Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 6-1-18

Local
Musician Grateful For 74 Years In Music Ministry
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Having been a musi- cian for 74 years is phe- nomenal. And, for these talents to have traveled across the world, speaks volumes. That’s the story that Mrs. Elvira Pinder tells as she talks about the journey she has traveled in music ministry.
Mrs. Pinder is being honored on Sunday, June 10, 2018, 4 p. m. for the service she has rendered in this community and throughout. The celebra- tion is being held at her home church, First Baptist Church of College Hill, 3838 N. 29th St. Rev. Dr. Evan Burrows is the Pastor, and Wendell Roberson is the Minister of Music.
All churches in the community that have been blessed with her talents are invited to celebrate her.
At the age of 9, Mrs. Pinder starting playing
the piano for church choirs in her hometown of Avon Park. However, it was at an earlier age that she and her sister would be singing and she would pretend to be playing the piano. Her mother had ‘Santa Claus’ to bring her a toy piano. By age 7, her mother realized the musical potential she had, and started piano les- sons. That’s when her fa- ther got the family a used upright piano to practice on.
By the time she was 13, the family relocated to Tampa. Her music min- istry started at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, where the family was connected. A Number 3 Choir was organized and she became their musi- cian. She then played for various choirs all over the city.
After graduation from high school, Mrs. Pinder met Airman Earnest Pinder, who was sta- tioned at MacDill Air Force Base. Eighteen
MRS. ELVIRA PINDER ...Being honored for 74 years of service in Music Ministry
months later they were married. To this union, 2 children were born, Earnest, III, and Sab- rina.
The family traveled with Airman Pinder wherever he was stationed. “I continued my music ministry for the Lord.”
While stationed in Riverside, California, Mrs. Pinder organized a choir. “There were a lot of young adults in the church
who were not being uti- lized. I asked God for a vi- sion...After speaking with the pastor, the Young Adult Choir was organ- ized,” she explained.
That was just the begin- ning. Her husband’s trans- fer to Guam meant she continued to use her tal- ents for the Lord. She or- ganized a group of ladies that sang as she played at various churches on the is- land.
Returning to the United States, the family was sta- tioned at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, where an all-Black church of mil- itary families was started on the base. There, she or- ganized a choir, Male Cho- rus and Youth Choir. That church grew to a member- ship of more than 200 men, women and children.
Mr. Pinder retired from the Air Force in 1972. The family returned to Tampa and re-united their membership at New Mt. Zion M. B. Church. With the pastor’s approval, she
initiated organizing a Male Chorus, with 35 members and Windell Roberson as the Director. She con- tinued her service at New Mt. Zion until 2002.
It was 24 years ago that Mrs. Pinder became the musician for the newly formed Senior Adult Choir at First Baptist Church of College Hill under the pas- torage of the Rev. Abra- ham Brown. She has played for choirs at First Baptist, off and on, since she was 16 years old.
About 15 years ago, she became the musician for the Male Chorus a t First Baptist. She then be- came the lead musician, followed by being voted in as the Minister of Music, serving a total of 19 years. She and her family con- nected with First Baptist in 2004.
“I thank God for bless- ing me and giving me the opportunity to bless others with my talent and a love for working with people,” she concluded.
FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A