The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
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BRANDON — Simeon Nix, music and worship pastor at Bell Shoals Baptist Church, died Sunday of an apparent heart attack.
It was the second death of a church leader in three months.
The church's senior pastor, Forrest Pollock, and his 13-year-old son died in a plane crash in May.
"It's been emotionally devastating for everyone," senior associate pastor George Thomasson said Monday. "The congregation is resilient, I guess is the best word."
Nix, 47, suffered a heart attack Aug. 12. He underwent surgery at Brandon Regional Hospital and was released Friday, according to updates posted on the church's Web site.
He had some complications — an infection and diabetes — but was expected to recover.
Nix apparently suffered another heart attack at home at 11:45 p.m. Saturday and was taken back to Brandon Regional. He was pronounced dead there at 1:15 a.m. Sunday, the updates said.
He is survived by his wife and two children, adopted from Russia in 2001. Funeral services were scheduled for Wednesday at the church.
Nix was one of 17 full-time pastors at Bell Shoals. He presided over Pollock's May 17 funeral in the church's new 3,450-seat sanctuary. Nix's charismatic mix of prayer and music during the service — including a song he wrote for the grand opening of the sanctuary — brought shouts of praise from the congregation.
"He was a great big man with a big heart for people," Thomasson said.
On his personal Web site, simeonnix.com, Nix described himself as a "6 foot, 5 inch, 300-and-none-of-your-business-pound man." He also recounted his childhood growing up in a foster home and told of his journey with his wife, Beth, to adopt their children.
Contact Jan Wesner at jwesner@sptimes.com or 661-2439.
[Last modified: Aug 24, 2008 10:31 AM]
Comments on this article
by Veep
Aug 24, 2008 10:31 AM
Bell Shoals should see the handwriting on the wall. Hate mongering church aligned with the likes of bigot Rhonda Storms + Bad things happening = God sending a message. Down with the radical right wing
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