Welch College Choir Announces Spring Tour 2019

by jowens | Feb 15, 2019

The Welch College Choir will travel in three states March 13-19 during their annual Spring Choir Tour, according to David Williford, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. The 40-member choir, directed by Dr. James Stevens, chairman of the Welch Music Department, will minister in seven churches and two Christian schools in seven days.

The tour program, O Praise the Name!, will consist of sacred choral selections and gospel songs designed to encourage and evangelize. Some of the selections include: Blessings, How Great Thou Art, Is He Worthy?, Come Thou Fount, and O Praise the Name.

“We really want to encourage local churches and youth groups to mark their calendars and make every effort to attend a service in their area,” Williford said. “We also want to ask people to pray for the health and safety of the choir as they travel and present God’s Word, and to pray that God would bless in every service.”

Spring Tour Schedule

March 13                 7:00 p.m.        First FWB Church                              Bristol, VA
March 14                 7:00 p.m.        Evergreen FWB Church                    Erwin, TN
March 15                 7:00 p.m.        First FWB Church                              Washington, NC
March 17               10:30 a.m.        Great Bridge FWB Church                Chesapeake, VA
March 17                 6:30 p.m.        Gateway FWB Church                       Virginia Beach, VA
March 18               11:00 a.m.        Gateway Christian Academy            Virginia Beach, VA
March 18                 7:00 p.m.        Bethel FWB Church                          Kinston, NC
March 19                 9:50 a.m.        Bethel Christian Academy               Kinston, NC
March 19                 7:00 p.m.        Rocky Pass FWB Church                 Nebo, NC

105 Welch College Students Make President’s and Provost’s Honor Roll

by jowens | Jan 22, 2019

Jose Rodriguez to Start New Welch Hispanic Training Institute

by jowens | Jan 13, 2019

Miami Pastor Jose Luis Rodriguez has been tapped to start a new Hispanic training institute at Welch College, according to Welch Provost Matthew McAffee.

“Jose Rodriguez, senior pastor of Ebenezer Free Will Baptist Church in Miami for almost two decades, is the foremost leader of the Hispanic Free Will Baptist movement in this country,” McAffee said. “We want to redouble our commitment to Hispanic theological education among Free Will Baptists, and Mr. Rodriguez is just the person to make it happen.”

Rodriguez, pastor of Ebenezer Free Will Baptist Church in Miami, Florida, since 2001, graduated from Welch with a B.A. in pastoral training in 1994. During his time in college, he ministered in Hispanic church planting among Free Will Baptists in Middle Tennessee. After graduation, he worked in planting the Renacer Free Will Baptist Church in the Miami area until reaching self-supporting status in 2000.

A native of Cuba who has also lived in Panama, Rodriguez holds the M.A. in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and the M.Div. equivalent from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is completing his D.Min. degree.

“There is no more respected minister in our movement than Jose Rodriguez,” said Welch President Matt Pinson. “He brings an unparalleled zeal for evangelism together with a keen theological appetite, a striking expository pulpit ministry, and the proven ability to build and grow a church in a challenging urban environment. His success in urban and intercultural ministry will prove very beneficial to our program here at Welch, and he will allow us to begin building a needed, regionally accredited Hispanic educational effort in our denomination.”

McAffee said, “Mr. Rodriguez will begin his duties next summer. His main task will be to help us formulate a strategy for Hispanic theological education, which includes fundraising, but he will also teach Bible and ministry courses and engage in other administrative responsibilities.”

Rodriguez has been married to his wife Maday, a senior accountant for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, for 23 years. They have two sons, Samuel, a senior in high school, and Daniel, a sophomore.

For more information about Welch College’s associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in theology and ministry, visit welch.edu or email recruit@welch.edu.