BUIES CREEK — Three public inspirational concerts will be part of the OASIS Renew for the Journey Church Music Conference at Campbell University Divinity School, July 14-16, beginning with a North Carolina Baptist Senior Adult Choir Festival reprise concert.
“A Mary Night at the Creek” concert will be Monday, July 14, at 7 p.m. in Butler Chapel on Campbell’s main campus in Buies Creek. It will feature senior adults from across the state led by Mary McDonald, nationally known composer, arranger, producer, pianist and organist from Knoxville, Tennessee. McDonald currently serves as the organist for Central Baptist Church there. The concert was originally performed at First Baptist Church in Hickory, North Carolina, last fall.
On Tuesday, July 15, at 7p.m. in Butler Chapel, Billy Orton, nationally known instrumental and choral teacher, conductor and performer, will lead “Him Festival: Celebrating Jesus’ Love.” This festival is built upon two foundational scripture passages which help us to understand the love of God as found in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:14-19 and John 3:16). The Huntsville, Alabama, native currently serves as minister of music and worship at the First Baptist Church in Huntsville. Arrive early for a mini-sacred concert by the First Baptist Church’s Big Band starting at about 6:40 p.m.
On Wednesday, July 16, at 7 p.m. in Butler Chapel, the North Carolina Baptist All-State Youth Choir will begin their state choir tour. More than 100 youth from Baptist churches across the state will share inspirational music and provide an exciting worship program. The quality and commitment of these young people has been a great encouragement to all ages of persons who appreciate great sacred choral music. The Baptist All-State choir is sponsored by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and is directed this year by Greg Parker, professor of music and chair of the Department of Music at Washington and Lee University. Prior to this appointment, he taught as Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina (2004-13); Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri (1994-2004); and Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas (1992-94).
OASIS 2014 Church Music Conference is an affordable opportunity to learn new music, gain new ideas, and worship without having to plan; and it provides a place for worship leaders to quench their spiritual thirsts. In addition to McDonald and Orton, the music conference leaders include Constance Cherry, author of “The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services” (Baker Academic 2010), and Jayne Davis, the minister of spiritual formation at First Baptist Church in Wilmington.
For more information and registration for the entire church music conference, go to http://divinity.campbell.edu.