Witness Jesus Band helps missions with concert
Witness Jesus Band will perform a concert at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13 at Mount Moriah Baptist Church, located at 30 Church St., in Smithfield that will help support missions.
The majority of the band members have been together since the 1970s. Originally called Sonrise, the band toured throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and Maryland and recorded four albums. Witness Jesus Band now serves as one of the praise and worship bands at Mount Moriah and performs a concert to the public every year.
Band members include Pete Franczyk, Bob Robinson, Melodie Ellsworth, who has recorded three CDs as a soloist and had her music performed by several Broadway casts during their Christmas specials; Phil Tarcy, Micah High and Rich Ellsworth. Over the years, the group has performed at many local churches throughout Fayette, Westmoreland and Greene counties.
Rich Ellsworth, who is drummer for the band and chairman of the mission committee, noted an offering will be taken at the concert for the mission fund that supports work locally, nationally and internationally.
He explained, “Each year mission teams from the church as well as other volunteers within the community work together to reach the poor, sick and needy with the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many teams even travel to locations around the world on building, teaching and medical mission trips. People from all walks of life have participated, including doctors, dentist, nurses, carpenters, teachers, musicians, homemakers and students.”
Ellsworth shared an overview of some of the mission programs supported by Mount Moriah. They include:
LaRomana, Dominican Republic — For the past two years, mission teams of 20-plus people have conducted medical trips to the Haitian bateyes. Conditions in many of the bateyes are desperate. The people living on them have no running water, electricity, cooking facilities, school, doctors, dentists or medicines. The Mount Moriah Mission Team travels to various bateyes in the Dominican Republic and sets up medical clinics. More than 2,000 pounds of medicines are delivered each year and hundreds of people are able to visit with doctors and dentists as a result of this mission. Bible schools are also conducted for the children.
Bluefields, Nicaragua — In 2005, Mount Moriah sent a mission team on a construction trip to assist in the building of missionary housing and a home for children whose parents are employed out of the country. This team also taught Bible school, music and English classes. In 2008, the mission team from Mount Moriah conducted the first medical and dental clinic at Bluefields and at Kukra Hill. Hundreds of children and adults were given medical/dental care, medications and vitamins were distributed and the Gospel was presented to each patient. A follow-up visit to Bluefields is tentatively scheduled for late January 2013.
Community Days/Kids Fest — Locally, the church runs this local mission free to the public each year at the end of July. The day is filled with events that include a petting zoo and face painting. A free lunch is served and hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies are distributed to each child who attends. More than 250 backpacks were distributed this past July.
Ellsworth, who participated in the Dominican trips, said, “The work performed by these missions are needed, valuable and rewarding. I personally have found no better use of my time, talent or money.”