DEATHS
Tony Latham
Tony Latham, 70, retired minister, died July 27 in Jackson. He was a missionary for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board in the Philippines and the Ukraine from 1975-2004. He also was a home missionary in Maryland. After this service, Latham was pastor, Howse Baptist Church, Atwood, for 10 years. Latham also was a member of the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board from 2008-11 and volunteer missions director and moderator for Carroll-Benton Baptist Association, based in Huntingdon. He earned a doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. Latham is survived by his wife Kathy of Jackson, two sons, and three grandchildren.
Lawrence Pack
Lawrence B. Pack, 98, retired minister, died June 27 in Greeneville. He served 73 years in the ministry. Pack was pastor, Greenelawn Baptist Church, Greeneville; Blue Springs Baptist Church, Rutledge; and Roan Hill Baptist Church, Johnson City. He also served a church in Virginia.
Mary Fleta “Pete” Pickel, 90, died July 19 in Knoxville. She taught Sunday School classes for 77 years at Mount Harmony Baptist Church, Knoxville, where she was a lifelong member. In fact Pickel taught her senior adult ladies class three weeks before she passed away. Pickel, a single woman, also was well-known in the area partly because she had always lived there.
CHURCHES
Ebenezer Baptist Church, Greenbrier, held its homecoming service Aug. 7. Also Jack Evans, pastor, was honored on his retirement along with his wife, Dianne, for 25 years of service with a luncheon.
West Side Baptist Church, Trenton, will hold homecoming on Aug. 28. Activities include a luncheon. Brad Patterson, pastor, First Baptist Church, Henderson, will preach. For more information, call 731-855-9091.
Maranatha Baptist Church, Humboldt, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a Year of Jubilee event on Aug. 14. The McEwen Family will lead in worship. For more information, call 731-784-5728.
Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, will hold Medical Missions One Day Training Aug. 27 at the church from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Rebekah Naylor, physician and long-time Southern Baptist International Mission Board missionary to India, will facilitate. For more information, contact brentwoodbaptist.com.
Second Baptist Church, West Helena, Ark., will hold a family enrichment conference, “As For Me and My House,” Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. It will be led by Kelly Jones. For more information, go to www.harrisburgfbc.com or call 870-572-3264.
First Baptist Church, Dresden, will hold homecoming Aug. 27-28. A Victory in Vision banquet will be held on Aug. 27 and worship on the next day will feature Trent Bullock and Scott Shepherd, ministers of First Baptist Church, Paris. For more information, contact 731-364-2212 or dresfbc@frontiernet.net.
New Middleton Baptist Church, Gordonsville, will hold revival Aug. 28-31. Jeff Crips, pastor, Pleasant View Baptist Church, Woodbury, will preach. For more information, contact B.J. Thomason, pastor, at 615-557-4772 or lucybaker131@gmail.com.
Edgefield Baptist Church, Nashville, will hold a women’s event, “Audacious Hope,” Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Jennifer Walker, a Bible teacher, and Melanie Goccia, a missionary, will speak. The Edgefield Worship Team will lead worship. For more information, contact 615-255-0468 or ebcsbc@bellsouth.net.
The Ministry Training Institute of Candies Creek Church, Charleston, will offer “Encountering the Old Testament” starting Sept. 6 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the CrossNet Baptist Network (formerly Bradley Baptist Association) office in Cleveland. For more information, contact Shane Pierce, director of the institute, at 423-716-4317.
LEADERS
Paul Fries
Salem Baptist Association, based in Liberty, has called Paul Fries as director of missions, effective Sept. 1. He is currently serving in Wisconsin. Former DOM David Mahan resigned to be pastor of a church in Crossville.
Stan Gibson has been called as pastor, Candies Creek Baptist Church, Charleston.
Don Cooper has resigned as pastor, China Grove Baptist Church, Rutherford.
Adam Hodges has been called as pastor, Barren Plains Baptist Church, Springfield.
Mid-South Baptist Association, based in Bartlett, will launch the Jack May Offering for Association Missions in October. May was pastor of Broadmoor (now Waypoint) Baptist Church, Memphis, from 1972-90; and Speedway Terrace Baptist Church, Memphis, from 1967-70; and was president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1985. May also was pastor of Whitten Memorial Baptist Church, Memphis; Ellendale Baptist Church, Ellendale; and Ridgeway Baptist Church, Memphis, where he was named pastor emeritus. Currently, he and his wife, Erlene, are members of Ridgeway Baptist, and live in Memphis.
James “Jim” McCulla, retired minister of Maryville, celebrated his 90th birthday July 31. He was a pastor from 1950-97 in Texas, Tennessee, and California and served with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board. McCulla was pastor of Rocky Branch Missionary Baptist Church, Walland, where he is still a member, for nearly 20 years. He also was an interim pastor and volunteer chaplain at a hospital and rehab center in Blount County.
EVENTS
Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board Ministries will hold “Meet and Greets” with two Baptist leaders of New England at seven locations in Tennessee to support the Tennessee/New England Baptist Partnership. Tim Buehner and Shaun Pillay of New England will speak. The Meet and Greets will be at Nolachucky Baptist Association, based in Morristown, on Sept. 12; Wallace Memorial Baptist Church, Knoxville, on Sept. 12; CrossNet Baptist Network, based in Cleveland, on Sept. 13; Concord Baptist Association, based in Murfreesboro, on Sept. 13; Forest Hills Baptist Church, Nashville, on Sept. 15; West Jackson Baptist Church, Jackson, on Sept. 15; and First Baptist Church, Collierville, on Sept. 16. For more information, contact kmargrave@tnbaptist.org or 615-812-0886.
ASSOCIATIONS
CrossNet Baptist Network (formerly Bradley Baptist Association), based in Cleveland, will coordinate “Love Your City” which encourages churches to be involved in acts of kindness and servant evangelism on one Saturday in September. For more information, call 423-476-5493.
SCHOOLS
Carson-Newman University’s University Relations Office received several awards recently. The Volunteer Chapter of Public Relations Society of America cited Journey magazine, as well as its new enrollment marketing viewbook with an Award of Merit and an Award of Quality, respectively. Also Chicago’s Ragan Communications recognized two videos in its 2016 national video contest. Finally, the Tennessee College Public Relations Association awarded Journey, both print and online formats, its top two levels of honors.
This missions team from Zion Baptist Church, Benton, served in Jonesville, Va. They conducted four block parties, served in two Vacation Bible Schools, aided flood victims in West Virginia, helped with an evangelism crusade, and completed a light construction project. In total, the Tennesseans assisted five churches, reported Mike Hazlewood, pastor.
