Around the State

Posted: 1/05/07

Around the State

• Houston Baptist University will hold a three-day expression of faith through the arts Jan. 25-27. “Credo: The Arts as Expressions of Belief” will include a concert in Jones Hall with the HBU Choral Union and the Houston Symphony conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, the Polish composer of “Credo;” an evening vespers service with new musical works; an art exhibit hosted by the Museum of Printing History; and lectures by Marilynne Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gilead, and Gregory Wolfe, founder and editor of Image, a national literary quarterly. All events are open to the public and free. For more information, visit www.hbu.edu/credo.

• One hundred and nine students graduated from East Texas Baptist University during fall commencement ceremonies last month. George Mason, pastor of Wilshire Church in Dallas, delivered the charge to the graduates.

• Two hundred seventy-three students earned academic honors at Howard Payne Uni-versity during the fall semester. One hundred and six students maintained perfect grade-point averages, while 96 were named to the Dean’s List and 67 to the Honor Roll.

• Marilyn Edwards has been named the 2006 Faculty Member of the Year at Dallas Baptist University. The award corresponds with her 10-year anniversary of service at the school. She is an assistant professor of psychology and a member of Park Cities Church in Dallas.

• Thirty-two student teachers and and three interns received the education pin marking the completion of the teaching certification program of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Keri Cave was presented the Preservice Educator of the Year award.

• John Voholetz of Houston was among the fall graduates of Southeastern Theological Seminary.

Retiring

• Marvin Donnell, as pastor of West Robinson Church in Waco, Jan. 28. He started the church 17 years ago. His ministry encompasses more than 25 years, with service as pastor of Eastside Church in Comanche and Gholson Church in Waco. He will be available for supply and interims as well as gospel music concerts. He can be contacted at (254) 741-0959.

Deaths

• Clarence Howell, 98, Dec. 3 in Hemphill. He was a longtime Baptist minister, serving as pastor of Sunnyside Church in Dimmitt, Vilott Church in Whitesboro, Custer City Church in Gainesville, First Church in Kress, First Church in Hemphill and First Church in Boling, Yellowpine Church in Hemphill, First Church in Pineland and First Church in Bronson during more than 50 years of ministry. He continued to preach at the Hemphill Care Center and Pineland Nursing Home until he was 95. He was a member of First Church in Hemphill at the time of his death. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Leta, and his daughter, Clareta Sue. He is survived by his daughters, Mary Howell, Jane Creech and Clara Murphy; brother, Bonnie Joe; five grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

• C.O. Herchenhahn Jr., 64, Dec. 4 in Houston. He was pastor of Spring Woods Church in Houston at the time of his death, where he had served since 1991. He died from complications of multiple myeloma. Ordained in 1979, he also had been pastor of Valley Grove Church in Stephenville and Pleasant Grove Church in Pensacola, Fla. He served on the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and on the board of the Baptist Mission Centers of Houston. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Charlotte; daughters, Chantelle, Candice and Crisla Herchenhahn; son, C.O.; sisters, Miriam Norton and Melleen Moore; and three grandsons.

• Leroy Summers, 74, Dec. 13 in Dallas. Summers had served five years with the Baptist Foundation of Texas, maintaining donor relationships. Previously, he served 18 years at Park Cities Church in Dallas in ministry to people more than 50 years old, and he continued to assist in that ministry while with the Baptist Foundation. He also had a wide-ranging music ministry, serving churches in Arizona, Tennessee, Missouri, Florida and Texas. He was ordained as a minister in 1957. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; daughter, LeCarole Moore; and two grandchildren.

• C.B. Hastings, 90, Dec. 18 in Austin. After feeling that call to ministry, he enrolled at Southwestern Seminary. After serving a church in Illinois for a short time, he enlisted as an Army chaplain during the war. After the war, he became pastor of Central Church in Marshall for two years and then became chaplain of Buckner Children’s Home. He later helped establish and was the first director of the Baylor University extension division. From 1960 to 1970, he was minister of education at Park Cities Church in Dallas. He then became the liason to Catholics for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board for 11 years. In retirement, he was director of the northwest center in Portland, Ore., for Golden Gate Seminary, was an adjunct professor of missions at Southeastern Seminary and Greek at Memphis Seminary. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanette, and grandson, Ryan. He is survived by his sons, John, Larry and Roger; daughters, Nancy Sehested and Abagail Hastings; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

• Ray Fleet, 78, Dec. 22 in Dallas, after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was pastor of Woods Chapel Church in Arlington, First Church in Seagoville, First Church in Mansfield and Beech Street Church in Texarkana, before being appointed by the Foreign Mission Board to serve in Brazil. He served 30 years developing leaders and pastoring churches there. He retired in 1994 and returned to Dallas, speaking and singing in churches until illness intervened. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Ruby; daughters, Vivian Swilley and Patricia Coit; son, Ray Jr.; and two grandchildren.

• Huis Egge, 95, Dec. 24 in Houston. She was president of Texas Woman’s Missionary Union from 1976 to 1980 and was affiliated with the missions organization most of her life. A charter member of Broadway Church in Houston, she also was a member of First Church in Corsicana from 1978 to 1997 and most recently was a member of First Church in Friendswood. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Clarence Coy, and her second husband, Elvis Egge. She is survived by her sons, Jon and Ford Coy, daughters, Ann Fantozzi and Martha Prince; and her sisters, Marcy Jackson and Linda Presley.

Event

• Robert Dunston, Old Testament and Hebrew professor at the University of the Cumberlands, will lead Calder Church in Beaumont’s scholar-in-residence meeting Jan. 7-11. For more information, call (409) 892-4251.

Revival

• Ferguson Road Church, Dallas; Jan. 14; evangelist, David Allen; music, Michael Bridges; pastor, Wayne Wible, Jr.