January 6, 2003
___ Five Texans were among the December graduates of Southern Seminary. Eric Mitchell of Travis Avenue Church in Fort Worth received the doctor of philosophy degree; Christopher Spradley of Oak Grove Church in Nacogdoches received the master of divinity in missions, evangelism and Christian growth degree; Mike Miller of Odessa earned the doctor of ministry degree; Gary Beesinger of Southcrest Church in Lubbock earned the master of arts in Christian education degree; and Michael Withers of Houston received the master of divinity degree.
___Anniversaries
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| Templo Bautista of South Houston recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony as a part of the opening of a sanctuary and education center. Pastor Ananias Gonzalez cut the ribbon while translator Alfonso Cepeda and Argentine pastor Stanley Clark observed. The sanctuary seats 500 people and contains 14 classrooms as well as offices and a conference room. |
___ Jerry Sutton, fifth, as pastor of Mission Emmanuel in Caldwell.
___ James Cavanaugh, 25th, as pastor of New Light Church in Lubbock, Dec. 1.
___ First Church in Mineral, 120th, Dec. 11. Brian Simon is pastor.
___ James Semple, 50th, in ministry, Dec. 29. He currently is interim pastor of First Church in Granbury.
___ Doug Jackson, 10th, as pastor of Second Church in Corpus Christi, Jan. 1.
___ Tony Celelli, fifth, as minister of spiritual formation at Second Church in Corpus Christi, Jan. 1.
___ Keith Wilkerson, 15th, as minister of music at First Church in Liberty, Jan. 4.
___Deaths
___ Lillian Horne, 90, Nov. 29 in Fort Worth. She was director of Woman's Missionary Union at Sagamore Hill Church in Fort Worth for more than 25 years and was associational WMU leader for Tarrant Association as well. Her husband of 69 years, A.T., preceded her in death by two months. She also was preceded in death by her grandson, Isaac Byrd III. She is survived by her daughter, Joellen Byrd; son, Gerald Horne; five grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
___ Edwin Crawford, 84, Dec. 29 in Temple. Called to ministry in 1939, he was pastor of Pendleton Church in Pendleton, Elm Grove Church in Elm Grove, Prairie Dell Church in Prairie Dell, Willow Grove Church in Willow Grove, West End Church in Houston and First Church in Nacogdoches. He was associate pastor at First Church in Paris and South Main Church in Houston. He was an Army chaplain during World War II. He was director of missions for Golden Triangle and Waco associations. He concluded his vocational ministry as director of development at Southwestern Seminary. He also was a trustee of Houston Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University and Southwestern Seminary. He served on the Executive Board of both the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Convention. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Inez, after 55 years of marriage. He is survived by his wife, Melissa; sons, Dan and Bob; sister, Margaret Adams; two grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
___ Cliff Harris, 75, Dec. 29 in Springfield, Mo., while visiting family for the holidays. Harris suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. Harris was the first Corps chaplain at Texas A&M University while a student there in the late 1940s. After graduating from the school in 1948, he returned in 1952 to become the director of the Baptist Student Union, where he remained until 1963. He left Texas A&M to be on the first faculty of Houston Baptist University, where he was head of the department of education and psychology. He later became academic dean, vice president and then interim president for six months. In 1975, he became head of the education program at the University of Texas at Dallas until his retirement in 1992. During his retirement, he served until his death first as a volunteer and later as a part-time employee of the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He was a deacon and Sunday School teacher at First Church in Richardson. An advocate of partnership missions, in 1990 he led the first group from the church to the Rio Grande Valley for construction of small Hispanic churches. In 1997, he led a group of 47 people to do Vacation Bible School work and construction on a new university on San Andreas Island in the Caribbean. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Ellen; daughters, Angela Harris, Diane Gray, and Julianne Shively; son, Randall Harris; brother, Bob; and six grandchildren.
___Events
___ Mary Ann Iles has been named organist emeritus at Calder Church in Beaumont in recognition of 50 years of service to the church. Jim Fuller is pastor.
___ Trinity River Association will hold an evangelism rally Hardin Church in Hardin Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. The featured evangelists will be the Cherry Family. For more information, call (936) 298-2821.
___ First Church in Devers will have a Jubilee Celebration Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. Featured guests will include vocal groups the Cherry Family and The Calvary Singers and comedienne Lula Bell Campbell. A love offering will be taken. For more information, call (936) 549-7653. Harry McDaniel is pastor.
___Licensed
___ Caleb Crouch to the ministry at First Church in Longview.
___Ordained
___ Adrion Coleman and Dean Marriott as deacons at First Church in Rosebud.
___ Ross Armstrong as a deacon at Liberty Chapel Church in Carthage.
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The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
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