EDUCATION Janice Williams has been named dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Union University. A two-time Union graduate (Associate of Science in Nursing 1985, Bachelor of Science in Nursing 1987), Williams returns after serving as professor and founding program director at College of the Ozarks’ Armstrong McDonald School of Nursing since 2005. Previously, she was a nursing professor and founding chair at Presentation College’s satellite campus

EDUCATION Union University named Fred Johnson as dean for the College of Arts and Sciences. Johnson comes to Union from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, where he had served as an English professor since 2008. He previously served as an instructor and graduate assistant at Ball State University and as an instructor at Ivy Tech State College. During his time at Whitworth, Johnson served as faculty president, chairman of the

EDUCATION Union reduces tuition for adult degree programs Union University news office JACKSON — Union University has lowered tuition for its adult undergraduate programs in the School of Adult and Professional Studies and the Memphis College of Urban and Theological Studies, beginning in the fall 2025 semester. Tuition for Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Bachelor of Science in Christian Leadership degrees in SOAPS and bachelor’s degrees in MCUTS

EVENTS The Shadow Valley Gospel Music Festival will take place on July 10–12 at Shadow Valley, 54 Warden Rd. in Fayetteville. The three-day concert series starts at 6 p.m. on July 10 and will last until 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $25 day of the event; youth 18 and under are free. Please bring lawn chairs; concessions will be available. The WCBA Prayer will also be available each night.

DEATHS Carroll C. Owen, 102, died June 3 in Brentwood. Owen dedicated nearly three decades to pastoral ministry, serving Baptist churches in Tennessee and Illinois from 1952 to 1979. He pastored First Baptist Church in Paris, Tenn., for 17 years from 1962 until his retirement from pastoral ministry in 1979. Following his pastoral career, Owen joined the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board as director of convention ministries, where he served

DEATHS Carl Hendrix Young died on March 28, 2025, at the age of 85. With his ministry, he led many souls to the Jesus Christ. To those who knew him, he was a wonderful husband, man, friend, pastor, counselor, and mentor. Young was born on April 6, 1939, in Kentucky and was the youngest of five children. Young married Mary Edna Galbway on Oct. 6, 1956. He was called to

DEATHS Morris Lynn Anderson, 73, died on April 18, 2025, in Maryville. He was born on May 13, 1951, in Metropolis, Ill. Anderson was a full-time evangelist and Founder and President of M.A.N.N.A. Ministries. Prior to becoming an evangelist, he was pastor of Dotson Memorial Baptist Church of Maryville, First Baptist Church of Pigeon Forge, and Central Baptist Church in Winchester, Ky.

EVENTS Trinity Baptist, Knoxville, will have revival services May 4–7. The evangelist will be Phil Glisson of Memphis. RESOURCES Rebecca George, author, speaker and the host of the podcast “Radical Radiance,” has written You’re Not Too Late: Trusting God’s Timing in a Hurry-Up World. She is the wife of Dustin George, lead pastor of Vonore Baptist Church, Vonore. Her book presents a comprehensive approach to waiting that teaches how to

CHURCHES The members of Central Bearden Church, in West Knoxville, voted in a Special Called Business Meeting, March 9, to elect Rev. J. C. (James Calvin) Neely as their new Senior Pastor.  Neely is a graduate of Carson-Newman University and earned the Master of Divinity Degree at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University.  He has 20 years of Pastoral Experience with most of that at Fellowship Church in