• Dallas Baptist University will open the Herman and Patsy Smith Center at the school’s Hurst-Colleyville campus Jan. 20. The Grapevine Road facility will feature four classrooms equipped with the latest educational technologies as well as office space for the school’s staff. The campus’ students previously met at the Colleyville Town Center but the new building alleviates that need. The campus serves more than 450 students. For more information, call (214) 333-5888.
• A women’s retreat, “God’s Worthy Women,” will be held Jan. 30 and 31 at the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Retreat Center in Mission. The cost is $45 and includes lodging, three meals and programming. Myra Green will lead the Bible study. Preregistration is necessary. For more information, call (956) 781-4750.
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Houston Baptist University has named the Linda and Archie Dunham Theater in the Morris Cultural Arts Center. The 46,000-square-foot theater opened in 2007 and seats 1,200. The Dunhams have assisted HBU in numerous ways, including a recent gift of $1.25 million to help secure a permanent collection of rare Bibles for the Dunham Bible Museum.
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• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will hold a ministers’ forum Feb. 12 titled “Like Oil and Water: Religion and the Public Schools.” David Morgan, pastor of Trinity Church in Harker Heights and an adjunct instructor of Christian ethics at UMHB, will review appropriate and permissable actions and behaviors for students and adults who are Christian. The forum will be held in the university’s Shelton Auditorium at noon.
• Howard Payne University presented an honorary doctor of humanities degree to Dallas Houston during its December commencement ceremony. He has been a radio sportscaster more than 40 years in Brownwood and provided the commentary for the HPU football, basketball and baseball teams. He also is pastor of Center City Church in Goldthwaite. He received the 2008 recipient of the HPU Medal of Service Award and has been inducted into the HPU Sports Hall of Fame.
• Members of the Christian Association of Student Leaders will attend a conference at Hardin-Simmons University seeking ideas and programs to help them make a greater impact on their campuses. The Jan. 22-24 gathering will explore leadership traits that don’t necessarily come naturally, with the theme “Against Your Instincts.” Topics include student government, residence life, student activities, campus ministries and freshman orientation.
• The East Texas Baptist University department of nursing honored several students during fall pinning, held Dec. 12. Audrey Hunter of Shreveport, La., was given the Carroll Wilson Award for professional behavior. Kimberly Jones of Woodlawn received the both the Nightingale Award and the Community Service Award. In addition to Hunter and Jones, others earning bachelor’s degrees in nursing were Dana Hendon of Was-kom, Melissa Hollis of Shreveport, Telisha Mooney of Diana and Julie Reynolds of Shreveport. ETBU had 64 students graduate during fall commencement.
• Lidia and Becky Oprean, founders of Becky’s Hope Ministries in San Antonio, received the President’s Vol-unteer Service Award from President Bush last month. They were honored for the international volunteer work that has brought wheelchairs and hope to families with children born with developmental birth defects. They are members of Trinity Church in San Antonio.
The National Junior Honor Society of San Marcos Baptist Academy collected 431 stuffed animals and $667 to help children in traumatic situations. The stuffed animals will be given to Hays County Emergency Medical Services and the Blanco City Police Department to use with children they encounter. The money will be used to buy food for the Hays County Food Bank. Pictured with their Rescue Buddies are Rebecca Cox, Kayla Chandler, Rusti Wade and Justyn Hinson.
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Anniversaries
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• Joe Burke, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Mineral, Jan. 4.
• Odell Daughtry, 10th, as pastor of North Bay Fellowship in Ingleside, Jan. 11.
• Dave Keith, 25th, as pastor of Carlton Church in Carlton, Jan. 11.
• Dan Harrison, fifth, as administrator of First Church in Paris, Jan. 29.
• First Church in Nacogdoches, 125th, Feb. 7-8. The celebration will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. with a banquet held at the Fredonia Hotel. In addition to the food, there will be drama, music and an opportunity for fellowship. Tickets for the banquet will go on sale Jan. 18 and can be purchased at (936) 564-7379. On Sunday at 10 a.m., there will be special music, a recognition of guests, a video presentation and a challenge for the future presented by Pastor Allen Reed.
Retiring
• Vernon Helgren, as pastor of Friendship Church in Beeville, Dec. 31. He served the church as pastor 22 years.
• Billy Evers, as pastor of Cave Springs Church in Marshall, Jan. 4. He served there 15 years and was in the ministry 61 years. His first pastorate was at Oak Grove Church in Harleton. He also served Crossroads Church in Marshall as pastor twice, was pastor of Nesbitt Church in Marshall twice, pastor of Lone Oak Church in Harleton on two occassions, and returned to Oak Grove for a second tenure. He also served brief interims at Memorial Church in Marshall and Harleton Church in Harleton.
Deaths
• Pete Brown, 76, Dec. 22 in Coppell. A Southwestern Semin-ary graduate, he began his ministry as pastor of Plainview Church in Krum in 1966. He later served at First Church in Cleburne and at First Church in Coppell, where he was pastor 23 years before retiring in 1994. He was pastor emeritus at First Church in Coppell and continued his ministry as a Christian humorist and author. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; daughters, Ginger Williams and Georgia Ann Brown; son, Patrick; and four grandchildren.
• Leroy Yarbrough, 74, Dec. 25 in San Antonio after a battle with lymphoma. While earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Baylor University, he became director of the Baylor Religious Hour Choir. After serving as minister of music at Trinity Church in San Antonio 13 years, he served 21 years as chairman of the division of church music and professor of choral conducting and music theory at New Orleans Seminary. Follow-ing his retirement there, he was minister of music at First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio 11 years until retiring in April 2008. During his ministry he conducted choirs in 29 states and 30 foreign countries. He was a respected choral clinician, organist, composer and arranger for seven publishing companies and made more than 50 recordings. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Edwyna; daughters, Melody Macaulay and Gina Howell; brother, Dale; and five grandchildren.
• Bobby Renfro, 61, Dec. 29 in Quitman. He was pastor of Highland Terrace Church in Greenville 12 years, First Church in Roswell, N.M., 10 years and First Church in Quitman six years. He also had served on the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Jane; daughter, Libby Wrather; son, Lane; parents, C.G. and Dorothy Renfro; sister, Glenda Ruffin; and three grandchildren.
Events
• A multi-ethnic worship conference will be held Jan. 16-17 at Meadows Church in Plano. A World of Worship will explore a biblical perspective on the connections between multi-ethnic worship, global mission and and local church. Two concurrent Saturday afternoon workshops will focus on Hispanic and African-American worship. For more information or to register, call (972) 283-0893, or see worldofworship.org/event09.
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