LEADERS
Paul Conquest is serving as interim pastor of First Baptist Church, Gleason.
Chris Ward recently celebrated his 15th anniversary as director of missions of Riverside Baptist Association, based in Livingston.
Rodney Norvell
Rodney Norvell celebrated his fifth anniversary with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board in July as Baptist Collegiate Ministry director at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He has been an ordained minister since 1991. Norvell and his wife, Marisa, have three children.
Barry Capps is serving as interim pastor of Laneview Baptist Church, Kenton.
New Hope Baptist Church, Dyer, has called Joseph Rice as youth minister.
On June 22, Richie Farley, pastor of Vine Ridge Baptist Church, Crawford; Richard Harris, pastor of Columbia Hill Baptist Church, Monterey, both in Riverside Baptist Association; and Marvin Pryor, member of Bear Creek Baptist Church, Cookeville, in Stone Baptist Association, all received a bachelor of theology from Faith Baptist College, Spring City.
CHURCHES
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Martin, will celebrate 181 years of ministry with a homecoming celebration on Aug. 4. Revival will begin on homecoming Sunday and run through Aug. 7 with Chip Davis, pastor of Lake Road Baptist Church, Union City, as guest evangelist.
Leawood Baptist Church, Memphis, will sponsor Judgement House, a walk-through drama about everyday life for ages 10 years old and older. The event will be held July 10-13 and July 17-20 from 6:30-9 p.m. Call the church office at 901-324-7169 to make reservations. The event is free.
First Baptist Church, Rutherford, celebrated its 150th anniversary June 30.
A mission team from Kirk Baptist Church, Collierville, is currently serving in Kermit, West Va., working with Stepptown Baptist Church to conduct a VBS and add a room to the church. The team will return July 13.
DEATH
Larry Triplett
Jerry Keasling, 68, of Erwin died May 29. Keasling served in the ministry for 44 years. For the past three years, he has been the pastor of Higgins Chapel Baptist Church, Flag Pond. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Peggy Evely Keasling, in 2010. He is survived by his wife of eight years, Pansy H. Keasling, three children, two stepchildren and several grandchildren and step grandchildren.
Longtime Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer and leader Larry Triplett died June 20. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Concord, in Knoxville.
He served on numerous DR teams, responding to hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters.
Triplett was among many Tennessee Baptists who served in New York City, following 9/11. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Nancy, two children and three grandchildren.
A team from Gibson Baptist Association recently returned from a mission trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From left are Rafael (tour guide), Tracy Garner, Ann Krusec, Beverly Spellings, Shelia Bell, Joel Pigg, John Coleman, Garner Perkins, Isabel Foster, Steve Skelton, Earl Barr (back); Randy Beals (bending over), Mark Brown, Roger Stacy (associational missionary) and Bill Sorrell. During the crusade in April, 334 people prayed to receive Christ. Stacy has led 49 mission trips to Brazil in the last 12 years. He also took a team in June and has two more scheduled this year.
Plainview Baptist Church, Woodbury, recently sent its 2020 Vision Committee to view the activity center at Auburn Baptist Church, Auburntown. Plainview is beginning a new building plan for a multipurpose building and revitalization of its existing sanctuary. The field trip was an effort to get ideas from existing structures. From left are, front row, Vickie Blackburn, Linda Campbell, Cheryl Witty, Ronald T. Regan, Willie Blackburn, Bode Davenport, and Ashley Witty Brown; back row, Lynnwood Campbell, Russell Vance, Russell Davenport, Pastor Johnathan Womack, Darrell Hunt, Roger Hindman and Terry Reed. — Photo by Donna Nichols