Around the State: May by the Bay

• May By the Bay, a senior adult retreat held at Texas Baptist Encampment in Palacios, will be held May 4-7. Bill Tolar will be the preacher, and Jerl Watkins will lead the Bible study sessions. For more information, call (361) 972-2717.

• Families interested in international or domestic adoption are invited to attend a free information meeting and workshop hosterd by Dillon International and Buckner Adoption May 8 at the Buckner Children’s Home campus in Dallas. The international adoption workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the domestic adoption workshop will be from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. Families must complete a free pre-application and questionnaire available online at www.beafamily.org prior to attending the workshop. To register, call (866) 236-7823. The workshop is free.

• Dale and Anita Allen will present a concert at the W.W. Walton Chapel of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor May 19 at 7 p.m. as part of the annual Senior Saints Summit. There is no admission charge, and no offering will be taken. For more information, call (254) 295-4606.

• Mark Hollis, a member of North Richland Hills Church in North Richland Hills, has been presented with the Governor’s 2009 Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Award in recognition of the extensive time he has devoted to ministering to inmates. Hollis was recognized for the service he has provided to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s chaplaincy department as a volunteer since 1986.

• Brad Toben, dean of the Baylor University Law School, has been named to the American Law Institute. He joined the law school faculty in 1983 and was named dean in 1991.

Jeff and Robyn Lowe (top) and Ray and Paula Milburn were appointed to serve with the SBC International Mission Board.

• Two couples with Texas ties were among the 89 missionaries appointed by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Jeff and Robyn Lowe will engage in evangelism and church starting activities in Lukulu, Zambia. Pastor of First Church in Buna at the time of their appointment, he previously was pastor of Dogwood Hills Church in Woodville. They have three children—Hadassah, 7, Zoe, 4, and Levi, 2. Ray and Paula Milburn will work in evangelism and church starting in Munich, Germany. He has served as a chaplain at both Fort Bliss and Fort Hood. They are members of First Church in Copperas Cove. They have three adult children.

• The East Texas Baptist University debate team finished its season ranked ninth in the nation in its first year of competition. Amber Peery, a junior from White Oak, finished the season ranked 18th in the nation.

• The Alumni Association of Hardin-Simmons University honored Darren Allman, Tracy Manly and Joe Darren Weir as the recipients of the 2009 Outstanding Young Alumni Awards. Allman, a 1994 graduate, is the head football coach of the Austin Westlake Chaparrals. Manly, a 1993 graduate, is an associate professor of accounting at the University of Tulsa. Weir, a 1995 graduate, is director of digital media at WFAA-TV in Dallas.

• Dallas Baptist University presented an honorary doctor of divinity degree to Gary Singleton, pastor of The Heights Church in Richardson, during the school’s spring convocation service.

• Tammi Cooper, assistant professor in the College of Business at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, has been promoted to the newly created position of assistant dean of learning and student success.

• Jane Lacey, a 1952 alumnus of Howard Payne University, and Carol Hall, president of HPU’s Woman’s Club, are the recipients of the Woman’s Club 2009 Yellow Rose Awards. Stefanie Beckwith, a sophomore liberal arts major from Burleson, received the organization’s Yellow Rose Scholarship Award.

• The Christian Women’s Job Corps of Tyler has been awarded a $1,000 grant from Wal-Mart. The free educational program for women with a financial need to work features classes structured to mirror the workplace environment and to help instill good work habits. For more information, call (903) 592-4693.

Anniversaries

• Westside Church in Seguin, fifth, March 29. Sam Rodriguez is pastor.

Eighty-one students from Tarleton State University and 21 adults from First Church in Stephenville travelled to California to work on 11 Los Angeles churches. The group endured the 22-hour bus ride to encourage churches ministering in a difficult area. Robert Stephens, who works with the church’s college students, led the group.

• Carl Douglas, fifth as pastor of Dixie Frontier Church in Whitesboro, April 4.

• First Church in Godley, 130th, April 19. Kenneth Coleman is pastor.

• Bob Billups, 10th, as senior associate pastor at First Church in Denton, April 19.

• Danny Duron, fifth, as pastor of First Hispanic Church in Navasota.

• Larry Burkhalter, 10th, as pastor of Reid’s Prairie Church in Waller.

• Don Shannon, 40th, as pastor of First Church in Coldspring, May 1.

Deaths

• Thomas McBrayer, 62, March 29 in Cleburne. He was pastor of Friendship Church in Cleburne. McBrayer spent most of his adult life as a coach, teacher, counselor and farmer. While farming in Oklahoma, he was the bivocational pastor of Corinth Church in Eldorado 12 years. He was called as pastor of the Cleburne church in 2005. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Ruby; daughter, Mandi Ellison; sons, Matthew and Michael; and three grandchildren.

• Lev Prichard III, 72, April 7 in Corpus Christi. Prichard was a longtime supporter of Baylor University, first engendered through his wife’s affiliation. Although he did not attend Baylor, he received the Alumnus Honoris Causa designation, the highest honor bestowed by the university upon nonalumni. With his wife, Ella, a 1963 Baylor graduate and former member of the Baylor board of regents, he also received the Herbert H. Reynolds Award for Meritorious Service. They were longtime supporters of the athletic program but also supported many other capital campaigns. Charter members of Baylor’s Endowed Scholarship Society, they established academic and athletic scholarships. They also were honored as members of the Baylor University Medallion Fellowship. He was a member of First Church in Corpus Christi. He is survived by his wife of 46 years; son, Lev IV; daughter, Peggy Fagan; and four grandchildren.

Events

• First Church in Devers will hold its annual gumbo cookoff and gospel singing April 25. The gumbo supper will begin at 5 p.m. with the singing to follow. The Southern Plainsmen will be the featured group. For more information, call (936) 549-7653. Harry McDaniel is pastor.

• Denver and the Mile High Orchestra will perform at The Heights Church in Richardson May 8. The Dallas Praise Jazz Orchestra will open the concert at 7 p.m. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra is a Christian swing band composed of a seven-piece horn section and a four-piece rhythm section. Reserve seats are $15 and $20. General admission is $10. They are available online at tinyurl.com/dmho58. For more information, call (972) 671-7729, ext. 266.

Ordained

• Russell Almon and Christie Almon to the ministry at Crosspoint Fellowship Church in Abilene.

• Alan Boyd, Chris Nasso, Forrest Bouldin, David Hennig and David Smucker as deacons at First Church in Lott.

Revivals

• First Church, Sonora; April 26-27; evangelist, Todd Still; music, Mike Andress; pastor, T. Wayne Price.

• First Church, Rule; April 26-29; evangelist, D.L. Lowrie; music, Clay Jacobs; pastor, Russell Stanley.

• Samnorwood Church, Samnorwood; April 26-29; evangelist, Robert Barge; music, Jeff Gore; pastor, Dean Driver.

• First Church, Center; April 26-29; evangelist, Randel Everett; music, Tim Timmons; pastor, Michael Hale.