Around the State - Baptist Standard

• East Texas Baptist University will hold the Great East Texas Hymn Sing and dedicate its new chapel organ Sept. 9 at 1:30 p.m. in the Baker Auditorium. Area music directors will lead in singing six 15-minute segments of well-loved hymns. Tours will begin at 10 a.m., and a lunch will be served at noon. Lunch reservations must be made by Sept. 2. Cost for the lunch is $15. Historic hymnals will be displayed during a reception from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Campus tours will continue from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. A dedicatory concert for the organ by Bob Wright will be held at 6 p.m. To make reservations, call (903) 923-2042.

• A Glorieta on the Brazos conference, "Renew, Refresh, Revive," will be held at Columbus Avenue Church in Waco Sept. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Age-group leaders for the Sunday school/small group conference will be Tommy Sanders and Mary Ann Bradberry, preschool leaders; Nancy Conlin and Bronwyn Stanley, children's leaders; Jane Wilson and Chuck Gartman, youth leaders; Carter Shotwell, Dennis Parrott, Lynne Cox and Keith Lowry, adult leaders; and Ray Still, pastors. Admission is free.

Gambrell Street Baptist Church in Fort Worth recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of its minister of music, Mike Farnell, Aug. 14. To commemorate the occasion, the church commissioned an anthem setting of the hymn, "My Singing is a Prayer." The anthem, composed by C.L. Bass, premiered in the morning service of the anniversary celebration. The anthem was presented by the 25-voice sanctuary choir with French horn and piano accompaniment. Farnell and his wife, Karen, are pictured with a framed copy of the commissioned anthem.

• Cody Neinast and Rosie Hollingsworth have been added to the staff of Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon Seminary. Neinast is the coordinator of prospective student services and admissions, and Hollingsworth is the administrative assistant for the associate dean of academics.

• Dallas Baptist University recently hosted the Greater Dallas Fellowship of Christian Athletes sports leadership camp. Eighty high school students and 30 staff members participated in the camp, themed "Game Changer." Students ranging from high school freshmen to seniors joined in sport training and studies in football, basketball, volleyball and baseball, plus strength and agility clinics. Scott Wilson, author of The Next Level, was the speaker for the week.

• Kevin Kirk, assistant vice president for enrollment management at Howard Payne University, has been elected president of the National Association of Baptist Enrollment Professionals.

Anniversaries

• Steve Brewton, 10th, as minister of worship at First Church in Roanoke, Aug. 6.

• Happy Union Church in Plainview, 60th, Aug. 12-14. Richard Miller is pastor.

• Daniel Jennings, 15th, as minister of music at First Church in Canyon Lake, Aug. 14.

• Danny Dunham, 10th, as director of missions for Blanco Association, Aug. 15.

• First Church in Earth, 85th, Aug. 27-28. A fellowship meal of hamburgers and the trimmings will be served at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. At 7 p.m., former pastor Bobby Broyles will preach. The 10 a.m. celebration service on Sunday will feature a concert from Roy and Tami Martin. A meal will follow the morning service. Robbie Boyd is pastor.

Deaths

• Dorothy Huffstutler, 87, July 7 in Dallas. She served as a Sunday school director 59 years, first working with young people and then adults. She led numerous conferences for youth workers with Dallas Baptist Association. She went on mission trips to Washington, Alaska, Japan, Korea and India. She served one term as president of the Southwestern Religious Education Wives Conference. She worked alongside her minister husband 49 years as he served Memorial, Beverly Hills and Hillcrest churches in Dallas, and Colonial Hills Church in Cedar Hill. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Truett; daughter, Judy Vestal; son, Truett Wayne; sisters, Marie Kaplan and Pat Carpenter; four grandchildren; and eight grandchildren.

• Bert Ball Jr., 63, July 20 in Tyler. He was a member of First Church in Mineola, where he retired as minister of music. He was a music minister 40 years. He was a member of the Singing Men of Texas 35 years. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl; daughters, Jamie Sanders, Anna Beth Ball and Dorie Ball; sister, Becky Griffin; and three grandchildren.

• Ross Coggins, 83, Aug. 1 in Annapolis, Md. A graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary, he was associate director of student work with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, pastor of First Church in Woodson, missionary to Indonesia, regional director for the VISTA Office of Economic Opportunity, Department of State USAID representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and Catholic Relief Services administrator. He travelled to more than 70 countries. He dedicated himself to providing food, medicine, education, infrastructure, water purification, job training and hope to underprivileged people around the world. He organized and managed the U.S. government's Africa Emergency Office, facilitating disaster assistance during famine outbreaks in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Mozambique. He also was a prolific writer, including the book To Change the World, and the hymn, "Send Me, O Lord, Send Me." He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Doris; daughters, Cathryn O'Donovan and Joanna Bushnell; and three grandchildren.

Events

• Miller Robinson was named pastor emeritus of Colonial Hill Church in Snyder July 31. He served the church as pastor 32 years prior to his retirement in 1996.

• First Church in Irving will remember the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The church will thank local police, fire and emergency personnel, pray for the nation and honor those who serve in the military. The choir and orchestra will perform special music in their honor in services at 8:45 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. John Durham is pastor.

Ordained

• Abel Almendarez to the ministry at First Church in Portland.

• Andrew Miller and Greg Garbe as deacons at First Church in Portland.