Holy Week services announced

Published 4:30 am Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Next week will be Holy Week and services will be held at churches around town each day leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

As a show of good will and harmony, some of those churches will work together to bring a short message each day at noon followed by a light lunch. This will give everyone the opportunity to attend on their lunch hour.

One of the ministers who will participate will be the Rev. Parker Johnson, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Brewton.

Parker will bring the message on Mon., March 21, at St. Maurice Catholic Church, while the Rev. Adrian Cook, pastor of St. Maurice Catholic Church, will speak on Thurs., March 24, at First Baptist Church of Brewton.

Other churches and pastors who will participate will be the Rev. Dale Hufff, who will speak at St. Stephens Episcopal Church on Tues., March 22; the Rev. Tony McCullough, who will speak at First Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. Sandra Mayer will speak at First United Methodist Church.

“There is unity in Christ,” Johnson said. “Christ died for everyone. We may worship in different ways, but love and peace are a part of all of us.

“Easter gives us the opportunity to show our love and enjoy the same unity,” he added. “Brewton is unique in that we can come together and share our faith with each other. I am happy to be able to share with these other churches and their perspectives. It’s not often we get the opportunity to be a part of the congregation instead of being the speaker. I look forward to it.”

Johnson is a young pastor from Montgomery. He graduated from Montgomery Academy in 2003 and then attended the University of Alabama, graduating in 2007.

He entered seminary at Beeson Divinity School on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham. and graduated in 2010.

“While there I worked in an apartment ministry,” he said. “I began college thinking I would be involved with the church in some way, but I knew for certain that God was calling me while I was working in this ministry.”

During this time he met his wife, Kristy, and they now have two children, Thomas (3) and Lizzie (six months).

After graduation he worked as an assistant pastor at a church plant (new church) and then was pastor of 2Citys Church in Montgomery. After being there for about two and a half years, he came to Brewton two years ago.

“Brewton is a good fit for us,” he said. “I hope we stay here a long time.”

Johnson said this will be his third time to participate in Holy Week here in Brewton, and he is looking forward to it.

“I hope everyone will make it to at least one service,” he said. “You don’t have to be a member of any of the churches to be welcome.”

All services will be held at noon with a short message followed by a light lunch. It is timed so those who are working can come on their lunch hour. Monday services will be at St. Maurice Catholic Church; Tuesday services will be at St. Stephens Episcopal Church; Wednesday they will be held at First Presbyterian Church; Thursday services will be held at First Baptist Church and on Friday, they will be at First United Methodist Church.

In addition to these services, the Greater Brewton YMCA will have sunrise services on Easter Sunday at 6 a.m.