By Staff, Baptist Message
The Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers are gearing up for a busy 2018-19 concert season that includes a stop at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
With the first performance just a week away, this group of 55 music ministers and laymen are eager to hit the highways and bi-ways of the state and share God’s love through their variety of music that includes a cappella spirituals, hymn arrangements and contemporary Christian tunes.
“The spiritual and musical challenges of being in Singing Ministers builds our abilities to be used by God ‘on the road’ and especially when we go back to our individual home churches,” said Frank Nihard, public relations officer with the group.
Since they organized in 1974, the Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers have presented concerts at churches, detention centers, intervention program facilities and prisons.
During each performance, the group collects an offering for needy students. The collection helps fund the Louisiana Baptist All State Choir and scholarships for two Louisiana College and two New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary students preparing for music ministry. Several former scholarship recipients are now members of the group.
The group gathers for a retreat in August to prepare for each concert season. Not only is the retreat a time to practice together but also is a chance to join in Christian fellowship.
“We work hard when we’re together, but we have a lot of fun in the process,” Nihart said. “A lot of burden and victory sharing goes on during our breaks and at mealtimes.”
The concert schedule for 2018-19 is:
Sept. 20 – Bayou Vista Baptist Church, Morgan City
Oct. 18 – First Baptist Church, Minden
Nov. 15 – New Hope Baptist Church, DeQuincy
Jan. 17 – Airline Baptist Church, Bossier City
Feb. 21 – Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola (not open to the public)
March 21 – Salem Baptist Church, Stonewall
April 11 – Temple Baptist Church, Ruston *
May 16 – Houston River Baptist Church, Lake Charles
* Combined concert with Louisiana Baptist Singing Women
For more information about auditioning for or booking the group for a future concert, e-mail Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers President Glenn Price at glenn@pbcministry.com.
