A love for God, church music, and people are the instruments God used
to call Benny Edwards to music ministry in 1981.
Benny’s path to Southern Pines began in the north central Mississippi town of Grenada. Having grown up attending First Baptist Church, Grenada, Benny participated
in all facets of church life including worship, Sunday school, church training, Royal
ambassadors, and every choral
and instrumental music ensemble possible. He made public his profession of faith in Christ and was baptized at FBC
Grenada.
His first paying church job was as lawn boy for the church
properties. He later was promoted to custodian of the Christian
activities building (the church gym). As a high school senior, he sensed and responded to Christ’s call into full
time music ministry. An Associate of Arts from Holmes Junior College and
a Bachelor of Music Education from Delta State University followed high school.
During these years he served as Minister of Music and Youth at two churches in Mississippi.
In 1988 he completed the Master of Music degree at Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Upon graduation, he
continued at Southwestern in an advanced studies capacity while serving as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church,
Gordon, Texas, a position of service since 1986. He recalls his seven
years of seminary education with fondness, especially his five years as the Assistant Director of the Southwestern
Men’s Chorus. During these years he worked closely alongside the Dean of
the School of Church Music, James McKinney, who directed the Men’s Chorus.
In 1992, Benny and Cindy were married and moved to Southern Pines
for Benny to serve as the first full time Minister of Music and Senior Adults at First Baptist Church.
They have two children, Maeghan and Miller.
"The years at FBCSP have been filled with wonderful experiences of
ministry and music. As the region has grown, FBC has increased the
offerings of ministry to try to provide for every person who seeks a deeper relationship with Christ. “Since music is such an
integral part of everyday life, spiritual direction through the
medium of music in worship, service, evangelism, education and
ministry can be a positive directive for the Christian pilgrimage. It is
my hope that we provide opportunities for that positive growth for all who seek it.”, says Benny.
An avid sports fan, Benny enjoys playing golf when time permits. He dabbles a little in the world of oil painting and occasionally
teaches a variety of music appreciation classes for older adults and surrounding community colleges.
Benny's e-mail address is:
bennygedwards@yahoo.com |
