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Warren church will welcome in 2016 with worship, music and mime
By LINDA M. LINONIS
warren
When Second Baptist Church ushers in 2016 with worship, music and mime, it also begins the new year in which the church will mark its 100th anniversary and begin an initiative in community outreach.
The family-friendly celebration, open to all ages, will begin at 10 p.m. Thursday, New Year’s Eve, in the church at 1510 Main Ave. SW. The special service will include worship, testimonies, fellowship, selections by the Family Choir and performance by Second Baptist Mime Ministry.
The Rev. Todd Johnson, pastor, said the service is similar to a Watch Night service in the timing but broader in scope. Traditional Watch Night services recall the origin – Dec. 31, 1862 – when black community members gathered at churches and homes to wait for the news that the Emancipation Proclamation had become law Jan. 1, 1863. The document freed slaves in the Confederate States of America. It led to the enactment of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, which proclaim that African-Americans and other minorities cannot be discriminated against due to race.
“We want this to be a broader community service,” said Pastor Johnson, who came to Second Baptist in September and was installed Nov. 8. He served Agape Assembly from 2012 to August of this year.
The Family Choir involves about 25 singers and has participants of all ages.
“The mime ministry involves teens and young adults who take inspiration from songs and create movement and dance,” Pastor Johnson said. “It ranges from ballet to contemporary ... it’s interpretative dance.” Eight young women are in the mime ministry, which performs at special services.
Pastor Johnson said the service will conclude shortly after midnight. There will be a prayer for the new year, and his sermon will address the church theme “Restore, Renew and Revive.”
“We’ve christened the church ‘A House of Hope’ and want to extend into the community,” Pastor Johnson said.
“I believe the church is an anchor in the neighborhood,” he said. “We plan to partner with community organizations in projects.”
Pastor Johnson said he already has seen a rekindling of the children’s ministry as its attendance grows. Those attending Second Baptist span four to five generations. “Children are the growth,” said the 33-year-old pastor, adding that the older generations lend wisdom and continuity. “An urban church needs the resources that come from various generations ... that’s important,” he said.