Around the State

Posted: 2/15/08

Around the State

• “Awake 2008: A Call to Spiritual Awakening” is being sponsored by Tryon-Evergreen Baptist Association. The March 29 rally at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe will feature T.W. Hunt. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Call (936) 856-2001 for more information.

• The Conference of Texas Baptist Evangelists has named its officers for the year. Elected were Paul Cherry, president; Todd Keller, vice president; Gary Newman, secretary/treasurer; Sam Craig, music director; and Ricky Davis, assistant music director.

• Former Baylor University First Lady Mary McCall has been presented the Founders Medallion for 2008. The medallion is reserved for people whose service and contributions have been unusually significant to the life and future of the university. McCall served the school as a student, professor’s wife, parent, president’s wife and alumna. She has been a member of numerous Baylor organizations and in 1982 was awarded the W.R. White Meritorious Service Award. For many years, she was a Sunday school teacher and trustee at First Church in Waco. She now is a member of Park Cities Church in Dallas.

• Gabriel Cortes has been named director of church and alumni relations at Baptist University for the Americas. He and his wife, Maria, have two children, Esteban and Andres.

• Trudy Mohre has been named director of admissions at Howard Payne University.

• Howard Payne University awarded James Guenther, general counsel for the Southern Baptist Convention for more than 30 years, an honorary doctor of humanities degree at winter commencement ceremonies.

• The Houston Baptist University mock trial team competed in the Loras College National Invitational Tournament, the oldest and largest tournament in the United States. The team recorded two wins and six losses, and sophomore Laurianne Balkum received a best attorney award, scoring 19 of 20 possible points.

Anniversaries

• Greg Traylor, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Beeville, Jan. 5.

• Herb Pedersen, 15th, as pastor of Longbranch Community Church in Midlothian, Feb. 1.

• Tim Rowell, fifth as pastor of Flatonia Church in Flatonia, Feb. 3.

• Jake Vaughn, 10th, as pastor of East Delta Church in Lake Creek, Feb. 8.

• Joe Traweek, 10th, as minister of music and education at West Sherman Church in Sherman, Feb. 8.

• Jeremy Marr, fifth, as minister of youth at Calvary Church in Denison, Feb. 15.

• David Rogers, 10th, as associate pastor of corporate worship and global missions strategist at The Heights Church in Richardson, Feb. 15.

• David Warren, 10th, as executive director of missions for Bowie Association, March 1.

• Ven a El Church in San Antonio, 50th, March 9. Robert Garcia Jr. is pastor.

• New Home Church in New Home, 100th, March 30. Lunch will follow in the school cafeteria. Gene Hawkins is interim pastor.

Retiring

• Lee Walker, after more than 30 years with San Jacinto Association, the last 18 of those as director of missions. He also served several churches in music, education and administration capacities. Churches he served include First Church in Commerce, Magnolia Park Church in Houston, Wooster Church in Baytown, First Church in Galena Park, First Church in Spring Branch and First Church in Bellaire. He has been in ministry 58 years.

Deaths

• Jan Sanders, 74, Jan. 11 in Westminster, Colo. She and her husband, Raymond, served a number of churches including First Church in Fort Hancock and First Church in Van Horn. They were involved in River Ministry and started 16 churches along the Rio Grande. Her husband also served as director of missions for Big Bend Association 23 years. She is survived by her husband of 55 years; daughters Brenda Sanders and Kathy Beach; sons, Kenneth and Larry; and seven grandchildren.

• Ted Holland, 81, Jan. 16 in Victoria. Among the churches he served as pastor were First Church in Arcadia and Baptist Temple in Edna. He served many churches in Guadalupe Association as interim pastor. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor. He is survived by his daughters, Rebecca Graham and Catherine Hayman; sisters, Marie Whitney and Nina Mae Rasberry; brother, Jackson; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

• Ed Savage, 82, Jan. 26 in Port Neches. He served churches throughout Texas, and the last 22 years of his ministry, he was director of church services for Golden Triangle Association. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce; daughter, Laura Savage-Rains; and two step-grandchildren.

• Cathy Conner, 73, Jan. 28 in Marfa. She and her husband, Lloyd, served Texas churches 52 years—he as pastor and she as Sunday school teacher and nursery worker. They served at First Church in Clint, First Church in Marfa, Lindell Avenue Church in San Angelo and First Church in Albany. They returned to First Church in Marfa in 1993, where her husband still serves. She is survived by her husband; daughters, Karen Mills and Eileen Conner; sister, Margaret Wallace; and two grandchildren.

• E.C. Chron, 80, Jan. 30 in Carrollton. He was a minister and evangelist more than 50 years. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Melba Jo; son, Clint; daughters, Josa Perry, Deanna Sauerzopf and Tami Jones; brothers, Virgil, Bob and Allen; sister, Minnie Nell Orm; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Events

• Airway Church in Houston will hold its annual chili cook-off and gospel concert Feb. 23. The meal will be at 5:30 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. For more information, call (713) 991-7677. Ed Parker is pastor.

• The India Children’s Choir will present a musical at Parkdale Church in Corpus Christi Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m., and at Waldron Road Church in Corpus Christi Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. For more information about this free event, call (361) 937-3772.

• “World Vision Experience: AIDS,” a nationally touring interactive exhibit, will be open to the public at The Heights Church in Richardson from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 29 and March 1, and from noon to 8:30 p.m. March 2. Visitors to the 2,340-square-foot exhibit will walk through a replica of an African village while listening on headsets to a story of a child whose life has been affected by AIDS. For more information, call (972) 238-7243.

• First Church in Plano hold a parenting seminar March 28-29. Sessions will feature how children learn and how to persuade children to do the things they need to do. Author and lecturer Cynthia Tobias will be the speaker. The cost is $20 per adult until March 15 and $25 after that date. The cost includes childcare for children through fifth grade and lunch on Saturday. For more information, call (972) 424-8551.

• Bob Pinder marked 61 years in ministry Feb. 5. He was a pastor in Florida, Southern Baptist missionary in Argentina, and instructor in marriage and family therapy at Texas Tech University 23 years.