Around the State: Banquet will honor Dilday

• The John Newport Foundation banquet, to be held Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at Broadway Church in Fort Worth, will honor Russell Dilday. Dilday, chancellor of the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute and a former student of Newport, will be recognized for this contributions in theological education. The cost of the banquet is $20. Reservations can be made by sending an e-mail to Larry Williams, chair of the foundation, at atldwill@flash.net.

• Houston Baptist University will hold its fall preview for prospective students Sept. 26-27. The event is designed to give high school students an opportunity to experience college life firsthand. For more information, call (281) 649-3211.

• Dallas Baptist University has announced a gift of more than 800 acres of land located in East Texas from Jeannette Sadler, estimated at about $4 million. A member of Cliff Temple Church in Dallas, she is a longtime supporter of the university, and this past year gave a gift of $1 million for construction of DBU’s new Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel.

• Steve Oldham, associate professor of religion and philosophy in the College of Christian Studies, has been named interim provost/vice president at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

• Billy Ray Hearn, the 1954 Baylor University church music graduate hailed by some as the “father of contemporary Christian music,” has been honored with the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Christian Music, given by Baylor’s Center for Christian Music Studies.

• Wayland Baptist University is offering a new degree focusing on training and educating professionals for a career in homeland security. The online master’s degree will be in public administration with a homeland security specialization. The courses will cover topics from the Patriot Act to FEMA’s responsibility concerning natural disasters.

Anniversaries

• John Free, 10th, as minister to adults at First Church in Bryan, July 19.

• Bert Ball, 25th, as minister of music at First Church in Mineola, July 31.

• Johnny Witherspoon, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Cooper, Aug. 1.

• Ed Jump, fifth, as director of missions of Corpus Christi Association, Aug. 11.

• Karen Summers, 10th, as minister of preschool and children at Park Meadows Church in Waxahachie, Aug. 17.

• James Overton, 30th, as associate pastor of South Avenue Church in Pasadena, Aug. 20. A reception will be held Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.

• Randall Scott, 25th, as pastor of Immanuel Church in Paris, Aug. 23.

• Canyon Creek Church in Temple, 30th, Aug. 24. A combined morning service will be followed by a meal and the launch of a capital campaign for a new preschool and children’s building. Trey Turner is pastor.

• Jimmy Arnold, 30th, as pastor of First Church in Woodsboro, Aug. 27. A reception will be held Aug. 30 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• Shady Grove Church in Greenville, 120th, Aug. 29-31. The Open Range Band will perform at 7 p.m. Friday. Saturday, Psalm 100 will sing, and Royce Litchfield, who was called to ministry at Shady Grove, will preach at 7 p.m. Former pastor Gene Witt will preach Sunday morning; a meal will follow. Benny Chaffin will preach Sunday evening at 6 p.m. James Ralson is pastor.

• Paramount Church in Amarillo, 50th, Sept. 13-14. The church’s first two pastors, Chester O’Brien and Shad Rue, will attend, along with former worship leader Gary Bledsoe. Saturday’s events will include reunions of former staff and participants in mission trips, ministries, mission organizations and Sunday school classes. The congregation’s mission churches—Chaparral Hills Church, Paramount Deaf Church and Iglesia Fuente Viva—also will be recognized and celebrated. Campus tours also will be conducted. The weddings of those married at the church also will recalled in a photographic display. Sunday’s 10 a.m. worship service will be followed by a barbecue lunch. For more information, go to www.paramount.org. Gil Lain is pastor.

• River Road Church in Austin, 50th, Sept. 13-14. An ice cream social will be held Saturday. Sunday’s worship service will include several former staff members. A meal and remembrance service will follow. For more information or to make reservations, call (512) 276-3824. Jay Miller is pastor.

• Eastern Hills Church in Garland, 55th, Sept. 20-21. Saturday’s festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner and a time of fellowship. Charles Thornton will speak. Sunday morning, former pastor Bob Allen will preach. For more information, call (972) 240-2946. David Hall is pastor.

Deaths

• Dot Sherman, 90, Aug. 1 in Richmond, Va. She was the wife of Cecil Sherman, founding coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. A graduate of Southwestern Seminary, she worked as an editor at the Sunday School Board as well as at Southwestern. Her husband is undergoing treatment for acute leukemia in Houston. She is survived by her husband of 54 years; and daughter, Eugenia Brown.

• Win Oakes, 76, Aug. 6 in Burleson, after a prolonged battle with cancer. He worked with ministers of missions and helped facilitate church starts through the Baptist General Convention of Texas from 1984 to 1997. After retiring, he became the liaison for the BGCT in its partnership with the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention. He also was minister of missions for First Church in Burleson. He is survived by his wife, Martha; sons, Dale and Les; daughter, Amy Guzman; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

• C.W. Brister, 82, Aug. 9 in Fort Worth. He was a distinguished professor emeritus of pastoral ministry at Southwestern Seminary. He served on the faculty there 45 years. He taught courses in pastoral ministry, administered the school’s Hultgren chair of pastoral care and coordinated the center for ministry empowerment. Along with numerous articles, he also wrote more than a dozen books. The Gloria and C.W. Brister Chair of Pastoral Ministry at Hardin-Simmons University was named for him and his wife. He is survived by his wife, Gloria; son, Mark; sister, Dolores Bausum; and two grandsons.

Events

• The Telestials will bring a concert at First Church in Devers Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. For more information, call (936) 549-7653. Harry McDaniel is pastor.

• Graceview Church in Tomball will hold a church training event Sept. 13 for those who work with special needs people. More information and a registration form are available at www.graceview.org. Working with children with autism will be one of the topics covered. Also discussed will be finding more volunteers, working with families of class members, reaching new families and finding money to support the ministry. The cost is $35 per person, and space is limited.

Ordained

• Jerry Bell, Ezequiel Casas, Michael Hull and Wayne Wallace as deacons at Trinity Church in Gatesville.

Revival

• First Church, Paducah; Aug. 24-27; evangelist, Robert Barge; music, Derwin Comer; pastor, Ronnie Lambert.