Passages - Christianity Today

Died • Harold Kurtz, former director of the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship and one of the most prominent missionaries in the Presbyterian Church (USA), on December 18 in Portland, Oregon, from brain cancer. He was 85.

Hired • Tic Long, as executive director of Youth Specialties, now owned by YouthWorks, in January after being laid off in July by Zondervan, previous owner of the national youth ministry.

Died • Art Clokey, creator of “Davey and Goliath,” the claymation TV program he created for the United Lutheran Church in America, on Jan. 8 in California. He was 88.

Recovering • Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, from a public battle with brain cancer after a November seizure. He is 35.

Leaving • Christopher Doyle, after 15 years as president and CEO of American Leprosy Missions, at the end of January for personal and family reasons.

Died • Miep Gees, Dutch secretary who hid Anne Frank and preserved her diary, on Jan. 11 near Amsterdam. She was 100.

Appointed • Peggy Young Nance, as CEO of Concerned Women for America in January. She was previously president of Nance and Associates.

Appointed • Kevin Bish, as vice president of enrollment management and student services at Asbury Theological Seminary, effective March 1.

Named • Brad Hewitt, as president and CEO of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, effective February 1. He was previously chief operating officer for Thrivent.

Died • Jeffery A. Wittung, academic editor for Baker Publishing Group, on January 10 from injuries sustained in a car accident near Grand Rapids. He was 35.