Texas Baptist Men disaster relief workers donated more than 3,000 hours of volunteer labor in the aftermath of flooding in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 7, TBM volunteers completed 26 flood-recovery projects. They prepared 465 meals for volunteers and the public, provided access to 170 showers, washed 64 loads of laundry and distributed 277 storage boxes to residents. They distributed 82 Bibles and recorded 21 professions of faith in Christ.
Howard Payne University’s School of Education and office of alumni relations recognized more than 160 alumni who serve as teachers and administrators in the six school districts within Brown County. Each educator received an HPU t-shirt, delivered to his or her school at the beginning of the school year, with a note of encouragement. The goal of the initiative was to celebrate the impact the teachers and administrators have in the Brown County area. “We knew our alumni teachers have a big impact in the community, but realizing the actual number of individuals was truly remarkable,” said Kalie Lowrie, assistant vice president for alumni relations. “We wanted to take time to let them know we value and appreciate the impact they are making in our area. The last few years through the pandemic have been really difficult for many people, and we wanted these teachers and administrators to know we were praying for them and are here to support them in any way we can.”
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students placed 2,977 American flags on campus to honor the lives lost in terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial, organized by the UMHB chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas, was located at the center of the UMHB campus, adjacent to Walton Chapel and Luther Memorial. Two boards listed the names of 9/11 victims. To remember the lives lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, East Texas Baptist University hosted a memorial stair climb at the Marshall Grand—home of ETBU’s Teague School of Nursing—in conjunction with the Harrison County ESD 3 Fire Rescue on Sept. 10. Active and retired firefighters, law enforcement officers, first responders and military service joined in the event. Participants climbed the equivalent of 78 floors—the highest point reached in the World Trade Center towers—wearing a name of a fallen 9/11 hero.
The Center for Healthy Churches named Matt Cook as its director. He succeeds Bill Wilson in that role. Cook, who began service as the center’s assistant director in September 2019, holds a Master of Divinity degree from Truett Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in church history from Baylor University. His pastoral experience includes five years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Rosebud, along with later pastorates in Little Rock, Ark., and First Baptist Church of Wilmington, N.C.
Anniversary
90th for First Baptist Church of Lake Worth. The church will celebrate a homecoming reunion Sept. 18. Four former pastors are expected to attend. Lunch will follow the 10:30 a.m. service of worship and remembrance. Charlie McLaughlin is pastor.
75th for Hampton Road Baptist Church in DeSoto on Sept. 18. Kelly Wolverton is senior pastor.
35th for Cyndy Engel as administrative assistant and financial secretary at Broadview Baptist Church in Abilene.
5th for Bob Cheatheam as pastor of Builders Baptist Church in Merkel.
Retirement
Joseph Tillery as pastor of First Baptist Church in Lockney, effective Oct. 2. He served more than 51 years in vocational Christian ministry.
Sign up for our weekly edition and get all our headlines in your inbox on Thursdays
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.