• Bill O’Brien, former vice president of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, is serving as the visiting scholar in residence at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. He will preach in the chapel service Sept. 8.
• A Mary Hill Davis Missions Conference will be held Sept. 11 and 12 at Baptist University of the Americas. Workshops will include insight into integrating Hispanics into Anglo congregations, ministry in Africa and cultural training options. The conference runs from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and through noon on Saturday. A missions fair will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. The registration fee is $20 for members of Baptist General Convention of Texas churches and includes printed materials and a Friday evening banquet.
• Daniel Dreisbach will speak on “How the English Bible Shaped American Culture” as the first lecture in Houston Baptist University’s Dunham Museum 2009-2010 lecture series Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.
• Dillon International will present a free informational meeting on international adoption from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 26 at First Baptist Church in Carrollton. An overview of adoption from China, Korea, Haiti, India, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Russia and Honduras will be given. For more information, call (214) 893-6324.
• Nina Ouimette has been appointed dean of the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing in Abilene. The nursing school serves Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University and Abilene Christian University.
• Several new faculty members have been named by Wayland Baptist University. They include Brian McClenagan, assistant professor of counseling and psychology; Emmitt Tipton, associate professor of business administration; Gene Whitfill, assistant professor of education; Scheryl Scarborough, assistant professor of education; Erika Deike, assistant professor of exercise and sports science; Andrew Kasner, associate professor of biological sciences; Emilia Moore, assistant professor of mathematics; Deborah Kuhlmann, associate professor of English; Marilyn Lynch-Goddard, assistant professor of nursing; Anna Tabet, assistant professor of nursing; and David Wilson, assistant professor of justice administration.
• Howard Payne University has named several new faculty members. They include Lynn Little, professor of biology; Mandy Locker, assistant professor of criminal justice; Jennifer McNiece, assistant professor of political science; Lois Patton, professor of business administration; and Mark Patton, professor of business administration.
• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students Audrey Chumchal and Tommy Wilson have been named the recipients of the Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award, which include a $1,000 cash award, a portion of which they donated to an organization of their choice.
• Omer Hancock, professor of church ministry at Hardin Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology, has recieved the Lewis W. Newman Award in recognition of “outstanding contributions in the field of supervised ministry” from the In-Service Guidance Association.
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Anniversaries
• Second Church in Abilene, 50th, Aug. 9. Robert Chambers is pastor.
• Bill Wiman, 25th, as minister of education and administrator at First Church in Bryan, Sept. 6.
• Second Church in Marshall, 105th, Sept. 6. Donald Gallatin is pastor.
• Oak Ridge Church in Marietta, 130th, Sept. 27. Former pastors James Day and Danny Wilson will preach. There will be a proclamation from State Rep. Stephen Frost and a time of recognition for members who have a tenure of 50 years or more. Following the noon meal, a service of singing and remembrance will be held. David Hazelwood is pastor.
• Port Caddo Church in Marshall, 90th, Sept. 27. Ken Hall, president of Buckner International, will be the guest preacher. A meal will follow the morning service. Robert Prothro is pastor.
• Danny Wood, 30th, as pastor of West Sherman Church in Sherman.
• First Church in Sonora, 120th, Oct. 3-4. The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with a cookout and gospel music. Sunday morning’s worship service will feature Charles Lee Williamson, retired director of the missions division of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Also expected to attend are former pastor James Stephen, and former staff Taylor Norman, Don Sessom, Brady Lock and Jacob West. T. Wayne Price is pastor.
• First Church in Blackwell, 100th, Oct. 11. Services will begin at 10 a.m. with former pastor John Curry sharing the preaching duties. For more information, call (325) 282-2281. Aubrey Jones is pastor.
• Fredonia Hill Church in Nacogdoches, 75th, Oct. 11. A special afternoon service will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Billy McDaniel is interim pastor.
• Pidcoke Church in Pidcoke, 125th, Oct. 11. A meal will follow the morning service.
Deaths
• Jerry Gentry, 68, Aug. 1 in Lubbock. He was minister of education at Highland Church in Denton and First Church in Big Spring. He was pastor of Woodrow Church in Lubbock until his retirement in 2007. He is survived by his wife, Ella Mae; and daughters, Lisa Gentry and Pamela Welch.
• Connell Taylor, 89, Aug. 24 in Abilene. After being shot down over Germany during World War II, he was a prisoner of war eight months. After he returned, he attended Southwestern Seminary and served as minister of music and education at several Texas and New Mexico churches. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Donna, in 2006; his brother Glenn and sister, Patsy Ruth Landers. He is survived by his wife, Jimmie Kate; sons, Jerry and Randy; daughter, Lucia Simmons; sister, Mary Ola Turner; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
• Kent Jackson, 68, Aug. 25 in Paducah, Ky. He was minister of music and youth at First Church in Kilgore from 1966 to 1972. He also served churches in Tennessee and Kentucky as minister of music and served on the music staff of the Georgia Baptist Convention until his retirement in 2006. He was a member of The Centurymen, a select group of music ministers within the Southern Baptist Convention who take international singing tours. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lucretia; son, Brad; daughter, Melissa Hawkins; brother, Darrell and three grandchildren.
• Ana D’Amico, 73, Aug. 25 in Louisville, following a lengthy battle with breast cancer. She and her husband, David, served as Cooperative Baptist Fellow-ship representatives to the United Nations in New York City from 1996 to 2004. Their last assignment with CBF Global Missions was working as advocates for Hispanics in North Carolina. They retired in 2006. Prior to serving with the CBF, her husband was minister to internationals at South
Main Church in Houston. She is survived by her husband of almost 53 years; daughter, Nancy Nickles; sons, Stephen, Kenneth and David; sister, Alicia Hercz; and four grandchildren.
Event
• The Heights Church in Richardson recently took more than 2,000 people on a Sunday morning mission trip. Participants loaded onto buses unsure of their destination. They were transported to one of 36 offsite locations as diverse as an inner-city Dallas church, an Allen food pantry and Richardson schools where they spent hours landscaping, painting and repairing homes and shelters. “We wanted to make a statement that we are the church, and not just attending church,” said Richard Covington, The Heights’ community minister.
Ordained
• Billie Wayne Heiser, Wesley Nixon and Danny Pawlik as deacons at First Church in Pearsall.
Revivals
• First Church, Ralls; Sept. 13-16; evangelist, Robert Barge; pastor, Larry Carson.
• Oak Hills Church, Kempner; Sept. 20-23; evangelist, George Kelly; pastor, A.J. Papson.
• Seventh Street Church, Ballinger; Sept. 20-23; evangelist, Robert Barge; music, Jeff Gore; pastor, David Williams.
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