Kannapolis — The Rev. Scott Swix is the new senior pastor at Kimball Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church, ELCA, and will begin his ministry with Sundays services.
Pastor Swix comes to Kimball from Hope Community Church, ELCA, Rockford, Mich., where he has been pastor for the past eight years.
He earned a masters of divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Bexley, Ohio, and he also holds a bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree in computer science from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Pastor Swix previously worked in the private sector with Bell South, Kaleida Labs and IBM. He is married to Kim Swix and they have two sons, Zachary and Joshua.
The congregation of Kimball Memorial welcomes Pastor Swix to Kimball and Kannapolis. Contemporary services are at 8:30 a.m. and worship begins at 11 a.m.
Kimball Memorial is located at 101 Vance St.
The Gospel Travelers will observe their 45th singing anniversary with celebrations to be held at the Erwin Temple C.M.E. Church, 155 Erwin Temple Church Road, today and Sunday.
The celebration begins this evening at 7 p.m., and conclude on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Guest choirs, groups, soloists, both local and out of town, are invited to participate.
China Grove — During the Sunday 10 a.m. service, Trey Corriher will be the guest musician playing his trumpet at special moments during worship time.
Trey is the grandson of members Billy and Jeanette Corriher.
Mount Zion UCC is located at 1415 S. Main St. For more information visit mtzionchinagrove.com or call 704-857-1169. The Rev. Mark L. Burns is pastor of Mount Zion UCC.
The annual Women’s Day observance at New Zion Baptist Church, 2785 Dunn’s Mountain Road, will be Sunday during the 11 a.m. service. The speaker will be Minister Cathy Marlin, first lady and associate pastor of Fairview Baptist Church of Salisbury. The Rev. Patrick Jones is host pastor.
Providence United Methodist Church, 6450 Bringle Ferry Road, will be having its Heritage Day celebration and the celebration of appointment of the Rev. Aldana W. Allen, on Sunday.
Rev. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a business minor from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was awarded a master of divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, Ga., in 1998. Rev. Allen has been the Pastor at Trinity UMC and Lonsdale UMC.
First Calvary Baptist Church, 400 S. Long St., will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pastor Leamon E. Brown at the 11 a.m. service Sunday. The Rev. Dr. Albert Aymer, the former president of Hood Theological Seminary, will be the guest speaker.
Dr. Aymer, a native of Antigua in the British West Indies, began his tenure at Hood Theological Seminary in 1994. Since that time the school has undergone tremendous transformation, including the offering of the doctor of ministry degree program.
Rev. Brown joined First Calvary in the 1970s while a student at Livingstone College. He served as assistant pastor in 1978, was ordained in 1980 and was interim pastor for four years (1980-1984) prior to being installed as senior pastor in 1984.
Rev. Brown is a recent retiree from Rowan Cabarrus Community College where he was a faculty member for over 30 years, where he taught religious study courses and was a GED director and academic advisor.
Pastor Brown is a member of the Salisbury Ministerial Alliance, the NAACP and the Rowan Baptist Association; and has served on numerous boards, including Rowan Helping Ministries and the Salisbury-Rowan Community Service Council.
First United Church of Christ will celebrate the commissioning of youth at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday.
Nine youth and three adults will leave Sunday afternoon to travel to John’s River Valley Camp in Collettsville and attend the Mission Week camp at JRVC.
They, along with volunteers from around the south, will work on homes and provide needed care for special needs persons in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. The summer work camp trip is an important part of the youth ministry program at First United Church of Christ.
The Rev. Carol Hallman, resident minister, will continue the summer preaching series titled “Snapshots From the Family Album.”
First United Church of Christ is located in the Historic District at 207 W. Horah St., 704-633-2723.
CLEVELAND — The Order of the Eastern Stars Omega Chapter 242, PHA, Cleveland, is sponsoring a Star Day Program on Sunday at 3 p.m.
It will be held at Cedar Grove AME Zion Church, 2430 Hildebrand Road, Barber.
Guest speaker for the occasion will be Minister Reba Parker Imes, associate minister of Shiloh Baptist Church of Concord.
Dianne Rankin Sanders is Worthy Matron, OES Omega Chapter# 242, PHA.
Mt. Ulla — The Mt. Zion Baptist Church Youth Choir will celebrate their annual Youth Extravaganza (anniversary) on Sunday at 3 p.m., under the direction of Pastor Vincent S. Tillman Sr., of Life Giving Church of God, Concord. Mt. Zion is located at 1765 White Road, where Corey Barr is pastor, 704-767-3712 or mtzionmtulla@yahoo.com
EAST SPENCER — Love Christian Center’s Pastor’s Aide will sponsor a pastors aide service on Sunday at 4 p.m. The speaker will be the Rev. Carolyn D. Bratton, pastor of Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church.
Rev. Bratton is a graduate of Gardner Webb University in Boiling Springs where she received a bachelor of science degree in business administration. She is a 2012 cum laude graduate of Hood Theological Seminary with a masters of divinity degree.
Bishop W. Ronald and Mother Lotis Hash are senior pastors of LCC. For information call 704-925-9423. LCC is located at 102 N. Long St.
The Pastor’s Aide service at Mt. Calvary Holy Church, 1400 Standish St., will be Sunday at 5 p.m. The guest speaker will be Pastor Nasby Mills Jr. of Progressive Outreach Ministry.
The Salisbury-Rowan Pastor’s Aid Union Sunday evening worship service is cancelled.
The Monday night business and fellowship meeting is 7 p.m. at Hall’s Chapel primitive Baptist Church, where the Rev. Richard Johnson is pastor.
KANNAPOLIS — The Piedmont Singing Men, under the direction of Randy Childers, will present a concert of patriotic and gospel music Sunday at 6 p.m. at North Kannapolis Baptist Church.
A time of food and fellowship in McMurray Hall will follow the concert. The church is located at 312 Locust St.
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church second Sunday singing will feature the Praise Grass Band. They first came together as the worship team for the First Light Service at Providence United Methodist Church.
Between the four members of the band, they have over 150 years of playing and singing all types of music, including gospel, contemporary praise and worship, bluegrass and even a little rock and roll.
The group consists of Michael and Gaynell Lambert, husband and wife on mandolin/guitar and piano; Tim Ervin on guitar, and Steve Cauble on upright bass and banjo.
They will perform at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Family Life Center, Bringle Ferry Road, on Sunday at 7 p.m.
China Grove — Pine Ridge Baptist Church, 880 Old Linn Road, offers a meal and dessert for free on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are games for the young folks and a good time for all.
For more information, call 704-857-3182. Leave a message and your call will be returned.
United Cornerstone School of Divinity (UCSoD) announces its sixth commencement exercises to be held on Saturday, July 19 at 6 p.m.
The graduation will be held at Citadel of Faith Christian Fellowship, Inc. (CFCF), 108 Salem St., Thomasville.
The class of 2014 includes 10 students; eight will receive the certificate in christian leadership. The class includes the first recipient of the bachelor in biblical studies, as well as the first recipient of the master of divinity in preaching.
This year’s class is composed of students from the UCSoD Rock Hill satellite located at Gethsemane Church, Rock Hill, S.C., and the main site located at 5 JW Thomas Way, Thomasville. The class of 2014 represents diverse religious denominations.
Apostle James H. Carter, presiding prelate of United Cornerstone Churches International (UCCI) and cofounder of UCSoD, will deliver the commencement address. Apostle John T. Brown, (Rock Hill, S.C. site coordinator) will serve as grand marshal.
Dr. George B. Jackson, cofounder and president, will confer degrees upon the class of 2014. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall.
For more information visit www.ucsod.com or call 336-561-4067.