Around the State

Posted: 8/04/06

Around the State

• Two hundred and seventy-seven students at Howard Payne University received academic honors for the spring semester. One hundred and twelve students were named to the President’s List by virtue of their 4.0 grade point average, 97 were named to the Dean’s List, and 68 students earned honor roll recognition.

Anniversaries

• Randall Bradley, fifth, as minister of music at Calvary Church in Waco, July 22.

• Steve Vernon, 15th, as pastor of First Church in Levelland, Aug. 20.

• South Plains Church in South Plains, 100th, Sept. 10. The church actually was organized on July 27, 1906, but chose the later date for the celebration. People with pictures or other items of interest can send them to the church at P.O. Box 98, South Plains 79528. A meal will follow the morning worship service. The afternoon has been set aside for fellowship and remembrances. Joe Weldon is pastor.

Deaths

• Inez Martin, 83, June 26 in Lindale. She was a member of Mount Sylvan Church in Lindale. She served many years alongside her husband, Gerald Edward Martin, in his ministry as a pastor and evangelist and as president and chancellor of Hannibal-LaGrange College in Hannibal, Mo. Martin, who served as a president of the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference, preceded her in death on June 3, 2001. Survivors include sons, Gerald Martin III and John Martin; daughters, Sarah Edlund, Gerry Lynn Moss, Linda Kalish and Mary Martin; sister, Mary McNeill; and 14 grandchildren.

• Val Prince, 87, July 22 in Fresno, Calif., after battling cancer. He was minister of education at First Church in Galena Park from 1958 until 1962. He also served churches in Oklahoma, Missouri and California. He was director of training union ministries for the the California Southern Baptist Convention 16 years. He retired in 1981. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Bea.

• B.P. “Bill” Emanuel, 81, July 30 in Oklahoma City. Emanuel, a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, was pastor of Shady Grove Church in Greenville and Mayfield Church near Hillsboro while he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the 1940s. He also served as pastor of Baptist churches in Oklahoma before he and his wife, Rebekah Sue, were appointed by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board to serve in Japan and the Philippines. Emanuel later was an itinerant evangelist, preaching in more than 60 churches and numerous camps and other evangelistic meetings. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Beverly Anne. Survivors include his wife; two sons, Paul Emanuel and Jim Emanuel; three daughters, Elizabeth “Len” Lister, Rebekah Markham and Marjorie Hatcher; brother, Wayne Emanuel; sisters, Geraldine Mangrum and Pauline Matthews; 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

• Marilyn Hillyer, 70, Aug. 2 in Tyler. She was a longtime Texas Baptist leader who served on the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board. She also was a member of the BGCT Missions Review and Initiatives Committee, which examined the convention’s relationship with the missions sending agencies of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. She served as vice chair of the subcommittee that investigated the North American Mission Board. Her husband, Bill, has been a member of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission and served on the BGCT executive director search committee. Her father, Howard Bennett, was a former president of East Texas Baptist University, and her uncle, John Hurt, was a former editor of the Baptist Standard. While she lived in Hawaii, she edited the Hawaii Baptist state newspaper. Hillyer was a longtime Sunday school teacher at First Church of Tyler, where she also served as a deacon. She was known for putting long hours of study into preparing for each lesson. She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Susan Kate and Frances Ridlehoover; and four grandchildren.

Events

• Shirley Ashlock has completed 50 years of consecutive service as director or leader of the fourth grade Sunday School department at Park Place Church in Houston.

• Memorial Church in Temple honored former Pastor R.B. Baker and his wife, Bettye, July 30. Prior to being pastor at Memorial, he served churches in Caldwell and San Angelo. He served the Temple church from 1963 until 1983, when he retired from pastoral ministry and became involved with the Barnabas Foundation, which aided churches and ministries with grants and donations. Mrs. Baker worked with Mission Arlington and had a special ministry to prostitutes, bringing them to know Christ and to leave that lifestyle. The Bakers later returned to Temple and rejoined the church. He was named pastor emeritus in 2005. Roy Parker is pastor.

Ordained

• Randy Rinehart to the ministry at Central Church in Wichita Falls.

• Drew Finch to the ministry at First Church in Bangs.

• Mark Moore to the ministry at Lawn Church in Lawn.

• Foster Wilcox to the ministry at Adamsville Church in Lampasas.

• Bert Duerer and Mike Bosley as deacons at Broyles Chapel Church in Palestine.

Revivals

• First Church, Wink; Aug. 11-16; evangelist, Ryan Dalgiesh; music, Micah and the Hubbard Family; pastor, Richard Ray.

• Mount Sylvan Church, Lindale; Aug. 13-16; evangelist, Charles Dodson; music, Allan Cox; pastor, Robert Davenport.