Arendell Parrott Academy’s fall choral and guitar concert was recently held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Kinston.
Sixty students in the elementary, middle and upper school choral groups and the upper school guitar ensemble performed.
The middle and upper school choruses and the guitar ensemble closed out the concert with a combined performance of “Home” by Philip Phillips.
10th pastor to be installed in 1866 FWB church
Shady Grove United American FWB Church, south of Snow Hill, is hosting the installation of its new pastor, Dr. J. Jerome Newton, at 4 p.m. today.
Newton will be the 10th pastor of the church since its founding in 1866, making the installation a historic event.
Shady Grove is the “Mother Church” of the UAFWB denomination.
Special guests on Saturday will be Dr. J.E. Reddick, general and annual bishop; Elder Antonio Blow, pastor of St. Mary and Smith Chapel UAFWB churches; and other out-of-town guests.
Newton earned a Master of Divinity from Howard University and a Doctorate of Ministry from Virginia Union University.
Newton, a Mount Olive native, attended Carver and Southern Wayne Senior high schools in Wayne County and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Winston Salem State University.
Upon graduation, he received a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he pursued graduate studies at Boston University and Hawaii Pacific University.
Newton received his calling into the ministry in 1991 while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. But it wasn’t until 1996, while living in the Republic of Panama, that he answered that call.
Shady Grove Church is at 401 Shady Grove Church Road, Snow Hill, off N.C. 58.
MOC fall graduation set for Dec. 14
Mount Olive College will graduate more than 250 students on Dec. 14 at its fall graduation ceremony. The event will take place at 2 p.m. in Kornegay Arena.
The keynote speaker will be Stephen R. Parr, who has more than 30 years of experience with United Way and has recently led the organization through a transformational period.
For the past 24 years Parr has served as executive director of United Way of Wayne County, a $1.2 million organization which provides investment grants for local nonprofit programs and services in Wayne County.
Dr. Tommy Benson, education department chairman, will be the baccalaureate speaker. Baccalaureate will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Southern Bank Auditorium in Raper Hall.
Benson has spent 42 years in education after graduating with degrees from East Carolina University, UNC Chapel Hill and Nova Southeastern University. Prior to his current position, he was principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent for Duplin County Schools.