Faith Facts

• Dolly Parton, who attended the Radnor Church of Christ in Nashville with her husband Carl Dean, passed away at age 80
• A 1966 church directory photograph documented the newlywed couple as active members of the congregation
• Parton’s family announced her passing on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, following her husband’s death in March 2025

The black-and-white photograph labeled “Mr. & Mrs. Carl Dean” appeared in a 1966 directory of the Radnor Church of Christ in Nashville. It captured a moment when one of America’s most beloved entertainers was simply known as Mrs. Dean, a young bride attending worship alongside her husband.

Mrs. Dean, who met her future husband on the day she moved to Music City after her 1964 high school graduation, became known to the world as country music superstar Dolly Parton. Her family announced her passing Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at age 80.

A message from the family of Dolly Parton. pic.twitter.com/9DNRgRx0uH

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) August 25, 2026

The legendary singer’s connection to Churches of Christ represented an important chapter in her life story, one that reflected the faith values she carried throughout her remarkable career. Carl Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years, died March 3, 2025, at age 82.

Parton’s ties to the Church of Christ community remained a testament to her roots and the values that shaped her character. Her marriage to Carl Dean, documented in that simple church directory photograph, endured through decades of fame and fortune—a rarity in the entertainment industry.

The country music icon’s life reflected traditional American values of faith, family, and hard work. From her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee to international stardom, Parton maintained connections to the church community that welcomed her as a young bride in Nashville.

Her legacy extends far beyond her musical achievements, encompassing her charitable work, her commitment to literacy through the Imagination Library, and her steadfast devotion to her husband and family values. These principles aligned with the Christian foundation evident in her early years attending the Radnor Church of Christ.

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Faith Facts

• More than 200 Ghanaian Christians gathered in Toronto for a five-day gospel meeting focused on building stronger congregations
• A Church of Christ in Malawi grew from 30 to 380 members through sustainable agriculture workshops and business training programs
• Churches across Nigeria, Kenya, and Croatia are expanding through evangelism, biblical education, and community service ministries

Churches of Christ around the world are witnessing remarkable growth through faithful evangelism and servant leadership. From gospel meetings drawing hundreds in Canada to new Christian schools serving orphans in Kenya, believers are advancing the Kingdom through dedication to Scripture and service to their communities.

CANADA

TORONTO — More than 200 expatriates from the West African nation of Ghana gathered for a five-day gospel meeting. Evangelist Dan Owusu Asiamah spoke on “Building and Growing a Stronger Congregation.” The Church of Christ, Toronto Ghanaian sponsored the event.

Asiamah also spoke at recent events hosted by the Central Bronx Church of Christ in New York and the Northland Church of Christ Ghanaian Congregation in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings reflect the growing vitality of African Christian communities in North America, as believers maintain strong ties to biblical teaching while ministering to immigrant populations.

CROATIA

RIJEKA — Ervin Budiselić recently traveled to this coastal Adriatic city on a kind of book tour. The director of the Biblical Institute, Zagreb, spoke about a Croatian translation of “Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus” by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg.

Churches and individuals in Croatia financed the entire cost of publishing the book, a rarity in Croatia, Budiselić said. When Budiselić spoke to the Church of Christ in Rijeka, a woman he hadn’t seen in 10 years told him that she appreciated the institute’s focus on reading the Bible “as one unified story.”

Since his previous visit, the woman has been using this approach in her work with other women, Budiselić said.

“She also mentioned that she currently gathers a group of women in Rijeka (some of whom are not believers) and teaches them the Bible in this way. Hearing this deeply encouraged and humbled me.”

KENYA

KERICHO — Christians in this rural East African community recently launched the Coulter McCall Memorial Christian School for children in kindergarten and elementary grades.

“No child will remain at home or drop out of school because of school fees,” said Harrison Kirui, minister for the Church of Christ Kipsotet and director of Acts of Charity, a ministry focused on child development.

Orphans Lifeline International, a Montana-based nonprofit, offers child sponsorships for students at the school. The school represents a commitment to providing Christ-centered education accessible to all children, regardless of economic circumstances.

MALAWI

TOMBOLOMBO — Raphael Chirwa planted a Church of Christ in this southern African village in 1968, and it birthed other churches in the decades that followed. But when Chirwa’s son, Mbwenu, returned to Tombolombo in 2012 after studying at African Christian College in Eswatini, growth had dwindled. Church attendance was about 30.

“After a few years, I began to notice growth,” Mbwenu Chirwa said.

One reason: the sustainable agriculture workshops he led based on what he learned in college from Healing Hands International. Workers with the nonprofit dug a water well for the community, and the church offered Women of Hope business training programs. Now 380 Christians meet in Tombolombo, Mbwenu Chirwa said.

The dramatic growth demonstrates how practical ministry addressing physical needs opens hearts to spiritual truth. By serving their neighbors with agricultural training and clean water, believers earned the trust and attention of their community.

NIGERIA

ESSIEN UDIM — Members of Churches of Christ in this southern Nigerian community did house-to-house evangelism on the topic “Saved in Christ” from Romans 8:1-4. They handed out gospel material provided by Fayetteville, Ark.-based Gospel Tracts International. The effort resulted in at least four baptisms, said evangelist Anameti Akpan.

OKOPEDI — A Church of Christ in this town in southern Nigeria taught communication skills to families at a recent conference. Women of Worth Worldwide, a ministry founded by church member Victoria Essien, provided the curriculum, based in part on lessons from New Life Behavior International.

“God designed the family to be man’s most important social unit,” event organizers said.

“Learning to communicate effectively within the family should therefore be one of our major goals.”

The ministry is an outgrowth of Essien’s Bible studies with non-Christian women. In 2025, she expanded the work to include health screenings, a microloan program and vocational training for disadvantaged women.

“Women who are beneficiaries of the loan program have shared powerful testimonies,” Essien said.

“Before… they had to borrow money from outside sources and pay high interest rates to sustain their businesses. Now… they are able to buy goods weekly, sell them quickly and make a good profit.”

These ministries reflect biblical principles of stewardship and compassion, empowering women to support their families with dignity while introducing them to the gospel. By addressing both spiritual and practical needs, Nigerian churches are transforming entire communities.

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Faith Facts

• The Waldo Church of Christ in Arkansas has launched a two-year revitalization plan focusing on children’s ministry despite attendance dropping from 150 to 20 members.
• Forty-two members of Abilene Christian University’s football team were baptized during a Christ-centered boot camp before fall practice began.
• Multiple Christian educators and ministry leaders across Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and Nebraska have been appointed to new positions serving churches and Christian institutions.

Arkansas Church Chooses Faith Over Closure

The Waldo Church of Christ has launched a two-year revitalization plan through outreach and a renewed focus on children’s ministry. The congregation, which once had 150 attendees, now averages 20 worshipers on Sunday mornings.

The decline mirrors challenges facing the surrounding community, where the population fell from 1,400 residents in 2010 to 1,100 in 2024, while the poverty rate reached 23.7 percent, according to the U.S. Census. Rather than accept defeat, the church is investing in children through rebuilding relationships within the community.

“If you reach the children, you’ll reach their parents,” Waldo minister H.L. Shirley said.

Through the vision titled “Come Over and Help Us,” based on Acts 16:9, church leaders are seeking financial support for part-time teachers and youth ministry workers. The churchwide initiative hopes to provide children’s ministry materials, meals and other outreach resources to attract families.

“We’re letting too many congregations close their doors. I’d rather be an optimist than a pessimist. We ought to believe there’s still work to do.”

Massive Baptism at Christian University Football Camp

Few besides Abilene Christian University head football coach Keith Patterson knew what to expect for the program’s Christ-centered, identity-focused boot camp right before the beginning of fall camp. Even if the players did, it would have been hard to imagine the results.

Forty-two members of the team — 40 current players, one former player and one assistant coach — were baptized in Jesus Christ during the intensive summer gathering. The ACU football staff partnered with the Beltway Park Church’s men’s ministry to lead players in worship, lessons and small group discussions.

“It will be two days that I’ll never forget. Probably my best two days I’ve ever had in my life, and it was very impactful for me.”

Quarterback Marcos Davila was one of the players immersed on campus at Jacob’s Dream. Linebacker Bryce Morton witnessed the transformative power of the event.

“I started tearing up a little bit seeing everyone getting baptized. It made me say, ‘I’ll give my life to Christ.’ He deserves it. He’s changed my life.”

Christian Leaders Step Into New Roles

Spencer Adcock received Coach of the Year honors by Natural State Baseball. Adcock coaches for Crowley’s Ridge College in Paragould, Ark., which is associated with Churches of Christ. CRC Pioneers players Lawson DeVault and Aiden Smith earned honorable mention recognition on the 2026 All-Arkansas Collegiate Team.

Curtis Janz was named NCAA Division II Athletics Director of the Year. Janz is director of athletics for the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. He spent more than 30 years at Oklahoma Christian University as a student, assistant coach and administrator.

Chris McCurley received honorary membership in the Dickson Firefighters Association Local 3145 in Tennessee. McCurley, preaching minister for the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Dickson, is chaplain for the Dickson Fire Department.

Scott Adair was named dean of the College of Bible and Ministry at Harding University, beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. Kevin Burr will serve as assistant dean. Garret Best becomes assistant dean of the College of Bible and Ministry and director of the Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn.

Tim Hall is the new preacher for the Grassy Church of Christ in Arab, Ala. Leon Lewis begins service as campus minister for York University in Nebraska. Sam Marshall joins Ezell-Harding Christian School in Nashville, Tenn., as elementary and middle school Bible teacher. Marshall is a recent graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville and worships with the Owen Chapel Church of Christ in Brentwood, Tenn.

Cary and Ginger Richie have been named houseparents at Cherokee Home for Children in Texas. Cary is retiring after 32 years with the Wichita Falls Fire Department in Texas. Ginger taught grades pre-K through high school for more than 25 years. Cary recently earned a degree from Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock, Texas.

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