Alumni Connection//July 2026
Staying Connected
Caleb Cruse (DMin, 2026) and his family are being sent by The Shepherd’s Church in Cary, North Carolina, to replant Vienna Baptist Church in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, area. The replant officially launches in the summer of 2026.
Bill Boggess (ThM, 1980), after serving thirty-four years as a church planter with TEAM in France, is now “retired” and serving with Equipping Leaders International, training pastors in French-speaking Africa.
Robert Earle Elliott (ThM, 1987) has three books: Light for Life: 90 Days of Devotionals and Light for Leaders: 52 Weeks of Leadership Devotionals. If you are interested in his books, you can contact him at pastor.rob.elliott@gmail.com.
Julie Woodson (ThM, 2005) has been approved for a role with Global Diaspora Services, which is a field branch of Wycliff Bible Translators. They work to translate the Bible into unreached languages with people who have left their home country. Julie’s role will be to conduct research, such as identifying remaining translation needs and making case studies available.
Paul Mitskevich (ThM, 2022) was invited to attend and serve at the Evangelical-Christian Baptist Convention in May. Paul had the honor of translating for honored guests and participated in the brotherhood spirit of more than 400 delegates who attended the convention in Moscow. Paul also taught Old Testament bibliology to students in Izhevsk, using Dr. Yarbrough’s The Story of Scripture course.
In Florida, Joe Allen (ThM, 1988) visited Jim and Sue Nite (ThM, 1980) as well as Jim and Tammy Harper (ThM, 1990).
In Memory
William Arnold McNeill (ThM, 1960) went home to be with his precious Lord and Savior on May 22, 2026, two days shy of his ninety-ninth birthday. Arnold will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by Helen, his beloved wife of nearly seventy-five years; their daughters—Patricia, Cathy, and Marilyn; their son John; and each of their children’s families. Arnold was predeceased by his precious son Bruce in 1979.
A devoted follower of Jesus, he pursued God’s calling upon his life by earning theological degrees from Biola University and Dallas Theological Seminary. He pastored several churches, including Northminster Baptist Church (Toronto, Ontario), Benton Street Baptist Church (Kitchener, Ontario), Calvary Church of Souderton (Pennsylvania), and Emmanuel Baptist Church (Barrie, Ontario). Arnold also served with joy for many years on the Board of Directors of The Evangelical Alliance Mission.
The legacy he leaves is one of faithfulness to our God, his family, and his beloved church families and friends. He loved reading scripture and singing hymns, cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays and Raptors, and, with his uncontrollable (and contagious) laughter, telling jokes that he could hardly finish.
He was delighted that his son John McNeill (ThM, 1985), daughter Cathy Paul (MACE, 1985), son-in-law Steve Paul (ThM, 1990), and granddaughter Trisha Demer (MACM, 2015) all graduated from DTS and that his grandsons Austin Paul (MAIS) and Michael Paul (ThM) are current students.
On May 28, 2026, Howard Gene Balding (ThM, 1975; DMin, 1985) ended his earthly service and began his eternal service to our Savior in Heaven. Howard faithfully served the Lord at Russellville First Baptist Church, Emmanuel Baptist Church (Tuscaloosa), Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), Lakeview Baptist Church in Cave Spring (Arkansas), and at churches in Texas while completing his degrees at DTS.
He leaves behind his loving wife, Jeanie, whom he was happily married to for sixty-two years. He also leaves behind his sons, Gene and David, and his grandchildren, Rachel, Austin, Daniel, and Kaitlyn.
He loved traveling the world (especially to Israel) with his wife. He also enjoyed reading books, serving as an interim pastor after his retirement, and going on mission trips to Costa Rica, Moldova, Ukraine, and Transnistria.