Students are always welcome
 and part of our daily life.

Lenoir-Rhyne's famous
A Cappella Choir returns from their  annual Spring Tour to present their Home Concert at St. Andrew's on March 21st.

John Gordon Ross, Conductor of the Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, directed the choir, filling in for recently hospitalized Director Paul Weber.  

The glorious concert was a tribute to both men's powers, as well as to the effort and ability of the singers!!

L-R students join St Andrew's members for a shared Service Project event as part of the Residental Advisors' Training

Students are pretty good to us, too:  pitching in to help with chores, decorating our Chrismon tree, sprucing up for big events

CNN’S SOLEDAD O’BRIEN 
TO INTERVIEW MITCHELL GOLD ABOUT HIS BOOK ON THE CHALLENGES OF GROWING UP GAY

            HICKORY, N.C. — CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien interviewed Mitchell Gold, editor of the book “Crisis,” on Jan. 28 as part of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Visiting Writers Series. The interview took place at 7 p.m. in the P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the Lenoir-Rhyne campus in Hickory.

            Soledad O’Brien has worked on CNN special reports including “Black in America” and “Latino in America” and is currently working on a “Gay in America” special report for the network.

“Crisis” describes the personal, social and religious pain of growing up gay in America. It is told through essays contributed by 40 successful and well-known professionals as well as not-well-known younger people. The foreword is written by tennis great Martina Navratilova.

Gold is co-founder of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, a nationally recognized furniture manufacturer headquartered in Taylorsville, N.C. He is also the creator of Faith in America, an organization dedicated to educating people about the harm of religion-based prejudice against the gay community.

            “I’m looking forward to interviewing Mitchell about a topic that is at the very heart of America’s culture war,” O’Brien said. “Mitchell does it in a manner that shows compassion for all sides.”
             Gold published the book, co-edited with Mindy Drucker, in response to what he calls a silent mental health crisis among the more than 1.6 million gay young people in America. “They are at significant risk for suicide, addiction, depression, and violence, and yet those who should be helping them may very well be contributing, if not causing, their heartache and confusion,” he said. “There are teenagers all over the world today in crisis mode because they fear what will happen if others discover their sexual orientation.”

            Like the other contributors to the book, Gold has lived through this experience. As a gay teen, he was suicidal. Eventually, with the help of a psychiatrist and support from his friends, he learned to accept himself.

            Gold now calls upon others, especially those in the religious community, to take the lead in creating an accepting atmosphere for young people experiencing this same crisis.

Some of the book’s contributors include the Right Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man ordained by the Episcopal Church; acclaimed actor Richard Chamberlain; U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts), chair of the House Financial Services Committee; and Hilary Rosen, a political analyst on MSNBC and political director for The Huffington Post.

The book also includes essays by two mothers of gay young people who died as a result of their sexual orientation. Another contributor to the book is former Rev. Jimmy Creech of Raleigh, N.C., who set out on a journey to study the Bible and science after one of his congregants came out to him more than 20 years ago. Creech was defrocked by the United Methodist Church for performing a same-gender marriage ceremony.

Proceeds from the sale of “Crisis” are donated to non-profit organizations that help young people struggling with issues related to their sexual orientation.

            The Visiting Writers Series is free to the public thanks to the support of sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Catawba Valley Community Foundation, UNC-TV, Hickory Public Library, United Arts Council of Catawba County, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Crowne Plaza hotel of Hickory, and WFAE 90.7 FM, Your NPR News Source.

Brevard College Volleyball team visited us in October
and stayed for supper!

Cappella Choir at Concert in St Andrew's

LENOIR-RHYNE SACRED MUSIC PROGRAM  PRESENTS EVENING PRAYER SERIES

HICKORY — The Sacred Music Program of Lenoir-Rhyne University sponsored two choral evening prayer services this spring semester.

The first service was on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory. The Sacred Music Program will sponsor Vespers in the Eastern Orthodox tradition featuring the Carolina Deanery Choir of the Orthodox Church in America and the Chapel Choir of Lenoir-Rhyne University.  An explanation of the liturgy preceded the service. 

The final service in this year’s series was performed on Saturday, March 6, at 4 p.m. at Northminster Presbyterian Church, Hickory. The Sacred Music Program and Northminster Presbyterian Church, Hickory,  sponsored Evening Prayer with John Bell and the A Cappella Choir of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Paul D. Weber, director.

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LENOIR-RHYNE SACRED MUSIC PROGRAM TO PRESENT EVENING PRAYER SERIES

HICKORY — The Sacred Music Program of Lenoir-Rhyne University will sponsor two choral evening prayer services this fall and two more in the spring semester.

The first service was on Sunday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory. The A Cappella Choir of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Paul D. Weber, director, will lead a service of hymns and anthems celebrating the Reformation, including Rheinberger’s “Abendlied” and Weber’s new hymn, “All Who Love and Serve Your City.”

The second was on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., at Beth Eden Lutheran Church, Newton. The Chapel Choir and College Singers of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Paul D. Weber, director, will lead Evening Prayer for All Saints’ Day.

This service will feature Michael Haydn’s “Timete Dominum,” Weber’s “Blessed,” the “Nunc dimittis” of Edmund Rubbra, and “Blessed Are the Dead” by William Beckstrand.

The third service was held on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory. The Sacred Music Program will sponsor Vespers in the Eastern Orthodox tradition featuring the Carolina Deanery Choir of the Orthodox Church in America and the Chapel Choir of Lenoir-Rhyne University.  An explanation of the liturgy will precede the service. 

The final service in this year’s series was performed on Saturday, March 6, at 4 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory. The Sacred Music Program and Northminster Presbyterian Church, Hickory, will sponsor Evening Prayer with John Bell and the A Cappella Choir of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Paul D. Weber, director.