music, Paul and Christi Newberry; pastor, Jeremy Johnson.

Swenson Church, Aspermont; Sept. 5-8; evangelist, Allen Hatch; pastor, Frank Slayton.

Logsdon Leadership Scholars were honored by Terry Hamrick at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala. Shown with Hamrick, at left, are Marnie Sellers, Danyel Rogers, Walt Henson, Brian Edwards and Alan Rogers. Logsdon School of Theology is a part of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. Hamrick is leadership and development coordination for the Fellowship.