THE EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Concert Choir traveled to San Antonio to perform at the national convention of the American Chorale Directors Association. The choir spent three days performing for more than 6,000 members of the association who attended the meeting. ETBU was one of the six schools chosen to perform from the 75 choirs that submitted audition tapes. James Moore is director of chorale activities.

Around the state

___ Bill Thorn will return as camp pastor for the 2001 May by the Bay adult camp held at Texas Baptist Encampment in Palacios. The camp begins May 7 with registration at 12:30 p.m. and ends May 10 following lunch. Thorn will be joined by John Hatch, pastor of First Church in Lake Jackson, Bible teacher; Larry Howie, minister of music at First Church in Rosenberg, worship leader; and Grayson Glass, pastor of First Churchin Texas City, morning devotional leader. To register, call (361) 972-2717.

___Retiring
___ Marion Ford, April 29, after four years as pastor at Eagle Springs Church in McGregor. Under his ministry, the church grew from an average attendance of zero to 110. The church sat vacant for 50 years prior to his coming. He has served for 51 years in churches across the state, including Lilly Grove Church in Nacogdoches, First Church in Richland, First Church in Chilton, First Church in Moody, Oak Lawn Church in Waco, Harris Creek Church in McGregor and First Church in Crawford. He also served 14 Waco-area churches as interim.
___ Bob Schmeltekopf, Aug. 19, as director of missions for Burnet/Llano Association. He has been with the association for two years. Prior service included 12 years as director of missions for Hill Country Baptist Area and four years with San Antonio Association. He has been in ministry for 45 years. A dinner will be held in his honor May 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at First Church in Kingsland. Please make reservations by calling Shirley Watts at (915) 388-4507.

___Events
___ A Hispanic evangelism conference will be held May 5 from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Primera Iglesia Hispana in Texarkana. Speakers will include Albert Reyes, president of Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio, and Tony Guerra, pastor of Primera Iglesia Hispana in Pittsburg.
___ Westwood Church in Woodway will celebrate 133 years of ministry May 9. The church began as East Waco Church and also ministered under the name of Turner Street Church prior to moving to its current location in 1960. Gary Tapley is pastor.
___ First Church in Gorman will hold a homecoming to celebrate 117 years of ministry Aug. 26. Former members are asked to send their names and addresses to the church at P.O. Box 160, Gorman 76454. Bill Campbell is pastor.

___Anniversaries
___ First Church in Justin, 100th, April 28-29. Scott Brown is pastor.
___ Jeff Kluttz, 10th, as youth minister at First Church in Rosenberg.
___ North Jackson Church in Palestine, 80th, May 5-6. A time of fellowship and snacks will be held Saturday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Former pastor James Duncan will preach in the Sunday morning service, and John Watts will lead the music. A covered-dish luncheon will follow the service. Jason Bryant is pastor.

___Deaths
___ Lorenzo Johns Jr., 58, April 5 in Paris. He served churches as minister of music, youth and/or education in Texas and Missouri from 1961 to 1998. His last church to serve was Immanuel Church in Paris. In 1998, he became coordinator of pastoral care at St. Joseph Hospital in Paris. He is survived by his wife, Rose; son, Larry; daughters, Eilene Franko and Lillian Johns; brother, Douglas; sister, Gay Parr; and three grandchildren.
___ Bill Kinney, March 27 in Natalia. He had been pastor of churches in Blanco, Llano, Brady, Devine, Natalia and Somerset prior to his retirement. He was an original member of the Texas Baptist Men Retiree Builders and worked for many years on church buildings in Texas, Hawaii, Nebraska, Alaska and Brazil. He also worked with the Baptist General Convention of Texas as general construction foreman, building churches in Bandera and Tyler.

___Licensed
___ Debbie Wiley to the ministry at First Church in Earth.

___Ordained
___ Roger Russell to the ministry at Friendly Church in Tyler.
___ Ken Rawson to the ministry at Broyles Chapel Church in Palestine.
___ Phil Colquitt to the ministry at Bayside Community Church in Port Alto.
___ James Phillips, Scott Byers, Donald Duncan and John Mackey as deacons at Woodlawn Church in Austin.

___Revivals
___ Forest Glade Church, Mexia; May 6-9; *evangelist, Gary Newman; *music, Ernie Overstreet; pastor, James Evans.
___ First Church, Del Rio; May 6-9; evangelist, Herman Lancaster; pastor, Michael Freeman.
___ Floyd Church, Greenville; May 6-9; *evangelist, Michael Gott; pastor, Wes Dean.
___ Tolar Church, Tolar; May 6-9; evangelist, Herb Thompson; music, Mark Sheildnight; pastor, Armo Bentley.
___ Westwood Church, Woodway; May 6-9; evangelist, James Hooper; music, Bruce Mercer; pastor, Gary Tapley.
___ Emory Church and Believers Church, Emory; May 6-10; evangelist, Paul Washer; pastors, Randy Lowe and Jason Rolen.
___*vocational evangelist
___

The Baptist Standard