By Rebecca Erdman
Area students perform a skit at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. service on Monday evening, Jan. 17. Awe-inspiring melodies and words of compassion flooded through the aisles at St. John's Lutheran Church, Boyertown, filling the church and approximately 150 people with praises and memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday night, Jan. 17.
Students from Pine Forge Academy, the Boyertown Junior High Select String Ensemble and BASH applauded each other's efforts as they presented the theme for King's holiday, "Words of Vision, Words of Power."
"I wanted to try something new and meet new people. I thought it went very well," said Frederick Keith II, a sophomore at Pine Forge Academy.
The Pine Forge Academy Creative Arts joined together with BASH students from New Hanover Methodist Church in Gilbertsville, under the direction of David Lewis, past president of the Boyertown Area Ministerial Association (BAMA) and Pastor Joel Johnson, Creative Arts director.
"We travel so much out of state because our kids are from all over, and whenever we can perform in the community we do so, to keep the connection with the community," said Johnson.
Melissa Sams, a senior at BASH and a member of United Methodist, said, "It's a lot of fun to get to know different people."
Associate Pastor of St. John's, Carl Wenzel, also spoke of differences and keeping King's dream alive.
"It's so important to teach by example and become involved with people whose differences are a gift," said Wenzel.
Pastor Wenzel also informed the congregation that due to the flu, the Pine Forge Choir could not perform, and instead two students, Kara Caldwell, freshman, and Theron Thomas, senior, would carry out the vocal portion with solos.
Prior to their solos, Jen Schlegel, chairperson of the Boyertown Area Unity Coalition (BAUC), read reflections from Eudes Defoe, acknowledging the community for their kindness during the Oct. 30 incident where a white male attempted to light a cross on the Defoe family's front lawn.
"There is a tremendous number of benevolent people in this community," said Defoe.
Defoe also thanked Schlegel and Louise Doskow (BAUC) and others for their organization and participation in the Dec. 5 Community Walk in Boyertown, but also the significance of educating others.
The service concluded with the hymn, "We Shall Overcome."
