Death Announcement - Anita Ruth Bailey Stubbs

Anita Ruth Bailey Stubbs, 84, a resident of Augusta, GA and formerly of Cleveland, Tenn., went to meet her Heavenly Father Saturday, April 4, 2009.

Mrs. Stubbs was the daughter of the late Zella Swanson Bailey and Clay Bailey. Her husband, the Rev. John A. Stubbs; and her brother, Henry C. Bailey also preceded her in death.

Mrs. Stubbs was a native of Rossville, GA and she lived most of her life in Cleveland, TN. She traveled with her husband as he served the Church of God of Prophecy as state overseer for California, Texas, Mississippi, Oregon and Alaska. She was a retired secretary and bookkeeper at the Church of God of Prophecy headquarters in Cleveland, serving for nearly 30 years.

Mrs. Stubbs stayed active after her retirement, serving as a Red Cross volunteer at Bradley Memorial Hospital in Cleveland, TN. She also stayed active in the Professional Secretaries Association where in the past she served as its president and she served on its board for a number of years. Mrs. Stubbs enjoyed traveling to see her family and traveling with her senior group. She enjoyed crocheting and she loved her dog, Sassy. Mrs. Stubbs enjoyed the friendships she made over the years and stayed in contact with her friends. She enjoyed being a grandmother and great-grandmother and was affectionately called “Grams” by her grandchildren. Mrs. Stubbs was a member of Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy, and while she resided in the Augusta area for the last five years, she attended New Hope Worship Center.

Survivors include her daughters, Carole A. Stubbs of Atlanta, Sandy Dean and her husband Mike of Chatsworth and Kathy Dyer and her husband Steve of Grovetown; her grandchildren, Kim Moreland, Kelli Kendrick, Amber Flynn, Andy Dyer and Stephanie Mixon; her great-grandsons, Thomas Kendrick, John Alan Kendrick, Seth Moreland, Noah Strickland and Joshua Moreland.

The Remembrance of Life service was today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. at Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy with the Rev. Samuel Clements and the Rev. Rich Bowen officiating.

Burial followed in the Sunset Memorial Gardens with Andrew “Andy” Dyer, Justin Flynn, Alan Kendrick, John Moreland, Kevin Mixon and Terry Bailey serving as pallbearers. A dove release concluded the service.

The family received friends at the funeral home Tuesday.Jim Rush Funeral Homes, North Ocoee Chapel, Cleveland, Tenn., was in charge of arrangements.

The Stubbs family are life-long friends. As a teenager, Bishop Stubbs allowed me to mow his lawn on a regular basis. Later in Life, my wife Yvonne worked as his private secretary while he served as C.P.M.A. Director in the Visual Aid Department of the Church if God of Prophecy at Bible Place in Cleveland, Tennessee. Sister Stubbs was a precious lady. We will never forget her.

Pastor Found Dead at Church - Way To Go

A 46-year-old pastor has been found dead inside his Somerville, Alabama church, with his brother saying the death apparently was caused by a heart attack.

Pastor Eddie Rodney Bowling was found dead at Grace Point Baptist Church around 7 a.m. yesterday when a sheriff's deputy was summoned to check on him.

Investigators ruled out foul play. Bowling's brother, former Priceville High School Principal Guy Bowling, said Morgan County Coroner Russ Beard told the family he had a heart attack.

The coroner did not immediately return a phone message today.

[from the Associated Press]

Today's Word

"We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him." - ROMANS 5:6-8 (MSG)

Pray! and Discipleship Discontinued

The publishing arm of The Navigators will discontinue publication of its two magazines, Discipleship Journal and Pray!, and shift efforts toward enhancing their web presence.

The announcement Monday by NavPress was made on the same day that periodicals database MediaFinder.com revealed the state of the magazine industry in the first quarter of 2009. According to the online database of U.S. and Canadian publications, 95 magazines folded in the first quarter of 2009 while 16 magazines ceased their print editions and now publish online-only magazines. In 2008, 525 magazines ceased their publication, including Christian magazines Ignite Your Faith and CCM Magazine, which had been printing for nearly 30 years.

"It is no secret that we are all in the midst of some very challenging times in our economy and the publishing industry," announced Michael D. Miller, president of NavPress and senior vice president of The Navigators, on Monday.

"Magazine publishing has been hit hard,” he added. “The Internet has been dealing a blow to print media for years. Then the economic downturn – it was like a one-two punch."

Notably, however, 335 new magazines were launched in 2008, and in the first quarter of this year, 110 new magazines have been launched, including the Purpose Driven Connection, the joint venture of megachurch pastor Rick Warren and the Reader’s Digest Association Inc. "We are encouraged to see 110 new magazine launches this year, showing the continued value of magazines,” commented Trish Hagood, president of Oxbridge Communications, which owns MediaFinder. “This figure compares favorably with new magazines launched in 2008.”

Still, for NavPress, the move to cease the printing operations for their magazines and enhance their web presence was decidedly the best one, though a difficult one. "This new structure positions us for a long and fruitful ministry through publishing," said Miller in his announcement. "But it means saying goodbye to some outstanding people. That's always the hardest part."

According to NavPress, Navigators staff members were informed of the new developments on Friday, and the publishing division is now communicating details with its authors.

“I believe we are uniquely positioned and staffed to help our authors connect with their audience," Miller added.

Since its founding in 1975, NavPress has sought to advance The Navigators’ calling by publishing “life-transforming” materials.

NavPress launched Discipleship Journal in 1981 and boasted a readership of more than 100,000 believers at one point in time. Its second magazine, Pray!, was reportedly reaching 44,000.

[By Eric Young, The Christian Post]