 Tony Brown |
 William Pannell |
January 24, 2008
Hesston College has announced an educational and inspiring concert featuring internationally-acclaimed baritone Tony Brown, the college’s peace ambassador, and William “Bill” Pannell, African-American lecturer, evangelist, theologian, pastor, youth worker, and writer.
The concert, held in connection with Black History Month (February), will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, February 2, at Hesston Mennonite Church. 309 S. Main Street, Hesston, on the campus of Hesston College. The concert is free and open to the public; a free-will offering will be taken to defray costs of the event.
Pannell will provide an introduction to the event and background on spirituals and their relevance for us today. Brown will sing spirituals and other selections, accompanied by pianist Ken Rodgers, Hesston College music faculty member. At times, he will be joined by Hesston College’s Bel Canto Singers, directed by Bradley Kauffman, another Hesston College music faculty member, and by the Hesston College Chorale, directed by Rodgers.
Meanwhile, Pannell will provide the sermon during the 10:30 morning worship service Sunday, February 3, at Hesston Mennonite Church.
Black History Month celebrated since 1976
Black History Month was established in 1976 to remember the important people and events in African-American history. It is celebrated annually in the U.S. and Canada during the month of February.
Goals for Black History Month include exposing racial prejudice and the resulting negative affects, along with cultivating African-American self-esteem. The month also provides an opportunity to recognize significant contributions to society made by people with African heritage.
Pannell’s experiences are wide-ranging
Pannell has spoken at Hesston College at least once before, as the Staley Lecture Series guest speaker March 29-31, 1999.
Born in Sturgis, Mich., Pannell gave his life to Christ during his junior year in high school.
A graduate of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bible College, Pannell studied black history at Wayne State University in Detroit. In 1980, he earned a master’s degree in social ethics from the University of Southern California.
Pannell has had far-ranging evangelistic experience at both the practical and the academic levels. For a time, he was an evangelist—preaching and teaching throughout the U.S. From 1955-1965, he served as an assistant pastor in Detroit, as well as area youth director for the Brethren assembly youth. In 1964, he was named assistant director of leadership training with Youth for Christ, serving in that capacity until 1968, when he joined Tom Skinner Associates as associate evangelist and vice president.
He remained with that ministry until 1974, when he joined Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif., as assistant professor of evangelism and director of the Black Pastors’ Program (now the African-American Studies Program). He serves as special assistant to the president and Senior Professor of Preaching at the seminary’s School of Theology. He is a gifted preacher and professor of homiletics.
Pannell is a member of the boards of Taylor University, Upland, Ind., and Sojourners/Call to Renewal in Washington, DC.
He has been an active participant in conferences on evangelism throughout the world and is much in demand as a guest lecturer at Christian colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Pannell’s books include My Friend, the Enemy (Word, 1968), Evangelism from the Bottom Up (Zondervan, 1992), and The Coming Race Wars? A Cry for Reconciliation (Zondervan, 1993). His research interests include preaching and spirituality.
Pannell and his wife, Hazel, live in Altadena, Calif. They have two sons, Philip and Peter.
Brown is a peace ambassador around the globe
Brown is a promoter of peace and goodwill around the world, beginning in Bosnia in 2002. In the fall of 2003, he went to Northern Ireland to bring spirituals to the Protestant/Catholic conflict. He returned to Northern Ireland in October 2005 and again in September-October 2007 to promote peace through music.
With a series of five concerts in Ethiopia in May 2007, Brown promoted peace and goodwill between religious groups.
In May and June 2005, Brown toured China for six weeks to present spirituals and other American music, and also debuted in Sapporo, Japan. He also spent two weeks singing and bringing hope for peace in war-torn northern Uganda in June 2006, and one week in South Korea in September 2006.
Brown released his fourth CD Each Other's Light: Songs of Peace, Hope, and Justice, in December 2006. He hopes this recording will continue to help promote peace around the world.
In addition, Brown is a professional psychotherapist and brings the depth of that experience to his work as peacemaker and artist.
He teaches sociology and history courses and provides counseling services at Hesston College in Hesston, Kan.
You can learn more about Brown’s music at www.anthonybrownbaritone.net.
For more information about the February 2 concert, contact Hesston College’s Alumni Relations Office at 866-437-7866 (800-866-HESSTON), locally at 620-327-8110, or e-mail DallasS@hesston.edu.