LEADERS
Jason Bullington has been called as senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Clarksville. He previously served as youth pastor of Warren Community Church, Somerville.
Matthew Watkins has been called as associate pastor and youth leader at Warren Community Church, Somerville. He previously served on the staff of First Baptist Church, Somerville.
Juliana Wilson
Juliana Wilson, communications/childhood missions specialist for Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union for the past two years, resigned, effective Dec. 20, to accept a position with LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville. Wilson will serve on the communications team of LifeWay Women.
Harmony Baptist Church, Adams, called Jake Townsend as pastor, effective Oct. 27. Townsend and his wife, Megan, have a 5-year-old son, Levi.
First Baptist Church, Paris, recently ordained Garrett Veazey into the ministry. Veazey serves as minister of students at First Baptist.
Orlando Lobaina will join the staff of Union University in January as the new dean for the School of Adult and Professional Studies. He currently serves as executive director for academic success and as associate professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
Nine students with Tennessee ties graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, N.C., in December. They are: Eric Amos, Nashville, master of arts in intercultural studies; Matthew R. Nash, Memphis, master of arts in biblical languages; William Newton Beasley, Cleveland, master of arts in Christian studies; Lance Alexander Irwin, master of arts in Christian studies; Zachary Michael Newsome, Huntingdon, master of divinity with biblical counseling; Luka Temaj, Johnson City, master of divinity with Christian ministry; Joel Andrew Wood, Knoxville, master of divinity with Christian ministry; Mark Henry Baker, Knoxville, doctor of philosophy; and Brian Neal Coates, Spring Hill, doctor of philosophy.
Four students with Tennessee ties graduated from New Orleans (La.) Baptist Theological Seminary in December. They are: Joshua Michael Pendergrass, Fairview, master of theological studies; Mary Helen Driver, Union City, master of arts in Christian education; Edward Dewayne Goodgine, Fairview, doctor of ministry; and David Aaron Lambert, Maryville, doctor of ministry.
DEATHS
Retired pastor Pat Merrell, 95, of Lithia Springs, Ga., died Dec. 1. A native of Big Sandy, he is a former pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Dover. He also served in JST Baptist Association in pulpit supply for many years. He is survived by two daughters, 10 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.
P J Scott, transitional pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Greenfield, died Dec. 6 at the age of 79. A Navy veteran, Scott served in the ministry for more than 50 years. He served as pastor of Jolley Springs Baptist Church, Gleason, from 1969-75 and several churches in Mississippi. He also served as a transitional pastor of several churches, including First Baptist Church, Ripley; New Harmony Baptist Church, Paris; and First Baptist Church, Gleason. He is survived by his wife, Betty, a daughter and two grandsons.
SCHOOLS
Union University trustees reinstated a higher education track in Union’s doctor of education program and received a clean audit report during their Dec. 6 meeting on the Union campus. The curriculum for the higher education track has been reorganized to meet the needs of prospective students and offers a degree that is both academically rigorous and distinctively Christian. The audit report revealed that net assets for the university increased from $139.5 million in 2018 to $158.2 million in 2019.
Wes Jones, left, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, serves up retirement cake and congratulations from Harvest Field 4 to Joe Wiles, center, who has retired as director of missions in Stone Baptist Association, based in Cookeville, and Chris Ward, who is retiring at the end of the month as director of missions for Riverside Baptist Association, based in Livingston.
